《Princess Royale - A Novel Series.》


 Gun Princess - Preface & Chapter 0

    Preface.


    A few of you who have read the Second Revision that was released on Amazon Kindle a year ago maybe wondering why re-release the novel. Why bother?


    There are two reasons.


    The first is that the book will now have a custom made cover. When I first released the story on Amazon Kindle, I used a premade cover that fit the story content to some degree. However, I later discovered that the elements of the cover had already been used so I commissioned a custom cover.


    The second reason is that the story was not well received. To be specific, the numbers were so low they were practically insignificant. So why not take the opportunity to rewrite the story, and release it again. It wasn¡¯t as if many people would mind. I have the numbers to back this up. But was my reason to rewrite because of the poor reception?


    No entirely.


    My decision to rewrite it was because the story fell well short of my original vision for it.


    It was a story with potential that I proverbially fumbled and dropped. It lacked depth. It simply wasn¡¯t even worth earning reviews. I felt that I had done this story a disservice. I let the characters down. It was time to make amends, and in order to do so I had to go back to my roots; to change my way of writing to the way I used to write. It was time to scrap the light novel approach.


    This story originally came to life when I decided to post a quickly written light novel on Royal Road Legend (RRL), with the intention to write something easy to read, that fit alongside the genres being explored by many writers on RRL. But when I tried taking it, cleaning it up, and releasing it to mainstream readers it tanked.


    It was time to start from scratch, and get it right, or at the least to write it in a manner that was satisfying to my original vision of its breadth and scope. Thus, in many respects, this release of ¡°Princess Royale¡± should be considered the first release.


    With these words, I can now present to you Book One of the Princess Royale series, Gun Princess, the way I intended it to be.


    Chapter 0.


    - # -


    Before I begin telling you how my life was unsuspectingly turned upside down and inside out in the span of one fateful afternoon, I should begin by telling you a little about myself, and about my immediate family, including my elder sister Erina.


    My family, and by no means were they unique, did not fit the definition of normal. They were above normal, or should I say, beyond normal. To begin with, my parents were smarter than the average Jane and Joe, and that included my sister. My family belonged to the category of humans known as Alphas.


    More than a century ago, a very intelligent group of people discovered how to read a section of the black code of our human DNA ¨C I refer to the significant percentage of our genome that doesn¡¯t code proteins, the so-called noncoding DNA ¨C and made a notable breakthrough. Without delving deeply into the details ¨C quite simply because I don¡¯t understand them beyond layman¡¯s terms ¨C these very smart people figured out how to read these few pages of code in our genome, and decided to make some changes for the better.


    They gave birth to a means of recoding the human brain, and essentially bootstrapping it to a higher level of processing capacity. It was the equivalent of upgrading the CPU on your computer except they were working with human minds, arguably the smartest computer in the universe. I say arguably because the large grey men that humanity succeeded in pissing off when people began venturing well beyond their home solar system would undoubtedly say that humanity was a collective of simpletons by comparison.


    I agree. Compared to the angry grey men, humanity wasn¡¯t in the same intellectual league. We weren¡¯t lagging behind them by a country mile, but we were still quite some distance behind them. So when these relatively smart humans discovered how to make a percentage of the population smarter, they began to shorten, hand over fist, the lead the angry grey men had on humanity.


    And the war began to swing in our favor.


    That was a hundred years ago and the war is still ongoing, but now it¡¯s been pushed out into the far reaches of the human held territories. In many respects it¡¯s out of sight and out of mind, except for the crews of the immense battlefortresses that venture forth into harm¡¯s way to protect our borders.


    Why is the war still with us? Well, because the angry grey men were tougher than anyone gave them credit, and they were stubborn enough to refuse humanity¡¯s attempts to bring the war to a diplomatic end. I also suspect, as many people do, that humanity had become the tiger playing with its food. Sooner or later, humanity would triumph. They just had to be careful about how they went about it, and avoid any sudden surprises such as cataclysmic plagues, et cetera.


    However, our war with the angry grey men isn¡¯t part of my story. At least, it¡¯s not part of what I want to tell you. I¡¯m simply pointing out that when the genome breakthrough took place, some humans got smarter, while others didn¡¯t. This caused a disparity within the species known as humanity that went beyond race, social, or monetary divisions.


    This was about smarts, and the Alphas were at the top of the intelligence pyramid, followed by the Betas, Gammas, Deltas, and finally those that no amount of bootstrapping would spare from mediocrity, the Menials. In other words, they were immune to the bootstrapping, and were relegated the status of not having a status beyond belonging to a collective mass of people that lived lives, contributed in their own humble way, but would never make the ground breaking achievements of the Alphas, Betas, Gammas, or even the Deltas.


    Now I can tell you about my family.


    My parents and sister were smart enough to qualify for the Alpha category. They were bootstrapped in their late teens, and went on to make worthwhile contributions to the human species. My parents went into the research fields of trans-light mechanics. They were chasing the hitherto unachieved depths of trans-space where outside relative distances in the universe became so small as to be insignificant. It was the holy grail of space travel ¨C to be able to move between vast distances in the blink of an eye. My sister¡¯s interests lay elsewhere and so she entered the science of human genetic engineering. My sister wanted to help humanity reach new heights beyond what bootstrapping their minds had achieved.


    In their own separate ways, my family was looking for better ways to combat the angry grey men. Perhaps they were looking for a way to end the war within their lifetimes.


    I didn¡¯t know, and that is because I had little contact with them.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    They were special. I was not, and as such my existence was far removed from theirs.


    In fact, before my life ended and began anew, I had barely qualified for the Delta category, and could look forward to a productive life working for some company, perhaps marrying and siring offspring, before eventually passing away and beginning a new journey in the afterlife. Or maybe I¡¯d be re-incarnated for another attempt at life in this realm that we humans perceive as reality.


    I feel depressed when encapsulating my life that could have been in such a fashion.


    Perhaps it was better that things turned out the way they did.


    At the very least, you could say my life so far has been a Hellish roller coaster ride with no end, but at the least it hasn¡¯t been boring.


    Now I¡¯ll tell you a little about the me from before the incident.


    - # -


    My name was Ronin Kassius.


    When the event took place, I was fifteen standard years old going on sixteen, and a first-year high schooler attending Telos Academy on Telos Island just off the east coast of the northern continent, scarcely a kilometer away from the sprawling city-state of Ar Telica, on the world of Teloria, the fourth planet of an eleven world solar system.


    At the time of writing, Teloria was one of fourteen colonized planets across a dozen star systems that had been partially terraformed through human ingenuity to make them habitable for people. They weren¡¯t perfect, at least not perfect in the way Earth was millennia ago, but they were capable of sustaining human life with a minimum of fuss. In fact, Teloria was pretty close to Earth before it was over populated and over polluted.


    In keeping with learning from our mistakes, the planet was being slowly colonized, and the human stain ¨C I mean footprint ¨C across its surface was thus far restricted to a total of seven city-states ¨C five on the east coast of the northern continent, and two on the west coast. Also, our technology was far better now than it had been on Earth two centuries ago so over pollution was something we were quite capable of preventing thanks to the smarts of many Alphas and Betas. In short, our recycling technologies were top notch.


    That¡¯s a little about the world I lived in.


    However, as I was saying, I was an almost sixteen year old, male high school student at Telos Academy, a rather prestigious school within the city-state limits of Ar Telica. It wasn¡¯t the only school in the city-state ¨C there were nine others ¨C but it was considered one of the best, and all my immediate family had been students there at one time or another. I expected to graduate from the Academy in three years time, and possibly head on to tertiary education, before finding a job and making a life and family of my own.


    That was the basic plan, until Fate put its foot down and intervened.


    Fate can be such a bitch.


    To say I was manly would be a stretch of the definition. At five foot three, I was considered short for a first year high school student. In fact, there were some girls in my class that were taller than me, and probably stronger. In effect, I wasn¡¯t manly at all. I had disappointingly girlish looks that landed me in hot water during my last year of middle school when the high school Cosplay Club coerced me into a cross-dressing for them during the opening week of club recruitments. I ended up wearing a princess outfit from a popular animated show, and paraded about with a placard advertising the cosplay club. I was so convincing as a girl that I received a number of invitations from the high school boys to eat lunch with them, or meet them for cake or snacks after school.


    I will admit that until the time of the incident, I¡¯d never been more terrified in my life, as the prospect of being beaten up by large, burly males when they discovered my true gender and identity sent me into a panic that had me fleeing down the hallways and hiding in a closet in the cosplay clubroom until one of the girl¡¯s found me.  Back then I¡¯d resolved never to dress as a girl while male, and it was a truly frightening experience that somewhat scarred me both mentally and physically for life. The club girls probably understood this because they promised never to reveal my identity as the Silver Blue Princess.


    In hindsight, I should have made them sign a legally binding agreement with the penalty of being sued for damages if they broke said agreement.


    Was I unhappy with my school life?


    No, but I can¡¯t say I was happy either.


    I apologize for sounding ambivalent, but truthfully I wasn¡¯t friendless or ostracized, as evidenced by the fact that many of the girls in my class were eager to include me in conversations, but it was undoubtedly because they didn¡¯t consider me a threat the way other boys in my class were viewed. In other words, they were comfortable around me probably because they didn¡¯t see me as boyfriend material. To that end, they treated me like one of them, and more often than not forgot that I was a boy at all.


    I found that unsettling and disappointing to say the least, but had grown to accept it by telling myself that one day my turn would come and Mother Nature would give me the growth spurt I was long overdue. One day, I would be a man¡¯s man, so to speak. But for now, I wasn¡¯t manly and that meant that my chances of scoring highly with a girl were close to zero. I was friends with them, but not the kind of friend that I wanted to be.


    Boyfriend and girlfriend were just not on the page for me.


    The very best I could hope for would be a platonic relationship.


    Again, this drove home how different I was from my family. For example, my father was a solid six foot two in height, and my mother and sister were both statuesque brunettes at five foot eleven. So when the heck would I start catching up to them? I will admit that I often wondered if I was blood related to them at all, more than likely adopted.


    It wasn¡¯t just my family that I was falling behind, but my one true male buddy and best friend ¨C Tobias Matheus Praetor the Third. We had been best of friends through middle school, but things were rapidly changing between us, and once again it was because he was growing into a man while I was still stuck in the body of an effeminate middle-schooler.


    I believed someone high above was testing my patience and my metal as a man ¨C testing to see how far I could bend before breaking, and honestly, I was tired of bending like a reed before the squall.


    Then one afternoon, a little over a month into the year, during the first week of the school semester, my life was rear ended in the most bizarre and unimaginable way, and I came to understand just how insignificant all my problems had been.

 Gun Princess (Amazon ver.) - Ch 1.

    Chapter 1.


    - # -


    (School Week One. Friday)


    From my window seat in the classroom, I watched the gulls ride the thermal currents flowing over the ocean waves. Looking small in the distance, they resembled tiny pieces of paper littering the air, rising and falling, sometimes lazily circling about. Nonetheless, I knew they were gulls and not paper, and for much of the afternoon homeroom period they had persistently nagged at my attention.


    The small flock of gulls dove out of sight. I imagined them diving beyond the rocky shoreline of Telos Island that was shored up by a seawall completely encircling the island. For extra measure, countless permacrete tetrapods banked up against the seawall, protecting it from the heavy waves roused up by the ocean storms that frequented the coastline during the summers experienced in the northern hemisphere.


    I say I imagined the gulls diving beyond the seawall because despite having a window seat on the second level ¨C or first floor if you counted the ground floor ¨C my view of the ocean was obscured by the giant monstrosity of permaglass and titansteel that was the high school clubroom building ¨C a hundred meters long and four stories tall with a transparent fa?ade facing the school.


    What is the point of a window seat if all I can see is that vulgar architectural disaster?


    I really hated that building and wished the school had built it somewhere else. To me it was a testament to the ego of some half-baked architect with too little talent and too little imagination. I found nothing appealing in its design, though I¡¯m sure someone will criticize me for my lack of taste.


    I watched and waited for the gulls to reappear above its rooftop. When they didn¡¯t, my attention drifted upwards to the long, thin contrail cutting across the patchy late afternoon sky, generated by a trans-orbit shuttle making its way down planetside from the orbital city. Then again, it could be a commercial skyliner making the low orbit jump from west coast to east coast of the northern continent. With a faint shrug to myself, I watched the contrail slowly dissipate back into the surrounding atmosphere.


    The sound of a bell ringing dragged my attention back to the front of the classroom, where our teacher, Miss Serene Marisol, quickly wrapped up proceedings for afternoon homeroom.


    For the six thousand students attending Telos Academy, that bell signaled the end of classes for the day, and the end of the five-day school week that paralleled the business week. In other words, it was Friday afternoon, and time to pack up and head for home or other intervening destinations.


    I looked at the tall annoyingly good looking blonde boy seated ahead of me, and watched him with a sinking feeling in my gut as he pack his belongings quickly into his school issued carry-bag. It was obvious he had plans, and those plans didn¡¯t include me. This was something that had become abundantly clear during the week ¨C more specifically ever since we graduated into high school ¨C as more often than not I found myself heading home on my own, and today was apparently no exception.


    Nonetheless, I made a valiant effort to alter that outcome.


    I cleared my throat and leaned forward over my intelli-desk. ¡°Hey, Tobias, how about that cr¨ºpe place over in Ring One? It¡¯s close by the arcade. I was thinking we could pass by on our way¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Ronin. Gotta run.¡± He hastily stood up and pushed his chair in under his intelli-desk.


    I stared at him and blinked quickly. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat do you mean you have to run?¡± I sat back. ¡°What¡ªagain? You¡¯re ditching me again?¡±


    For a heartbeat, he looked uncomfortable or perhaps nervous. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later¡ªI promise. Something I have to do. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    He threw me a fast wave. ¡°See you. Tell you about it later. Ah¡ªmaybe.¡±


    I frowned, thinking he wasn¡¯t making sense. ¡°Hey¡ªwait! What are you talking about? What about our plans? I thought we were hitting the arcade¡ª¡±


    He palmed his hands together in supplication as he backed away. ¡°Sorry Cass, but you know you like that game more than I do. Besides I can¡¯t beat you. No one can. You¡¯re the best.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t ready to give up on him or our joint afternoon activities. ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s not the only game there. What about the Princess Royale? You keep bugging me to try that.¡± There was a reason why I avoided that game like the plague, but we¡¯ll get to that later. ¡°I¡¯ll make an exception today. I¡¯ll try out. What do you say?¡±


    I must admit to my embarrassment that I was sounding rather desperate, and this did not go unnoticed by my classmates, namely a cadre of girls getting ready to leave.


    ¡°¡­there he goes again¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­I have to feel sorry of her¡­.¡±


    "...don''t you mean sorry for him...?"


    ¡°¡­her boyfriend¡¯s running out on her¡­.¡±


    I ground my teeth together.


    I can HEAR you!


    However, they did state a valid observation. I really did sound like a girl being ditched. It didn¡¯t help that my voice had failed to break. Can you imagine that? I was almost sixteen years old and yet my voice still hadn¡¯t broken. So in effect, I most certainly sounded like a nagging girlfriend.


    Tobias shook his head as he continued retreating from me, and waved a hand airily. ¡°Nah, I won¡¯t be able to beat you in that either. You¡¯re just too good.¡±


    I stood up and leaned forward on my desk. ¡°You¡¯re saying that without trying.¡±


    He pumped a fist in the air. ¡°Set a new high score and tell me about it.¡±


    My expression contorted into disbelief. ¡°What¡­?¡±


    He looked sheepish and a tad nervous as he continued backing away. ¡°Cass, I swear I¡¯ll make it up to you. Just forgive me this once. Please. This is a big deal for me.¡±


    ¡°Just this once?¡± Feeling abandoned is unpleasant, but I bristled for a heartbeat and growled, ¡°And don¡¯t call me Cass!¡±


    He grinned, yet oddly I felt it was forced. He turned quickly and cut a fine path across the classroom to the front entrance on the opposite side of the room.


    I watched him in a state of disgruntled disbelief. ¡°A big deal? What the Hell does that mean?¡±


    He was through the door and out of sight a heartbeat later.


    I doubted he heard me, and I was probably the farthest thing on his mind at the moment.


    Sitting back down, I crossed my arms, and ruminated darkly.


    ¡°¡­ow¡­she got dumped again¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­I really do feel sorry for her¡­.¡±


    Silently, I renewed grinding my teeth together. Just to set the record straight, I¡¯m a guy not a girl, but this manner of ribbing was something that began late last year when the differences between Tobias and I grew more noticeable. And as I¡¯d mentioned before, I sounded more like a girl than a guy. Complement that with my feminine appearance, it was hard for anyone to see me as a guy despite the uniform I was wearing. Insisting that I was male only convinced people to see me as a tomboy.


    ¡°¡­hey, want to invite her to a mixer...?¡±


    ¡°¡­are you serious¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­that¡¯s crazy¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­is it? A little make up¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­and a dress¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­I bet she¡¯d look really cute¡­.¡±


    I stopped grinding my teeth and instead sighed long and low under my breath as I considered my situation.


    Yet again with no explanation, the only real friend I had at this school, or anywhere else for that matter, had just abandoned me, and as I¡¯d mentioned before, not for the first time this week. I had acquaintances and classmates, but Tobias Matheus Praetor the Third was my best friend, adversary, rival, and fellow Menial, ever since we entered middle school at Telos Academy three years ago. I strongly believed we were like-minded individuals, but this week that belief had been thrown into question.


    Why was he in such a rush?


    I slumped my shoulders and glanced out the window as I fell into thought, remembering how he skipped lunch with me and chose to spend it talking to a pretty girl in the cafeteria. I recognized her as Monique Valjean from Class One-Dee, and remembered seeing the attractive brunette with the impressive rack loitering about outside our classroom on a number of occasions this week.


    I nodded slowly to myself.


    Yeah, that would explain a lot. He probably ditched me for a date with her.


    Truthfully, I didn¡¯t like her. There was something about Valjean that just rubbed me the wrong way. I experienced a weird sensation whenever I looked at her, or rather glanced at her, that made me uncomfortable. I¡¯d only learnt her name in passing when I overheard some of the girls in my class talking critically of her, and that was because said girls were annoyed that the boys they were interested in were instead interested in Valjean. I guess female jealousy or envy can be an ugly thing, especially if you were on the receiving end.


    I¡¯m so glad I¡¯m not a girl.


    I may have thought that, but a certain quartet in my class had other ideas.


    ¡°¡­I just got a reply¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­oh, what did they say¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­the more the merrier¡­.¡±


    I heard them giggle and my thoughts darkened, yet I refused to turn away from the window.


    ¡°¡­really? So should we ask her¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­yeah but what about her clothes¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­hmm, I¡¯m sure we can pick something up along the way¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­it¡¯s at the mall anyway¡­.¡±


    I felt a growl well up in my throat and clamped it down.


    ¡°¡­hey let¡¯s go ask her¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­you go¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­no, you go¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­fine, fine. I¡¯ll go¡­.¡±


    The more I overheard them, the more my growl grew, and now it was swelling up in my chest like a balloon putting pressure on my lungs. I decided it was best to leave sooner rather than later in the event the balloon burst and I lost control, thereby committing an act I would live to regret. I turned away from the window, and began the process of shutting down my intelli-desk, but the sound of footsteps approaching made my fingers stumble and I touched the wrong parts of the desktop.


    ¡°Damn it¡­.¡±


    The footsteps stopped by my desk, and the balloon of hot emotions burst in my chest.


    ¡°No, I am not going to a mixer!¡±


    I almost shouted the words as I looked up at the girl standing near my desk. She had a hand on one hip while the other carried her schoolbag slung over a shoulder.


    ¡°Ah¡ª!¡± I swallowed hard as I recognized her.


    ¡°Mixer? What¡¯s this about a mixer?¡±


    My classmate, Felicia Anjeur, questioned me with an affable smile. She was taller than me and naturally slender but years of training had gifted her with an athletic build. She was quite pretty, enough to make my heart skip a beat the first time she talked to me at the beginning of last year in middle school. It was something unexpected, and though I¡¯d wondered many times why she spoke to me rather than the other guys in my glass, I decided not to ask. I believed that to do so would be a mistake, so I accepted her company and conversation.


    I blinked hastily, and then turned my head to look at the group of four girls staring at me from across the classroom.


    ¡°¡­she heard us¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­oops¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­maybe we¡¯ll ask her next time¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­yeah, she¡¯s bound to be dumped again¡­.¡±


    I fixed a glare upon the quartet.


    ¡°¡­she¡¯s mad¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­we¡¯d better go¡­.¡±


    I watched them giggle amongst themselves while casting furtive smiles at me as they quickly exited the classroom.


    I slumped in my chair.


    Felicia humphed to herself. ¡°I guess it¡¯s getting worse,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Can¡¯t really blame them,¡± I muttered back. I might be criticized for feeling sorry for myself, but there are times when it just can¡¯t be avoided.


    ¡°True. You do make a pretty girl.¡±


    I tossed my hands in the air. ¡°Oh for the love the gods! Thank you. Just what I needed to hear. Maybe I should come to school next week in a girl¡¯s uniform. Wouldn¡¯t that make people laugh.¡± Felicia¡¯s eyes widened, and I felt guilty over my outburst. ¡°Sorry¡­.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think they¡¯d be laughing,¡± she stated seriously.


    ¡°No, they¡¯d probably hunt me down and beat me up.¡± Memories of being chased down the school corridors during my day as Princess Silver Blue flashed before my eyes. Remembering the traumatic event, I started to tremble, and my legs became rubbery.


    ¡°Why would they beat you up?¡± Felicia wondered partly to herself and partly to me.


    Surprised by the concern in her voice, I looked up at her with my eyes wide. For a moment, a single heartbeat, I wondered if I should tell her. But I had promised myself and extracted an oath from the Cosplay Club that my identity as the Silver Blue Princess would never be revealed to the world. Thus, even though I wavered on the cusp of making that soul shattering reveal, I held my tongue and tried to dismiss her concern with a shrug as I looked back down at my intelli-desk running through the shutdown process.


    Felicia sighed and said, ¡°Well, maybe not everyone would be as accepting, but I don¡¯t think it would be all that bad.¡±


    I held back a frown of disbelief. Was she even thinking when she said such things?


    From across the room, a girl¡¯s voice called out, ¡°Hey, Feli, did you ask him or not?¡±


    The owner of that voice was a girl with natural blonde hair, a heart shaped face, and hazel eyes. Like Felicia, she sported a slender yet athletic build with long legs that tapered into perfect ankles and cute feet. A smidgeon more attractive than Felicia ¨C probably because of my natural preference toward blondes ¨C Angela Letrois wore her customary thoughtful smile as she regarded the two of us silently. Like her companion, Angela too had struck up conversation with me last year, and I¡¯d learnt a lot about her tastes, likes and dislikes, from our lunchtime and classroom chats.


    If I had to characterize my relationship with the two girls, I would say they weren¡¯t friends of mine but strong acquaintances, and I¡¯d enjoyed lunch at school in their company on many occasions. The downside was that more often than not, I found myself dragged into discussions that my male classmates wouldn¡¯t dream about, and more than likely choke upon topics that eroded my sense of male identity. While other guys were talking about sports and girls ¨C well, mostly girls ¨C I found myself wading through the subjects of fashion, gossip, the latest entertainment trends, who was dating whom, and who was on the rebound. It was all innocent enough, but the cold reality was that Felicia and Angela didn¡¯t see me as a guy, and so they had no trouble including me in their clique or circle, something that left me with convoluted feelings that cycled between gratitude and resentment.


    Standing beside my intelli-desk, Felicia blinked then gasped as though abruptly remembering why she came over in the first place. ¡°Oh, yeah, I completely forgot.¡±


    She grinned down at me like a cartoon cat.


    Yes, that was indeed her specialty. If Felicia ever gained the ability to become transparent, I was convinced the one thing that would remain visible was her cartoon smile. At the very least she had perfect pearly whites. However, at the moment her grin was making me nervous.


    ¡°Wh¡ªwhat?¡±


    ¡°We have a proposition for you.¡±


    ¡°I told you before I¡¯m not going to a mixer,¡± I declared, looking at her eyes instead of her mouth.


    ¡°Oh, forget about the mixer. We can do that another time.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Besides we need to get you a dress.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Felicia turned her smile into a thoughtful pout. ¡°Well, we figured we¡¯d cheer you up.¡±


    Some of my annoyance veered away into surprise. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You got ditched by your boyfriend, didn¡¯t you?¡± She wagged her slender eyebrows at me. ¡°Third time this week?¡±


    ¡°Fourth time¡ªand he¡¯s not my boyfriend.¡±


    She waved a hand. ¡°Chill, girl. Chill.¡±


    ¡°Felicia¡ª!¡±


    ¡°So since you¡¯re single again, we figured we¡¯d treat you to something special.¡±


    For a moment, I was left with my mouth hanging open.


    Felicia gave me a questioning look. ¡°You did say you wanted to try out the cr¨ºpes in that new place by the entertainment arcade.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­I guess I did.¡± I realized she¡¯d been eavesdropping on me.


    ¡°So what are you waiting here for? Let¡¯s get going.¡± She leaned toward me and smiled suspiciously at me. ¡°What do you say? You¡¯ll have three of the prettiest girls in the school keeping you company. Are you man enough to handle all three of us?¡±


    I squared my shoulders and leaned back at her. ¡°Ha ha. Very funny.¡± Suddenly my eyebrows rose sharply when the proverbial penny dropped. ¡°Three girls?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Three girls,¡± Felicia replied, dazzling me with her twin rows of pearly white teeth, while holding up three fingers for me to count.


    Hesitantly, I looked toward the opposite side of the room and my anxious gaze fell upon a girl standing at her intelli-desk, her eyes glaring at me on an otherwise impassive yet incredibly beautiful face. She had long, almost snow blonde hair, and almond shaped emerald eyes. Her five foot six figure was trim, slender, and topped with a generous helping of womanly flesh where it counted the most ¨C her chest.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Anri Shirohime was a goddess to us first year students, and our class rep.


    She was the girl I considered number two in my ranked list of goddesses, both attending and not attending the academy and while it wasn¡¯t the first time our eyes had met, it certainly wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d glared at me. I had myself to blame for drawing her ire, and that was because my gaze inexorably travelled from her beautiful face down to her chest and settled there. It wasn¡¯t my fault. A chest as perfectly proportioned as hers demanded attention, and it was a man¡¯s duty to oblige. But leaving that aside, whenever I gazed upon her, I melted like warm butter.


    Shirohime was a new addition to our class this year, though not the only one. Graduating from middle school to high school, there had been a reshuffling of class assignments, breaking up some of the established cliques, and requiring the hasty need to form new ones or become a resident of Lonerville for the remainder of the year. Tobias and I had moved up into Class One-Cee together, but Shirohime and a handful of other girls were brought in from other classes in an effort to accommodate new students and compensate for those that had transferred out of the academy. However, this balancing act left us with a classroom of thirty-six students, where two thirds of them were girls.


    I should mention that the four girls toying with the idea of inviting me to a mixer were part of the new ranks to join Class One-Cee. As such, I didn¡¯t know them well, that is to say, I was less familiar with them than my other classmates, but equally so I knew little about Shirohime.


    From her self-introduction at the beginning of the week, I¡¯d learnt that she¡¯d transferred to Telos Academy late last year after moving south to Ar Telica for reasons she would not disclose. When the subject of nominating a Class Rep arose, she volunteered for the position without batting an eyelid, leaving many of my classmates happy to be spared the need to vote for someone, and many of us wondering why anyone would volunteer in the first place since it was a problematic role to fulfill.


    So here I was, moments after locking eyes with her, melting into a puddle of nervous goo as I was consumed by her beauty. However, Shirohime huffed and tossed her hair, then folded her arms brusquely under her breasts as she averted her gaze.


    Clearly rejected, I felt my heart sink as I continued to melt away, until Felicia suddenly grabbed me by the shoulders and yanked me up to my feet.


    ¡°Okay, girl. Let¡¯s go.¡± Still holding onto me, she spun me around with a strength that came from long hours of training at her sports club.


    ¡°Felicia¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Girl, you complain too much. Onward march.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡ªmy bag!¡±


    She picked it up with ease and threw the straps over my shoulder. ¡°Come on, Princess. Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    There was clearly no arguing with her.


    Watched by the amused Angela and the disapproving Shirohime, I was marched along by Felicia. Overwhelmed by her surprising strength, my ego took the blow and then withered up on the floor of my psyche, unable to handle the truth that a girl was so much stronger than I was.


    The trio ensured I didn¡¯t run away, and thus escorted me down to the shoe lockers. After swapping my indoor shoes for my outdoor ones, Felicia and Angela flanked me as the four of us departed the academy¡¯s high-school building and made our way across the wide entrance, heading toward the mag-lev station.


    - # -


    Telos Academy was built upon Telos Island, aptly named after the Telos Conglomerate or Corporation that leased it from the city-state governing authority some three decades ago. The island was one of three plateaued rocks rising from the waters of the horseshoe shaped harbor that was several kilometers wide.


    A broad bridge connected the island to Ar Telica city¡¯s Ring Zero. It was long enough to span the kilometer distance from the island to the harbor shore, and wide enough to support four lanes of vehicular traffic. Sidewalks ran on either side of the bridge, used by thousands of students in the mornings and afternoons. Those students that didn¡¯t care for walking over the bridge could travel aboard the overhead maglev service that looped over to the island and back to the city. The entrance to Telos Academy was scarcely two hundred meters away from the foot of the bridge, and only a hundred meters from the maglev station.


    As I exited the academy grounds, surrounded by Angela and Felicia, with Class Rep trailing behind us, I inwardly debated suggesting we take the bridge. I didn¡¯t exercise much outside of physical education class, and the walk would do me some good. After all, it was rare for Tobias and I to head off in separate ways, and whenever we left together he made it a habit for us to catch the maglev back to the city. Thus I considered a change of pace might be good for me, but the girls had other ideas, and guided me toward the steps leading up to the elevated mag-lev station.


    After climbing the steps, I joined the throng of students pushing their way to the entrance. When it was my turn, I swiped my student ID over the turnstile scanner, and once past the butterfly gates, I headed for the platform. For a few seconds, I lost sight of the girls and breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that if I couldn¡¯t see them, then they couldn¡¯t see me. But my freedom was short lived. A hand snaked out between the waiting students and grabbed me by the arm, pulling me to where the trio were grouped together.


    ¡°No running away,¡± Felicia quipped, then glanced up the line. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s here.¡±


    The mag-lev swooshed down the line and pulled up to the platform with a loud hiss. As soon as the doors opened with a hiss of their own, the stampede to get aboard began in earnest. I was pushed and shoved and generally carried along by the wave of students eager to board the mag-lev. Somehow I ended up squished between a handful of senior students, all of them towering around me. For several seconds I believed I was still stuck in middle-school. Nothing had changed, and clearly not my lack of height, so I proverbially battened down the hatches, and tucked in my arms over my carry-bag.


    Though the mag-lev pulled away smoothly, I struggled to maintain my balance, and so too did a number of the students around me. Bodies shifted around as they sought better footing. Bumped from behind, I was pitched face first into someone¡¯s chest, realizing only moments later that the softness cushioning the impact was a pair of voluptuous breasts wrapped in a bra and white school blouse. With my nose filled with the scent of a girl¡¯s perfume, I hastily pulled back ready to apologize, but the words died on my lips at sight of the girl¡¯s angry face.


    Despite our cramped surroundings, Anri Shirohime succeeded in raising a hand and delivering a slap that sounded as loud as it was hard, and for a few seconds I saw stars circling around me head. Unfortunately, as the mag-lev swayed someone again pushed me from behind, and once more I was pitched into her glorious bust.


    - # -


    ¡°I said I was sorry,¡± I repeated for the umpteenth time as I walked with Felicia, Angela, and a furiously red Class Rep out of the mag-lev station situated a few hundred feet from the entertainment complex located in Ring Zero. All four of us were walking toward it since the cr¨ºpe shop was situated within the complex that was also home to the multi-level gaming arcade I frequented often enough to consider it a home away from home.


    ¡°So how were they?¡± Felicia asked.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I gave her a perplexed look.


    ¡°Her bust. How was it?¡±


    I gaped like a fish out of water, and blushed hotly as the memory of being nestled between Class Rep¡¯s immense bosom pushed all other thoughts aside.


    Felicia¡¯s laugh sounded distant. ¡°Hey, Anri. Do you see that? Your breasts left him speechless. You took his breath away.¡±


    Shirohime¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Don¡¯t call me, Anri.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on now, we¡¯re all friends. You can me Feli. And you can call her Ange. And you can call her Cass¡ªI mean you can call him, Cass.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll just stick to calling him a pervert.¡± The glare Shirohime directed at me blew away the memory I had of her breasts cushioning my face. ¡°He may not look manly but he¡¯s just as perverted.¡±


    I blinked sharply and glowered at her. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not fair. I wasn¡¯t trying to bury my face in your chest. I was pushed. How many times do I have to tell you?¡±


    ¡°Pushed? Five times?¡± Shirohime looked ready to slap me again. ¡°And the last time you didn¡¯t even bother moving away.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡± My voice caught and I floundered for a several seconds. ¡°Well. I didn¡¯t see the point.¡±


    Felicia chuckled, but Shirohime looked moments away from going ballistic. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Well, if I was going to get pushed again, what was the point of trying to avoid it?¡±


    ¡°You mean you deliberately stuck your face in my chest?¡±


    I shook my head weakly. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it deliberately. I just gave up trying not to.¡±


    Shirohime circled around Felicia and approached me. ¡°You little pervert.¡±


    I stared up at her. ¡°You¡¯re not going to hit me again, are you?¡±


    ¡°I have every intention of pummeling you into the ground.¡±


    Angela snuck into the argument. ¡°Class Rep, you¡¯re setting a bad example. You¡¯re supposed to look out for your classmates, not beat them up.¡±


    Shirohime shot the blonde girl a heated look. ¡°For him, I¡¯m willing to break the rules.¡±


    Felicia stepped in between Shirohime and I. ¡°Now, now. No harm done. Anri, you¡¯ve just made all of her¡ªI mean his¡ªChristmases come together.¡±


    ¡°Anjeur!¡± Shirohime scowled at her.


    Felicia wrapped an arm around her shoulders. ¡°Girl. You are way to tense.¡± Then she leaned closer to Shirohime and whispered softly into her. The effect was immediate as Shirohime paled then became despondent.


    I strained to listen but all I could catch was, ¡°¡­besides¡­want to¡­closer¡­him¡­?¡±


    Shirohime exhaled quietly, then folded her arms under her bust as looked away with an embarrassed look on her face. ¡°Fine. You have a point¡­.¡±


    Felicia gave her a friendly shake. ¡°You¡¯ll see. It¡¯ll all work out in the end.¡±


    Shirohime pouted. ¡°It better work out¡­.¡± She flicked an annoyed glance at me.


    I put the words together in my head.


    You want to get closer to him.


    Puzzled as I thought it through, I experienced a weird sensation run through me, and soon felt invisible fingers squeeze my heart as I watched the goddess Anri Shirohime sulk while standing before me. My thoughts jumped over several possibilities before landing on one that felt like falling on a bed of nails.


    Could it be that she likes someone¡­and that someone isn¡¯t me¡­but that someone has something to do with me?


    I couldn¡¯t endure standing on that possibility, so with my heart beating painfully in my chest, I turned away and walked with stiff steps toward the entertainment complex, arriving a minute later at the cr¨ºpe shop with its colorful pink entrance and light pastel colored walls.


    But the only someone that I know is¡­Mat.


    I stared up at the shop¡¯s entrance.


    When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.


    I sucked in a lungful of air until my chest hurt, briefly overwhelming the pain in my heart, and strode up to the shop¡¯s entrance. However, I soon realized what I was doing and came to an abrupt stop.


    With its colorful fa?ade, I judged this shop was built to cater for girls. It wasn¡¯t the kind of place you expected to find a boy from our Academy unless he was in the company of a girlfriend, or someone he was courting. In fact, as I looked through its front windows, I could see girls from Telos Academy occupied all the chairs at the tables. This was not an appropriate place for someone aspiring to one day be a manly young man. At that realization, a strong wave of uncertainty washed through me, and I began backing away from the entrance, coming to a stop when I felt hands on my shoulders.


    ¡°Seriously,¡± Felicia said, ¡°you can be a handful. Why¡¯d you run off?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t run off. I walked off,¡± I replied gloomily.


    ¡°Well, whatever. But what are you doing now?¡±


    ¡°Leaving.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t think this is a good idea,¡± I retorted as she pushed me firmly toward the shop doors. ¡°Wait¡ªyou¡¯re going the wrong way.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°No, seriously. I can¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can. I invited you and we¡¯re here now. And I happen to be quite hungry. So enough procrastinating. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re getting married, so why are you suddenly getting cold feet?¡±


    This was almost as bad as when the girls of the Cosplay Club walked into my classroom a year ago and surrounded my desk while I was eating alone during lunchtime, Tobias having run off on some errand the details of which I can¡¯t recall. I had honestly feared for my life back then.


    No, this isn¡¯t nearly as bad as that occasion.


    However, I didn¡¯t realize how wrong I was until the group of us walked into the shop, its interior proving to be far larger than I imagined, and decked out like a family restaurant with tables, chairs, and booths. Within moments of entering the establishment, a young waitress guided the four of us to a booth with a window view. With Felicia pushing me gently from behind, I trailed after the waitress, thus I was the first to walk by another booth with two people in it ¨C a guy and a girl.


    I hadn¡¯t even intended to look at them, but an involuntary glance turned into a surprised stare as my eyes met those of Tobias, and both of us jerked sharply at sight of each other.


    ¡°Cass?¡±


    ¡°Mat?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I was invited. What about you?¡±


    Tobias looked distinctly uncomfortable as his gaze flickered over to the girl sitting directly opposite him. My heart groaned in agony and my stomach sank when I recognized the attractive brunette sitting there.


    Monique Valjean looked up at me while licking the long spoon she was using to eat her parfait. ¡°You must be Cassidy,¡± she said, a smirk curling her lips as she eyed me.


    ¡°My name is Ronin,¡± I corrected her.


    She tapped her lips with the spoon. ¡°You really do look like a girl.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I glared down at her.


    She waved the spoon at me. ¡°A change of uniform and no one would ever think you were a boy.¡± She glanced at Tobias. ¡°What do you think Mat? Should we get him a girl¡¯s uniform?¡±


    Standing rigidly, I restrained the sudden urge to punch her, going only so far as to clench my hands into fists.


    Tobias¡¯s voice sounded somewhat strangled. ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know¡­.¡±


    Valjean arched her eyebrows at him, while I scowled at his non-committal reply.


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked. ¡°I think she¡¯d look rather cute.¡±


    Tobias grew even more uncomfortable, but when he looked at me I wondered if he was giving her proposal some degree of consideration. However, seeing the glare on my face, he shook his head faintly and muttered, ¡°No, that wouldn¡¯t be a good idea.¡± He swallowed hard and shook his head a little more strongly, affirming his opinion. ¡°No, that would be a really bad idea.¡±


    ¡°Well I beg to differ,¡± she replied, and looked meaningfully at Tobias. ¡°What do you think, Mat? Shall we get him a dress?¡±


    Tobias regarded her reproachfully, sounding distinctly irritated. ¡°Enough with the dress. Okay? Just drop it.¡±


    Valjean¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Mat, I don¡¯t like your tone.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t appreciate you making fun of Cass.¡±


    Her eyes narrowed further. ¡°Are you forgetting who you¡¯re talking to?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°I are you forgetting what I told you?¡±


    He regarded her stonily for a moment. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. And that¡¯s precisely why I¡¯m telling you to drop it.¡±


    Valjean rose smoothly from the booth seat. ¡°Mat, you and I need to have a little talk.¡±


    ¡°Clari¡ªI mean Monique. Sit down.¡±


    She raised her eyebrows at him before breaking into a wicked smile. ¡°That little slip will cost you, Matrim.¡±


    The waitress attending to us chose to intervene by addressing me. ¡°Ah, Miss¡ªI mean, Sir? This way please.¡±


    Valjean whipped her attention back onto me. ¡°Hey Cassidy. I heard a rumor. I want you to tell me if it¡¯s true or not?¡±


    There are times I¡¯ve wondered if I should have just walked away. Would it have made a difference in even the slightest way? Perhaps not. But back then, I did wonder if I¡¯d made the wrong move.


    ¡°What rumor?¡± I asked her coldly, aware that Tobias was suddenly looking worried as well as confused.


    Valjean slipped out between the bench seat and the table, and then stepped up to me. ¡°I heard that you cross-played as the Silver Blue Princess.¡±


    I felt a cold wind blow through me, sweeping away my thoughts, leaving me empty. My legs buckled and I stumbled back a step, feeling my heart pound loudly within my chest, frantically beating against my ribs as despair burst through me, filling the emptiness the wind had left behind.


    Valjean was taller than I, so she looked down at me as she calmly folded her arms.


    ¡°Tell me, Princess. Is it true?¡±


    I struggled to swallow, my mouth and throat both dry. Finding my voice was a monumental feat. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I just want to know if it¡¯s true. Are you the Silver Blue Princess?¡±


    My voice failed me so I remained silent.


    After studying me for a long, oppressive moment, Valjean nodded to herself before snorting softly. ¡°I heard you looked so pretty you had boys chasing you across the school. The posters the Cosplay Club made of you were sold out in a day.¡± She snorted again. ¡°They were right to choose you as their poster girl. They picked up quite a lot of members after that.¡±


    I thought my frenzied beating heart would burst. It was like a runner sprinting for the finishing line, moments away from victory or a fatal cardiac arrest. As I clutched my chest, my vision grew dark around the borders. However, I could see well enough to catch the look of confusion on Tobias¡¯s face ¨C confusion that quickly turned to realization and suddenly he was looking at me with a mixture of disbelief and disgust that made my stomach sink as it curled up into a fetal little ball.


    I had no idea if the Cosplay Club had ratted me out, or if this bitch had discovered that embarrassing episode of my life by other means, but it was clear that from this deck of cards she held the better hand.


    She laughed low and mockingly. ¡°And you left such an impression on the boys. I wonder what they would think if they discovered the object of their desire was you. How disappointed do you think they would be? Or how angry. I bet you¡¯d have to attend the Academy dressed as a girl, or they might beat you up. You might have to transfer to another school, but you know how rumors tend to travel. Those rumors may follow you wherever you go.¡±


    She stopped as though waiting for me to respond, and after a while I managed to whisper, ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    She smiled mercilessly. ¡°Time to take center stage once more, Princess Silver Blue.¡±


    I lost my voice and my legs were turning rubbery again.


    Incredibly, Valjean¡¯s smile became even crueler. ¡°And it¡¯s time to find a new friend, Cassidy. Stay away from Mat. As long as he¡¯s with me, I don¡¯t want a girly boy like you anywhere near him. Are we clear?¡±


    In the corner of my eye, I saw Tobias rise to his feet. ¡°Monique, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    His intervention gave me the opportunity to regain a little of my composure, but rather than hold my ground, I chose to flee. But when I turned to run away, I ran into Felicia. Bouncing back, I looked up to see her, Angela, and Shirohime watching me with disparate expressions. I had no doubt that Felicia and Angela had heard about the mysterious Silver Blue Princess, so it was understandable to see surprise and disbelief on their faces. However, Shirohime was a recent arrival so the puzzled look she wore was also fitting.


    Felicia cocked her head at me. ¡°So you¡¯re the Silver Blue Princess?¡±


    At a loss for words, I simply stared back at her.


    Felicia sounded ambivalent, but clearly took my silence for an affirmative. ¡°I don¡¯t know why but I guess I¡¯m not surprised.¡±


    Behind her, Angela regarded me with a critical eye. ¡°Silver Blue was under our noses all the time¡­.¡±


    Standing behind them both, Shirohime frowned, and I heard her mutter softly, ¡°Who the Hell is Silver Blue?¡±


    I swallowed hard, then whirled the other way.


    The waitress had retreated a little, looking even more puzzled than Shirohime, so I had room to flee past her, but Tobias was on his feet, hands clenched, and a conflict of emotions playing out on his face as his gaze met mine.


    At that moment, I felt something break inside of me.


    Back then I had no words for it, but I can describe it now as the impression of binding chains breaking and falling away. I had lived for a year in fear of being discovered as the Silver Blue Princess. Now that my identity had been revealed, the chains of fear shackling me had snapped, and an enormous weight fell away from my body. It was all metaphorical, but truthfully I did feel lighter. At the same time, I realized that my high school life had become that much harder and more complicated. Alternatively, perhaps I was simply overthinking the situation, and the worst case scenarios I had imagined over the past year were nothing more than unfounded figments of my imagination. True, I had been chased through the school by a horde of admirers, but would it be so bad if the student body learnt the truth that I had cross-played as the Silver Blue Princess?


    I swallowed again, and then decided not to run away just yet.


    Nodding faintly more to myself than anyone else, I faced Valjean, meeting her eyes with as steady a gaze as I could sustain.


    ¡°Do you know why a cornered animal is so dangerous?¡± I asked her. Watching her smile waver, I was thus encouraged and pressed on. ¡°Because it has nothing to lose. That means it can go all out without worrying about the consequences.¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± I asked in reply. ¡°Because if you choose to bully me, I¡¯ll just have to give my family a call, pull some strings, and see what I can do to sue you for harassment. They are Alphas after all, and quite well regarded. They wouldn¡¯t appreciate you sullying their good name.¡± I cocked my head. ¡°On the other hand, go ahead. Tell the whole school that I cosplayed or cross-played. At least I make a better Princess than a conniving slut like you ever would.¡±


    With that, I hefted the straps of my carry-bag higher on my shoulder, then pushed my way past Tobias and the waitress, taking the long way out of the shop as I traversed a circular path through the interior, being careful not to bump into anyone along the way. Once outside, I took deep breaths to calm myself, but my body began trembling out of my control as my adrenal cortex opened the floodgates, releasing a deluge of adrenaline that now coursed through my body in raging rivers.


    Shaking badly, I walked slowly deeper into the entertainment complex, soon realizing that my feet were carrying me to my preferred port of call ¨C the Gaming Arcade.


    Yes, I would seek solace in the Arcade, my home away from home, and even the sound of running footsteps behind me or my name being called out failed to slow down my meagre pace. However, a hand on my shoulder jerked me to a stop. A combination of fear and anger fueled my response which was to swing my bag at whomever had grabbed me.


    Tobias ducked with surprising speed as my bag cut the air millimeters above his head.


    ¡°Shit¡ªCass! Hold up!¡±


    I grabbed my bag as it completed its swing, and stumbled back a step or two as I was carried along by the momentum.


    Tobias slowly straightened and raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Cass, calm down.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I wanted to yell at him but my voice had other ideas, so the best I could muster was a harsh whisper.


    Tobias lowered his hands slowly. ¡°Is it true?¡±


    ¡°Is what true?¡±


    ¡°Are you the Silver Blue Princess?¡±


    I swallowed, trying to regain some of the strength in my voice. ¡°I¡¯m not Silver Blue. I just dressed up as her¡ªjust once.¡±


    Again, a war of emotions broke out on his face. ¡°Why? Why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°I had my reasons.¡±


    He slowly shook his head, still deeply troubled. ¡°What reasons? After everything you¡¯ve said to me¡ªafter hearing you complain for so long¡ªwhy would you dress up as a girl? You¡¯ve told me so many times how much you hate the way you look, so why do it? I just don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°I told you, I had my reasons.¡±


    ¡°But you hate your appearance.¡±


    My hands clenched tightly on the carry-bag¡¯s straps. ¡°I didn¡¯t hate myself as much as I do now.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    My voice fell, barely stronger than a whisper. ¡°I didn¡¯t hate myself, or the way I looked, until after I cross-played¡­.¡±


    Tobias¡¯s eyes searched my face, then swept their gaze over my body for a quick moment.


    I cleared my throat. ¡°Go back, Mat. Go back to that bitch. You¡¯re missing out on your date.¡±


    He turned away for a second. ¡°It¡¯s not a date. It¡¯s not what you think.¡± He took what appeared to be a anxious breath. ¡°I can¡¯t explain it. Not yet. Maybe never. I¡¯m sorry. But it¡¯s not what you think.¡±


    I started backing away from him. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I really, really don¡¯t care. Keep your explanations because I just don¡¯t give a shit anymore.¡±


    ¡°Cass, please don¡¯t be this way¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t follow me. Go back. Don¡¯t follow me. Right now, I don¡¯t want to see you until Monday morning. Or maybe until next month.¡±


    We were drawing attention to ourselves on the plaza running down the middle of the entertainment arcade. Students from Telos Academy were slowing down to watch Tobias and I. As embarrassing as that was, I was humiliated further by the way I sounded ¨C like a girl arguing with her boyfriend ¨C because my voice had yet to break.


    Tobias glanced at the people and students watching us, some furtively, others with interest, then looked down at me. ¡°Cass, come with me.¡±


    When he reached out for me, I darted back, surprised by how quickly I moved. ¡°No. Go back to that slut. And don¡¯t you dare follow me. Don¡¯t even freaking think about it.¡±


    I turned away and this time my legs were sufficiently strong and steady to carry me at a run all the way to the Gaming Arcade only a few hundred feet away from the cr¨ºpe shop. I ran into the center, squeezing through as soon as the glass doors opened sufficiently wide, then sped through the crowd moving about the interior.


    When I felt I was far enough from the door, I slowed down to a walk, and wandered aimlessly through the ground floor of the establishment.


    I started to regret standing up for myself.


    I¡¯d dared that evil teenage witch to do her worst, and in the vernacular I was stuffed because I knew that she would. I was aware of guys continuing to inquire throughout the Academy for the identity of the girl who cosplayed as the Princess, so I continued to live in fear of being discovered. However, come Monday morning, everybody at Telos Academy would know her identity, and my hopes of a normal high school life would be over. I considered transferring to another academy, however it was more than likely my sordid past would haunt me wherever I went courtesy of that scheming bitch. Even if Felicia, Angela, and Class Rep chose to keep it a secret, Valjean would rise to the challenge and spread the word to the four corners of the city.


    Yep, my life is about to turn a new page, so I might as well enjoy the old one while it lasts.


    My shoulders sagged as I pondered whether it was safer to attend class incognito as a female student. After all, real men don¡¯t hit women, do they?


    Repressing a shiver of revulsion at what my future might harbor for me, I came to a stop and looked about me.


    In this day and age of such realistic simulation technology, it was surprising to many market observers that arcades like these still flourished. Maybe it was because some kids simply chose to play away from home in the company of friends, rather than firing up a home entertainment rig to enjoy gaming in solitude. Home game systems were on par with much of what was offered here at the Arcade, yet the place was replete with high school students crowded around holo booths and other contraptions.


    Because I was vertically challenged for a boy my age, or perhaps any age, I had trouble getting a bearing on my location so I meandered through the crowd, eventually arriving at an area that I rarely frequented.


    I faced a wall of people perhaps meters thick, all with their backs turned toward me. There were very few guys in the crowd, the vast majority being girls dressed in the uniforms of Telos Academy and the nearby prestigious Vardant Academy for Girls. They may have attended different schools, but they all shared one thing in common ¨C they were enraptured with the battle playing out on two huge holovid screens that floated overhead. Standing behind the crowd, I listened to the sounds of gunfire emanating from a surround sound system, and observed the cinematics on the immense floating screens.


    One screen immediately caught my eye and roped in my attention. It displayed a long legged girl dressed in a fantastical armor that exposed copious amounts of skin and bust, running full pelt along a rooftop with a large wicked rifle cannon in hand. She looked incongruous amidst a modern night setting, her outfit more at home in a medieval fantasy environment. However, that was part of her charm and I quickly recognized the game playing out on the screens. It wasn¡¯t even necessary for me to look at the banners hanging from the ceiling exhibiting other girls wearing clothes that mixed the modern with the ancient, blending them into eye candy outfits that were entirely unsuitable for the battlefield.


    Long legged, busty, and very beautiful, these girls were idealized versions of women.


    Goddesses of battle dressed in revealing attire, wielding incredibly powerful ballistic weapons.


    These girls were the Gun Princesses of the Princess Royale.


    ###

 Gun Princess (Amazon Ver.) - Ch 2.

    Chapter 2.


    - # -


    As I watched the battle on the projected screens, the surrounding air booming at times with the sounds of gunfire, interspersed with the patter of dirty rain that befell the game¡¯s scenery, a wet skyline stroked with neon light and sweeping search beams, I quickly forgot all about Monique Valjean and her threats. I was lost in the visuals, enthralled by the intensity of the combat, my body trembling faintly and my heart thumping noticeably in my chest.


    The strengths of the game shone through with its stunningly realistic visuals. The fluid movements of the Gun Princess combined with her interaction with her surroundings, such as the way water splashed when she sprinted over puddles on the rooftops, made it easy to forget this was just a game. When I looked at the city she was running over, a less than pristine forest of megascrapers with tall spires and terraced walls, it was impossible to believe it wasn¡¯t real. Everything about the environment was so meticulously crafted, that I couldn¡¯t imagine the processing power required to render it. The level of detail and realism went beyond what was possible with a home gaming system.


    That too was its charm. The fact that it could convince the viewer that it was real, even the way drops of blood splattered the air when the girl took a hit from gunfire somewhere out of screen.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± the girl beside me cried out. ¡°She took a hit!¡±


    ¡°Is she going to make it?¡± another girl asked.


    ¡°Gods, I really want to see if she can beat that top score.¡±


    The two holovid windows displayed the Gun Princess from different vantage points as she rolled with the blow and came up on her feet, sprinting to the edge of the rooftop. I watched in disbelief as she leapt off the building and fell over its side¡­only to land on a terrace balcony. Rolling to shed the kinetic energy of a hard landing, she quickly slowed to a stop and took aim at her pursuers, a pair of Gunbirds with sweeping searchlights fitted to the underside of their wings.


    In a matter of heartbeats, the rifle cannon she wielded was aimed at the flying machines. With a flash of light from its muzzle, the wing of a Gunbird exploded into feathery fragments. Trailing embers, smoke, and debris, the machine soon spiraled down into the artificial canyon formed by megascrapers. The Gun Princess fired again, but the second Gunbird was already on guard and banked away sharply. The Princess ran to the edge of the balcony, and fired repeatedly at the fleeing war machine until it flew out of sight between a couple of buildings.


    She wasted no time searching for the Gunbird, instead resuming her sprint across the rooftops by jumping down from balcony to balcony until she arrived at a broad bridgeway between buildings so wide it could accommodate two lanes of vehicular traffic. However, the bridgeway was intended for pedestrians, with transparent fencing to ward away the gusting wind and prevent people from falling off thereby bespattering the street hundreds of feet below with their bloody remains. The girl ran with incredible speed along the bridgeway, and used the rifle cannon to blow apart the doors leading into a megascraper.


    I watched her disappear into the building, eager to see what would happen next.


    - # -


    I believe it prudent for me to explain a little of the Princess Royale. However, I will describe it as I understood it back then, and will save what I know now for later.


    Essentially, the Princess Royale is a hyper-realistic virtual reality combat simulation where competitors operate avatars called Gun Princesses, and battle it out with ballistic weaponry.


    The Princess Royale comes in different flavors.


    There is the official tournament or championship with corporate sponsorship and holo-Vision streaming across the star system overseen by an organization known as the Battle Commission.


    Then there are the officially sanctioned games. These ranges from home and network releases, to the high-end holo-VR booths found at game centers. The latter can employ a combination of effect-fields and holo projection within a booth to simulate travel through an environment, or they can utilize a neural-VR and Waldo interface for the gamer to control the Gun Princess avatar.


    The official championship conducted by the Battle Commission consists of two half-year seasons held during the year, and comprises of a Major and Minor League. At the end of the first season ¨C a little before the middle of the year ¨C the highest ranked competitor in the Minors moves up to the Majors, while the lowest ranked Princess in the Majors is dropped to the Minors. This is repeated at the end of the year, with one Gun Princess moving up and another moving down, and afterwards the top ranked Princess in each city-state is crowned Gun Queen. The Gun Queens then participate in the final match of the Princess Royale ¨C a true battle Royale ¨C to decide who will be named Gun Empress for that year.


    That is the official championship based Princess Royale in a nutshell.


    I¡¯ll know explain a little further.


    Each city-state, including Ar Telica, has official Gun Princesses taking part in the championship. These Princesses are part of corporate sponsored teams and compete in both team battles and individual matches. Points are awarded for victories, draws, and losses in both team and individual combat, though the latter is where most points are earned. Teams that start with three Gun Princesses can end up losing or gaining a Princess when she is moved up or down from a league. In the event of teams facing each other with uneven numbers, a Princess or two can be benched, unless the party with fewer numbers agrees to battle against a team possessing more members. Occasionally there are exhibition matches were a highly ranked Princess from the Major League may face a team from the Minor League.


    The official Gun Princesses themselves are extremely lifelike battle avatars, and they are anything but understated. Their outfits are flashy, loud, utterly fail to blend in with their surroundings, and serve little to no tactical function at all. In other words, Gun Princesses were extravagant in their choice of battle wear, and added to their allure.


    There is a great deal of published commentary on their degree of realism, focusing on everything from their movements to their appearances. Conspiracy theorists claim that despite their idealized proportions, the Gun Princesses are physical and thereby quite real, thus suggesting they are automata or remotely operated mechanical bodies employing technology developed by the military to combat the aliens. Some theorists claim the Battle Royale is nothing more than a proving ground for these state-of-the-art Gun Princess avatars.


    However, conspiracy buffs hit a wall when trying to explain the environments within which individual Princess Royale matches take place. The cities possess a genuine appearance, and their immense scope and breadth would be impossible to replicate outside of a virtual reality environment. So while it¡¯s possible ¨C though highly unlikely ¨C that Gun Princesses are physical avatars, the cities that serve as arenas for battle are simply too large and too expensive to build for a competition as popular as the Princess Royale.


    The Princess Royale was indeed quite popular, but what set it apart from other competitive forms of entertainment is that all the official participants were girls or young women. By this I¡¯m not referring to the Gun Princess avatars but to those who wielded them in battle, and these girls or women were referred to as Princess Meisters, though on occasion the two titles were used interchangeably by commentators and reporters.


    Unlike other competitive sports, a Princess Meister could choose to participate incognito. They could conduct interviews in secret, and refuse to appear in magazine spreads. However, that wasn¡¯t the case for all the Meisters, as a great many of the girls basked in the popularity the Princess Royale afforded them.


    As oblivious as I was back then, even I was familiar with the names of the more popular Meisters in Ar Telica ¨C girls who were photogenic and featured prominently on printed and photronic media. Many of them attended the schools of Ar Telica, which in turn earned those establishments a degree of notoriety. When a school¡¯s policies prevented a girl from competing, she usually transferred to another institution that wasn¡¯t as draconian. Having mentioned this, one talking point amongst my classmates was the fact that Telos Academy had no Meisters to call their own, though the other schools and academies of Ar Telica could boast of a Meister or two.


    While a great many of the Princess Meisters were female students, many others came from different walks of life. Some were athletes. Some were office ladies. Others were college students. Regardless, all of them were selected through an audition process, but it was by invitation only and that meant they were either recommended or scouted. In terms of the latter, it was common knowledge that those who did well on the arcade versions of the Princess Royale sometimes received a tap on the shoulder and an invitation to the official ¡®tryouts¡¯, so to speak.


    Was the Princess Royale violent? Absolutely, although it was censored considerably. Simulated violence was stamped prominently on the home releases as well as the arcade versions, warning under aged impressionable minds of what to expect. The official championship league matches were also censored at appropriate times, courtesy to being streamed with a ten or fifteen second delay.


    So why was it so popular amongst girls and young women? To be honest, I have no idea. That¡¯s simply how it was. Perhaps because it was a game or championship exclusive to female competitors. Perhaps because it ¡®promoted¡¯ strong women. Perhaps because there was considerable prize money involved ¨C something for which it was often criticized. Despite attempts to regulate it further than it already was, the Princess Royale continued to gain gentle momentum across the Teloria star systems.


    So you may as well ask why does the universe behave so mysteriously at the subatomic level?


    Why does it do things that just can¡¯t be explained.


    Why was the Princess Royal so damn popular?


    I don¡¯t have the answer, but does it really matter?


    - # -


    The floating holovid screens were large enough and high enough that I didn¡¯t have to overly bend back my neck in order to see them over the heads of the crowd.


    On one screen, the Gun Princess ran down a wide passageway traversing the megascraper.


    On the other screen, the remaining Gunbird circled the building from high above.


    Like the girls around me, I was transfixed upon the vision of beauty and power on the screens. None of it was real. It was nothing more than a simulation, yet the Gun Princess captivated my attention.


    I watched her skid to a stop when she arrived at a broad balcony encircling the atrium running vertically through the center of the megascraper. A heartbeat later, the Gunbird crashed through the atrium ceiling and flew down into the middle of the building. The war machine pulled up sharply, flapping its wings and pivoting its thrusters to bring it to a stop above the tall girl. Wasting little time, it opened up on her with a Gatling gun mounted to its belly. The Princess was sprinting by then, running with phenomenal speed along the hexagonal balcony, with heavy caliber rounds nipping at her feet and body. Tracers rounds lit the air while the heavy ammunition tore up the balcony, shattering glass fitted to the guardrails, chewing up the metal railing, and turning the place into Swiss cheese.


    Yet the girl continued to run fearlessly through it all, her body taking hits that stripped her skin away, her limbs a blur of motion as she circled the atrium. Arriving at the entrance to a wide corridor, the Gun Princess used it to flee into the depths of the building, chased by heavy rounds from the Gatling cannon.


    In the atrium, the Gunbird whipped up a storm with its flapping wings and flaring thrusters. Unwilling to be denied its kill, it disgorged a handful of missiles from concealed ammunition bays within its belly. The mini-missiles corkscrewed and flocked into the corridor, pursuing the Gun Princess who turned smoothly as she slid to a stop. Taking aim, she fired the rifle cannon and blew away the closest missile. The explosion and fratricide took out half its companions, and the Gun Princess fired again on those warheads that slipped through the fireball that scorched the corridor¡¯s ceiling, floor, and walls.


    The second explosion occurred much closer to her, the blast wave knocking her back off her feet. She landed on her back, rolled, then came up on her knees with the rifle cannon at the ready. For a short moment, she regarded the destruction, her weapon aimed down the corridor. When the Gunbird came into view, she fired and scored a hit on the war machines armored beak, blowing a chunk off it. The second shot blew apart one of its almond shaped pitch black eyes, and the craft spun about. As soon as it flew out of the firing line, the Gun Princess rose to her feet, and resuming running down the corridor.


    The entrance to a bridgeway lay ahead of her, and at first I thought she might flee across to another building. But she changed direction, choosing instead to climb the nearby stairs at a run, taking them three if not four steps at a time. Her speed was such that she kicked off the back walls at each landing to avoid crashing into them. Back at the central atrium, the Gunbird began cautiously firing into the corridors at each level as it flew upwards. But the Gun Princess was already well above the craft. Emerging from a corridor, she sprinted across the balcony, leapt onto the guardrail, then out into the open expanse of the atrium.


    As I watched her soar through the air, I had the impression that time itself had slowed down to watch her. Her clothes and hair fluttered as she sailed over the Gunbird belatedly realizing its quarry was now above it. The rifle cannon in her hands roared not once, twice, but three times. The heavy explosive rounds penetrated the Gunbird¡¯s back, detonating a heartbeat later and blowing large holes in its spine.


    I saw sparks, then watched flames gush out of the holes.


    The war machine flapped its wings, but lost lift as its thrusters flickered and flamed out.


    Above it, the Gun Princess pirouetted through the air, her weapon aimed down at the Gunbird, the muzzle flashing repeatedly, and more pieces of the machine exploded along its back until it swelled and blew apart. The shockwave and heat from the explosion tossed the Gun Princess higher into the air, catapulting her the rest of the way across the atrium to the balcony¡¯s guardrail. Twisting her body like a platform diver, she landed on the guardrail while facing the atrium. But her momentum was too great, and to avoid falling awkwardly, she somersaulted backwards and then landed down on the balcony floor a half dozen meters away from the guardrail. Stumbling back a handful of steps, she collided with the wall behind her, and then used it to support herself.


    In the atrium, the burning remains of the Gunbird spiraled lazily to the bottom of the building, crashing loudly before detonating a second time, rocking the building. By then the Gun Princess had pushed herself away from the wall. Staggering at first, she soon picked up her pace, though she ran with a noticeable limp as she turned down a corridor.


    ¡°She¡¯s making good time,¡± remarked the girl in front of me loudly.


    ¡°But the clock is still winding down,¡± her companion pointed out, ¡°and she¡¯s injured.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s got it beat. She¡¯ll take down that score,¡± another girl cheerfully proclaimed.


    ¡°So who set that score?¡±


    ¡°Nobody knows.¡±


    ¡°White Princess. Who the Heck is the White Princess?¡±


    ¡°Who cares? Her score is going down today.¡±


    I listened to the girls while watching the Gun Princess run while reloading her enormous weapon. Clearly this was a simulation, as I couldn¡¯t imagine a woman carrying such a large firearm with the ease she was demonstrating, let alone jump halfway across an atrium with a fifty meter span.


    But if they were real, what chance would mere humans have against them?


    A frown crept across my forehead.


    Their speed. Their strength. If they were real¡­they would be amazing.


    A guilty pang in my chest wiped away a smile before it could form on my lips.


    What the Hell am I thinking? How stupid of me.


    Yet when I looked at the girls before me, each one of them mesmerized by the visuals on the screens, each one cheering on the Princess in their hearts, I felt like I understood why they enjoyed it so much, and despite being a guy the Princess Royale appealed to me as well, though perhaps not for the same reasons. Nonetheless, I quietly experienced a change of heart, and when I looked back up at the screens, I felt it was okay for me to smile.


    ¡°She won¡¯t make it.¡±


    I glanced up at the girl with brilliant snow blonde hair standing beside me.


    ¡°She lost too much time dealing with that Gunbird.¡±


    Mouth agape, I stared at Shirohime calmly eating a cr¨ºpe with one hand.


    Without looking at me, she handed me the cr¨ºpe in her other hand. ¡°This one¡¯s for you.¡±


    I hesitantly reached for it. ¡°Ah¡­thanks?¡± The smell of the food triggered a rumble from my stomach.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Shirohime said in a flat, chilly tone. ¡°Your boyfriend paid for it.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°He said he was sorry.¡±


    ¡°You mean Mat?¡± My eyes widened in a heartbeat. ¡°He¡¯s not my boyfriend,¡± I snapped at her.


    My angry rebuttal drew attention from the girls in the crowd.


    I shied back from their flinty stares. ¡°Sorry¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m envious,¡± Shirohime remarked coldly, and withdrew the cr¨ºpe she was offering me. ¡°I¡¯ll take this as punishment for what you did to me on the mag-lev.¡±


    I faced her. ¡°That¡¯s not fair. I apologized didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Your apology was not accepted, you pervert.¡±


    I started to clench my hands but soon stopped and forced myself to relax. ¡°Whatever¡­.¡±


    Shirohime¡¯s arrival had the effect of weakening the spell the Princess Royale had over me. I started walking away, but Shirohime grabbed me by the collar and yanked me back toward the crowd of girls.


    ¡°Watch it to the end,¡± she insisted, then took small bites out of both cr¨ºpes.


    ¡°Why?¡± I questioned her while fixing up the collar of my shirt.


    ¡°Just watch it,¡± she stated bluntly, and took another couple of bites out of the cr¨ºpes.


    Somewhat reluctantly, I turned back to the action on the holovids but as I¡¯d mentioned before the spell was broken and the mood was uncomfortable. If someone had told me this morning that I would be spending time beside the goddess of our class, I would have thought them crazy. This should have been a dream come true for me, but rather than feeling elated or overjoyed, I was rather bummed by her company. It hadn¡¯t taken me long to realize that while Shirohime was pretty, she had a biting personality, something I hadn¡¯t considered when I watched her from afar. I had been shallow in my desires, but now that I knew her better I couldn¡¯t help thinking that perhaps the prettier the girl on the outside, the uglier she was on the inside.


    It was a stereotype, I¡¯ll admit that much, and I¡¯m certain to be criticized harshly for it, but at the time that¡¯s how I felt toward her. I actually went as far as to wonder if there was a portrait of her somewhere like that of Dorian Gray that revealed her true and ugly nature.


    For thinking that I would come to hate myself just a little more.


    My attention was jerked harshly back to the Princess Royale. A massive, rolling boom lent an air of realism to the violent explosion on the holovid screens. Before me, the crowd gasped in disbelief and dismay, many of the girls swaying on their feet.


    ¡°What happened¡­?¡± I asked in confusion. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°That,¡± Shirohime replied coldly, ¡°was the end.¡±


    I had missed it.


    Preoccupied with my thoughts of Shirohime, I had stared at the holovids without watching them. As such, I couldn¡¯t comprehend Shirohime¡¯s meaning until I saw the Gun Princess falling to a street between megascrapers amidst the ruins of an enclosed bridgeway connecting two of the immense buildings. However, the game system prevented us from seeing her splattered on the hard permacrete, the virtual camera pulling away at the last moment.


    ¡°She lost?¡± Though I asked the question, it sounded more like an observation.


    ¡°Obviously.¡±


    ¡°But how¡­?¡± I looked up at the holovid screens but the game footage was frozen behind the words, GAME OVER.


    Shirohime exhaled curtly as she shook her head. ¡°She lost too much time dealing with the Gunbirds. That gave the hover tanks the time they needed to set up their ambush.¡±


    ¡°Tanks? What tanks?¡±


    ¡°The tanks that blew up the bridgeway.¡± Shirohime frowned to herself, and then a second later began pushing forward through the crowd.


    Surprised by her actions, I followed her. ¡°Wait¡ªwhere are you going?¡±


    I succeeded in getting through the crowd by trailing in her wake, much like a small boat following an icebreaker, and arrived at an enclosed capsule shaped like a giant teardrop. The cover of the capsule opened to reveal a young woman lying inside, her hands encased in gloves with ringed fingers, and a virtual reality headset covering most of her face. She first removed the gloves before reaching up to take off the headset. By then Shirohime had pushed her way to the capsule, and joined the ring of girls surrounding the contraption.


    Standing behind her, I peeked between bodies at the young woman in the teardrop capsule who calmly listened to the gushing girls.


    ¡°¡­that was amazing¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­you almost did it¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­you came so close¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­aggh damn it. I really thought you¡¯d win¡­.¡±


    ¡°That was careless and stupid.¡±


    I gasped and blinked in alarm at Shirohime who was staring stonily at the young woman. As soon as the words left her lips, and registered in the minds of the girls around the capsule, several dozen pairs of eyes turned upon her in anger.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Hey, who are you to call her stupid?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it? Let¡¯s see how far you get.¡±


    ¡°Bet you won¡¯t even make it halfway.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll put my monthly allowance on that!¡±


    Ignoring their ire, Shirohime stepped closer to the capsule and addressed the young woman half sitting, half lying within it. ¡°You got careless.¡±


    The young woman looked up at her with faint surprise, then broke into a sheepish laugh as she rubbed her hair that was slightly matted with sweat. ¡°I guess I did.¡± Looking down at the headset on her lap, she weakly shrugged a shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m not used to these¡­.¡±


    Shirohime¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I guess you¡¯re not¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot harder to control a Princess with them.¡±


    The exchange sounded a little strange to me, and I wondered if there was a connection between the two young women. Truthfully, I felt like an outsider while listening to them.


    The young woman began to struggle to climb out of the capsule. ¡°Um, could someone give me a hand? Sorry¡­.¡±


    A few of the girls around the capsule surged forward and then helped her out of the device. I was puzzled as to why she had so much trouble climbing out until I saw someone move a wheelchair closer to the capsule, and the girls helped the young woman onto it. It was evidently motorized with hubless wheels that resembled those on racing bikes, and equipped with a ring of effect-field emitters along the inside of the wheel rims. I wondered if they allowed the contraption to levitate over short distances thereby allowing the occupant to travel up and down stairs or over uneven ground.


    The words TELOS CORPORATION were printed on the wheels.


    The young woman fixed up her ankle length peach colored dress, and pulled down its long sleeves. It was then I noticed that she wore skin colored gloves and socks, and her feet were encased in shoes that resembled ballerina slippers. Perhaps she was a burn victim, but in this day and age, burns were relatively straightforward to heal. It was also rare to see someone in a wheelchair as most spinal injuries were repaired via nanosurgery, so I was clearly intrigued by whatever ailed her.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she offered the girls standing around her.


    With her tranquil and refined bearing, she gave the impression of being raised in a well-to-do family. In another day and age, she may have been the kind to enjoy long lunches or tea in the backyard of a luxurious manor, overlooking a scene of fine greenery.


    ¡°Will you come back again?¡± asked a girl standing beside the wheelchair.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± She smiled weakly, and then nodded. ¡°No, I¡¯ll definitely come back.¡±


    ¡°Do you need any help,¡± another girl asked.


    The young woman shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯m fine.¡± She swept her gaze over the faces surrounding her. ¡°Thank you. I had a great time.¡±


    The crowd of girls parted before her as the motorized chair nearly silently travelled forward. However, the young woman stopped and looked up at Shirohime, and then offered her hand in greeting. ¡°My name¡¯s Akane.¡±


    Shirohime blinked slowly, her eyes narrowing for a heartbeat, before swapping the crepe in her right hand over to her left. After wiping her free hand against her skirt, she reached down and shook the young woman¡¯s hand. ¡°Next time, don¡¯t waste time on the Gunbirds. You gave the tanks too much time to prepare their ambush. And travelling along the ground isn¡¯t bad, but avoid the underground expressways as the tanks will follow you into them, although you can use the subways as there are a lot of emergency tunnels you can dive into.¡±


    While I tried not to gawk at Shirohime¡¯s unexpected insights into the game, the young woman, Akane, replied with a soft smile. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll remember that.¡±


    ¡°You can also commandeer a bike or a car. That will let you get around faster. The underground parking lots are full of vehicles you can start up. I would recommend a bike.¡±


    Akane nodded gently. ¡°Thank you. I guess I will try that the next time.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ll be playing it again?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I want to defeat that high score.¡±


    Shirohime grew still before her lips parted into a thin smile. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Though seated, the young woman bowed politely to Shirohime. ¡°Until we meet again. Goodbye.¡±


    She resumed travelling down the path formed by the girls, the wheelchair humming faintly as it propelled itself on its hubless wheels. She smiled at the girls but it faded slightly for a moment when her gaze brushed mine. I wondered if she found it surprising to see a boy amongst the crowd, or perhaps my feminine appearance confused her. Whatever the reason for her subtle reaction at sight of me, I was spared a second glance and soon she departed the area. However, it wasn¡¯t long before a group of girls hurried after her, ushering her safely through the crowd moving about the arcade.


    When they disappeared from view shortly thereafter, I felt confused by what I¡¯d witnessed. I had the impression the cogs of a great machine had begun turning, and that I was in danger of being unknowingly swallowed up inside of it. Feeling uneasy, I decided to question Shirohime, but before I could do so a familiar voice called out from nearby.


    ¡°So this is where you were hiding.¡± Felicia was grinning broadly as she sauntered up to me with Angela not far behind her. ¡°Where¡¯s Class Rep?¡± she asked with a carefree tone.


    I jerked a thumb over my right shoulder. ¡°Back there.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m here,¡± Shirohime stated bluntly as she walked past me and stepped close to Felicia and Angela. My unease had briefly abated but returned when I saw the trio move away from me. Whatever Shirohime said to them startled the other two. With eyes wide, Felicia muttered something back, and Shirohime nodded faintly. Felicia then grew thoughtful, before stepping around Class Rep.


    She walked up to me and asked, ¡°Are you going to run out on us again?¡±


    I mulled her question over. ¡°That depends.¡±


    ¡°On what?¡±


    ¡°On what the three of you were talking about.¡±


    Felicia waved a hand about airily. ¡°Oh, that was just girl talk.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then I guess I have somewhere else to be.¡± I started walking away from them, heading for the staircase leading to the upper levels of the arcade.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Princess Silver Blue.¡±


    I stopped at the foot of the stairs, and spared the girls who¡¯d followed me a look over my right shoulder.


    Felicia was watching me with a grim look. ¡°Want to tell us about it?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because maybe we can help,¡± she replied somberly.


    Had she answered me differently, I would have dismissed her offer by turning away. But the grin she usually wore was absent, and her countenance was solemn, such that it gave me pause.


    Felicia stepped up to me. ¡°Ronin, don¡¯t treat us as strangers.¡±


    I realized that yet again Felicia moved to bridge the distance between us. But this time it felt different from when she approached me in class a year ago. There was something deeper going on here, and I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it. Once more, I had the impression of cogs turning and a great machine rumbling to life.


    ¡°Why would you help me?¡± I asked her. ¡°What¡¯s in it for you?¡±


    She glanced away for a moment before giving me a shrug. ¡°Nothing. Friendship, maybe.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows at her. ¡°Are you saying we¡¯re not friends?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one putting a wall up between us.¡±


    That wall was evidence of my distrust of people in general, but it was also there to protect me. I searched her face, looking for the lie, and though I couldn¡¯t find it, my guarded nature insisted that I be cautious. In other words, that wall wasn¡¯t coming down today, but I could take it down a few bricks.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll tell you about the tragedy of Silver Blue¡±


    - # -


    So why did I agree to dress up as Silver Blue from the animated hit, ¡°The Silver Blue Princess¡±?


    Allow me to elucidate.


    There is a girl that I presently consider the most beautiful girl in the cosmos and she happens to be a model.


    Her name is Mercedes ¡°Mercy¡± Haddaway.


    To be fair, she¡¯s a gravure model otherwise known as a bikini model, and in my unbiased candid opinion she ranks number one. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say, and my tastes are supreme. But to cut a long story short, I¡¯m one of her biggest fans. I have her entire magazine and photo album collection in various forms of media, not to mention every single holovid she ever released. So when the girls of the Cosplay Club found out ¨C most probably from Tobias ¨C they bribed me by getting me a ticket to one of her fan events. Mercy would be coming to Ar Telica that week to promote some new swimwear line, and would be holding a fan event as well. How could I dream of passing up the opportunity to meet Mercy in person, let alone shake her hand?


    Thus I sealed my fate.


    One year ago, for one day only during the Academy club recruitment week, I became Princess Silver Blue.


    Was meeting Mercy in person worth the terror of cosplay cross-dressing?


    Absolutely!


    - # -


    The arcade had three levels.


    The ground floor contained the boothless games, of which there were dozens upon dozens, though there were exceptions such as the Princess Royale that was located near the back of the floor, along with a handful of other games that required players to slip into capsules, some of which were open.


    The first floor was full of the pricier and larger holo-booths. These offered a more realistic gaming experience that comprised a combination of holographics and effect-fields to simulate an oriented moving terrain, so it was much like running or walking on a treadmill that could go forward, backward, left and right, up and down, all without leaving the confines of the booth.


    The second floor ¨C or third level ¨C was smaller and served as a rest stop for gamers by providing a fast food dining experience along with tables and chairs. That¡¯s where I found myself explaining my motivation for cross-playing as the Silver Blue Princess. I was seated at a table accompanied by Felicia, Angela, and Shirohime. Feeling famished, I dug into an oversized burger and somewhat watery soda, while the trio sipped on drinks of their own.


    Felicia sat back in her chair looking bemused. ¡°So that¡¯s why you did it?¡±


    I nodded as I ate the last piece of the burger on my tray.


    ¡°Is this girl really that pretty?¡±


    Angela had been busy on her phone, and leaned over to show its screen to Felicia. The latter stared down at it for a long while, then shared a suspiciously meaningful look with Angela who drew back a moment later. I noticed worry flicker across Felicia¡¯s face and Angela looked faintly uneasy.


    What¡¯s up with them?


    While this was happening, Shirohime typed away furiously on her phone, which had me wondering what she was up to. Eventually she huffed to herself, then wiped away the device¡¯s display and dropped it unhappily on the table.


    What is up with her?


    Felicia leaned forward and planted her chin on an upturned palm, resting her elbow on the table. ¡°Well, I guess there are guys that will go to extremes for a woman.¡±


    I gulped down my drink then plonked it loudly on the table. ¡°Mercy isn¡¯t just any girl. She is the girl. She¡¯s absolutely gorgeous. No other girl can compare to her.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­I¡¯m not sure how that makes me feel.¡±


    ¡°Envious, probably,¡± Angela muttered. ¡°She is pretty, but beauty is only skin deep.¡±


    Try as I might, I couldn¡¯t help glancing at Shirohime who happened to be pouting unhappily at her phone.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked her. ¡°Did you get dumped?¡±


    ¡°Hah?¡± Shirohime mixed disbelief into her scowl. ¡°Me? Dumped?¡±


    ¡°Well, is that a no?¡±


    ¡°First of all, I would have to be in a relationship in order to be dumped. Secondly, whomever I choose has to meet my exacting standards. Thirdly, who in their right minds would dump me¡ª?¡±


    Felicia raised a hand at her. ¡°Okay, we get it. You¡¯re not dumped. So what¡¯s got your knickers in a twist?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wear knickers,¡± Shirohime replied testily before placing fingertips to her sumptuous bosom. ¡°I wear lingerie. Designer lingerie. Only plain girls like you stick with the boring white stuff.¡±


    Felicia grinned like a Cheshire cat but it made me shiver. ¡°Plain. White. You got a problem with plain and white?¡±


    Angela put her phone away. ¡°Well, some girls just don¡¯t need to try.¡±


    For a short while, Shirohime gaped at her before closing her mouth. Then she slid her phone across the table toward Felicia. ¡°Fine. If you must know.¡±


    Her companions peered at her phone.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Felicia muttered, then glanced at her slender wristwatch. ¡°Well, whatever.¡±


    Shirohime took back her phone, then folded her arms and sat back unhappily in her chair. ¡°Really. I¡¯m more than up to the task¡­.¡±


    Felicia¡¯s grin faded as she frowned a little. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just looking to score points?¡±


    ¡°And what if I am?¡± Shirohime asked in return.


    Feeling the tension growing between the two girls, I was grateful when Angela sighed then cleared her throat. ¡°Back to the matter at hand,¡± she said, ¡°the question is what can Ronin expect come Monday morning?¡±


    Felicia blinked and looked at me. ¡°I¡¯m wondering how she found out.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Angela blurted out, then said, ¡°She probably used facial recognition software. Because it compares the position of the eyes in relation to the mouth, and if possible to the ears, she probably used it to compare one of the Cosplay Club posters with a photo of Ronin.¡±


    I gave her a confused look. ¡°But then wouldn¡¯t that mean that anyone could have figured it was me? The guys chasing after me could have done the same thing.¡±


    Angela nodded pensively. ¡°Assuming they compared the poster shot with every photo in the school database. Summaries of student profiles are available to students and staff. However, it¡¯s more than likely they never considered you were a boy, so they probably only checked the female student profiles.¡±


    In an unpleasant way, her theory did make sense, and because of it my self-esteem plunged. I was so convincing as a girl, even when not cross-playing, that the guys never considered the possibility that I was a male student of Telos Academy. Yet, if Angela had surmised correctly, it demonstrated Valjean¡¯s determination to learn Silver Blue¡¯s identity. The question I couldn¡¯t answer was why?


    ¡°So, as I was asking,¡± Angela said. ¡°What kind of reception can Ronin expect come Monday morning?¡±


    Felicia¡¯s lips twisted into weird shapes as she mulled it over. ¡°I guess we won¡¯t know until Monday. Then again, it might not be a problem. You know what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    Angela¡¯s eyes widened slightly before relaxing back to normal. ¡°Perhaps¡­.¡±


    I was puzzled so I asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Felicia stiffened for a heartbeat then broke into her cartoon grin. ¡°Well, you could end up hit by a bus or car and then it¡¯s adios amiga¡ªI mean amigo.¡±


    I stared at her in disbelief. ¡°Thanks. I really needed to hear that.¡±


    ¡°Look, it may be that nothing happens. You show up on Monday to a warm round of applause.¡±


    I placed my food wrappings and empty drink container on the tray. ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s really gonna happen.¡± I rose from the chair and picked up my tray. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, I have places to be.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡ª!¡± Felicia stood up quickly. ¡°What if you show up in a female uniform?¡±


    I froze. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That way you can arrive at the school incognito. No one will know it¡¯s you. You can slip into the school unnoticed.¡±


    Felicia¡¯s flights of fancy were beginning to disturb me. ¡°How the Hell am I going to get past roll call?¡±


    Angela had palmed her forehead. ¡°How do you even think this stuff up?¡± she asked her friend. ¡°Try to think before you speak.¡±


    I sighed and shook my head. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll just take a leave of absence until it all blows over.¡±


    ¡°What if it doesn¡¯t?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll change my identity and transfer to another school¡±¡ªI stared at Felicia¡ª¡°not as a girl.¡±


    She grinned at me sheepishly but it still looked cartoonish.


    Walking over to a refuse bin, I cleared away my tray, then placed it on the stack of trays waiting to be cleaned. With that, I made my way to the stairs leading down to the first floor where the more expensive games were located. I noticed the girls hurrying after me, though Shirohime pointedly lagged behind, and I found myself growing irritated. She was a beauty, the kind that made my knees weak when I gazed upon her, but I was having trouble getting past her personality issues.


    If she doesn¡¯t want to be here, why doesn¡¯t she just leave?


    There is a saying that to be ignorant is to be delusion. I was ignorant of what Shirohime was like as a person, thus in that regard my image of her was a delusion, and now that delusion was being torn down by Shirohime. Compounding my state of disappointment, I had come to the gaming arcade hoping to escape reality, and for a brief while I¡¯d done so, but now the gravity of my situation was weighing down upon me, and so I decided to flee it once more by escaping into a holo-virtual reality.


    The first person shooter I loved to dominate was unoccupied, though a great many of the other booths had crowds of students from Telos Academy surrounding them, eyes eagerly watching holovid screens displaying the game progress for those outside the booths. I suspected on good authority the game I enjoyed wasn¡¯t as popular due to its disturbingly graphic and realistic content. So I was eager to enjoy it as much as possible before the Arcade operators chose to remove it from their lineup.


    Apparently, some players ¨C and probably their parents too ¨C had complained, and after a few students with weaker stomachs had succumbed to the game¡¯s overpowering nature and tossed their cookies, a big warning sign was erected at the entrance to the game¡¯s holo-booth that was shaped like a mini planetarium about four meters in diameter at the base. In addition to the warning, a security console stood on a pedestal beside the sign, requiring a prospective gamer to present identity and sign an electronic waver before being allowed to enter the locked booth.


    Looking at the slowly rotating holovid screen projected above the booth, I saw that only a handful of new scores had been set since the last time I played it, but someone had recently bested my record by the slimmest of margins.


    White Princess? Who¡¯s the White Princess?


    ¡°Necropolis?¡± Felicia questioned as she read the name on the overhead banner. ¡°What kind of game is this?¡±


    ¡°A zombie apocalypse,¡± Angela explained. ¡°See. There¡¯s a mature content warning on it. Expect lots of blood and gore. Adults must be supervised at all times.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Adults?¡± Felicia sounded perplexed, then asked, "You''re going to play a zombie game right after eating?"


    I didn''t see the problem with that. As I walked to the pedestal outside the booth serving as an entry scanner, I shrugged. "Sure, why not?"


    "You must have a really strong stomach."


    "It''s only a game," I murmurred under my breath.


    Angela pointed out. "It says there, playing not advised after a meal."


    I sighed as I stood before the pedestal, and threw the girls a look over a shoulder.¡°Why are you following me?¡±


    Felicia made an ¡®oh¡¯ shape with her mouth before replying. ¡°We thought you might want to try out the Princess Royale.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡± I glanced at Shirohime who was suddenly regarding me with interest. Caught a little off guard by her gaze, I blushed and blurted out, ¡°No. Only girls play that.¡±


    Shirohime¡¯s expression darkened. She snorted softly and muttered, ¡°Well, you¡¯re halfway there.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I whirled on her but she turned away, but not before making a show of tossing her hair then folding her arms under her magnificent bust.


    Angela sighed and shook her head faintly, but Felicia quickly stepped forward. ¡°So, are you any good at this?¡±


    I stopped glaring at Shirohime and turned my attention on Felicia. ¡°Are you kidding me? I set the highest score¡ªI mean I had the highest score. Somebody beat me recently.¡±


    Again, Shirohime snorted but continued to look away.


    I turned back to her. ¡°Hey, do you need to blow your nose or something?¡±


    Shirohime slowly faced me. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Well you¡¯re snorting like a bull, so I was wondering if you had some sort of allergy.¡±


    ¡°I have no allergies, thank you very much.¡±


    I held onto the moment before stating, ¡°You should be glad Mat doesn¡¯t know what you¡¯re really like.¡±


    Shirohime¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Huh?¡±


    I could almost hear the gong ringing out in her head, while my heart plummeted down to my feet as reality once more disappointed me. Yet, somehow I succeeded in masking my feelings behind a sagely nod. ¡°If you think I¡¯m going to put in a good word for you, think again. Not happening. Not a chance on this side of a purple moon.¡±


    She unfolded her arms, and stared at me in shock. Though her mouth moved, nothing came out.


    ¡°Oh, and more thing,¡± I pointed at a finger at her chest. ¡°Thanks for the pillow ride.¡±


    ¡°Why you little pervert!¡± She stormed toward me, but Felicia and Angela intervened by grabbing onto her and holding her back. ¡°Unhand me,¡± she demanded.


    Felicia sounded disenchanted. ¡°I told you to be on your best behavior.¡±


    Angela added, ¡°You really should have looked at the bigger picture.¡±


    ¡°I told you he was a pervert,¡± Shirohime complained. ¡°And my breasts are not pillows!¡±


    I listened to them as I entered my Ar Telica citizen code, before swiping my phone over the scanner.


    They may not be pillows but they certainly are soft.


    I signed the legal waver that said I wouldn¡¯t sue the Arcade¡¯s operators in the event I was mentally scarred by the game. In other words, I participating knowing that it contained mature content that could easily offend impressionable young minds. If ten years from now I turned into a deranged serial killer, I couldn¡¯t hold the Arcade operators or the game company responsible for my actions.


    Swiping my phone one more time over the scanner to pay the game¡¯s admission price, I waited for the dome shaped booth to unlock and open. Having played the game before, I knew what to expect and strode into the darkness within full of confidence I rarely expressed in real life. Also, I was trying not to appear obvious as I fled from an angry Class Rep.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be waiting for you,¡± Shirohime promised.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± I replied with a dismissive wave over my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Mat your beauty is only skin deep.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I happen to be a sweet, kind, and generous girl.¡±


    I turned around and pillowed my head on my hands. ¡°Yeah, real generous.¡±


    ¡°Gah¡ªI swear I¡¯m going to kick your butt¡ª!¡±


    The door closed, shutting out the outside world and enveloping me in quiet solitude.


    I dropped my carry-bag to the floor, and my body sagged as I bent over and grabbed my knees. ¡°Gods, I¡¯m never looking at a pretty girl the same way again.¡± After a moment, I reconsidered and raised a finger. ¡°Except for Mercedes.¡±


    Straightening slowly, I looked around me, then turned to the ¡®back¡¯ of the large and spacious domed interior of the booth, where a pedestal stood with two electronic light-guns holstered to either side of it.


    ¡°Here we go¡­,¡± I mumbled under my breath.


    Reaching down to pick up my bag, something unexpected happened.


    ¡°Prepare for translocation.¡±


    I straightened sharply and looked up at the ceiling. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Translocation imminent.¡±


    Turning quickly, I looked at the black walls in confusion as this had never happened before.


    ¡°Brace for immediate Translocation.¡±


    I stretched my arms wide. ¡°Brace? How the Hell do I brace¡ª?¡±


    Without warning, I felt the ground underfoot heave and I was abruptly knocked to the floor.


    It was an experience akin to the saying ¡®having the rug swept out from under you¡¯.


    I landed on hands and knees, and gulped as my innards surged when a disorienting wave of weightlessness washed over me. For several seconds I had no sense of orientation. If I had not continued to feel the floor of the booth beneath me, I would have believed I was floating in a black, weightless void. Once more without warning a violent shove knocked me down to my stomach and the wind was crushed out of me.


    I lay on the floor for several heartbeats before pushing myself up to my knees. Shaking my head a little as the gyroscope of my inner ear began working again, I looked around me and saw that the darkness had given way to an afternoon scenery that I found disturbingly familiar yet wholly unexpected.


    Rising slowly to my feet, I turned about in a full circle, and regarded my surroundings.


    My first impression was that the booth¡¯s holo-fields were fully active and I was now fully immersed in the game environment. Necropolis was the kind of shooting game that employed holo-fields rather than virtual reality gear, which was one reason why I enjoyed it more as it felt more real to me. It went so far as to simulate wind using hidden ventilators and effect-fields, so I wasn¡¯t surprised to feel a gentle breeze caress my face and hair. However, as I continued sweeping my gaze over scenery, I began to have second doubts.


    By all accounts, I was standing in a plaza in the midst of an abandoned city, one that uncannily resembled Ar Telica so much that I felt a sense of panic when I recognized this place as the plaza running through the entertainment complex housing the Arcade. However, there was not a single person in sight, and the eerie stillness that enveloped me had wondering if this was really a holovid projection complemented with effect-fields and other sensory equipment.


    Everything looked a little too real, and my panic morphed into dread when I failed to spot anything remotely like the control pedestal with holstered lightguns.


    I decided against calling out, and instead took off my school blazer, dumping it on the ground, then loosened my tie and rolled up my sleeves. Picking up my carry-bag, I slung its straps diagonally across my body, then swept my gaze over the plaza once more. Catching sight of an information kiosk, one that also existed in the real plaza, I hurried over to it and was shocked to see a pedestal behind it with two large lightguns hanging off it.


    At sight of the weapons, my heart jumped for joy while the rest of me sagged in relief.


    After giving myself a few moments to steady my emotions, I quickly unholstered the weapons from the pedestal. Hefting them in both hands, I noticed they were longer and heavier than the lightguns I was familiar with, and the battery pack disguised as a magazine was double the size I remembered it. Yet despite this they possessed sling straps and extendable stocks, both of which I¡¯d made use of in the past. Differences aside, having them in my possession alleviated some of the fear miring my thoughts, and I breathed a lot easier until a loud crash announced the shattering of a shop front window somewhere behind me.


    I spun around in time to see the first of the zombies crawl out into the plaza.


    It was a young woman wearing a chic outfit, more or less the kind you¡¯d expect on an attractive girl out on a date or just shopping with her friends. She crawled on the ground for a short distance, then stopped and looked up in my direction.


    As I stared at her, my body tingled with unease that melded into the dread weighing down my limbs. But when the creature rose to her feet and began staggering toward me, my gamer instincts slipped into gear and I began thinking more clearly. Quickly checking the charge on the lightguns, I slung one of them across my back, and used both hands to carry the other. I may have referred to them as ¡®guns¡¯ but truthfully they were around thirty inches long so two hands were better than one.


    Since the guns fired photon rounds, stepping into a balanced shooting stance might seem pointless to people. After all, everyone knows that photons don¡¯t weigh very much. Nonetheless, I felt better and more confident when standing in the ready position, and with both hands on the lightgun, I took aim at the unfortunate soul crawling toward me.


    My finger was already pressing down on the trigger when I suddenly hesitated.


    Something felt off.


    Watching the creature stagger toward me, I studied it intently as I struggled to wrap my mind around the discrepancy between the game I was experiencing now and the game as I remembered it. It wasn¡¯t just the stage loading or the weapons that were dramatically different, nor was it the breeze I could feeling blowing past me. It was the scent of something rotten in the air. Even if I could rationalize everything else my senses were experiencing, I couldn¡¯t explain the scent of death that tainted the air.


    A sudden tension gripped my arms as I aimed at the creature approaching me on unsteady legs and feet, hunched over as it struggled for balanced. However, I was running out of time and distance so I took steady aim and fired the lightgun.


    I was accustomed to the muzzle flash, a nice touch of added realism courtesy of a holo-emitter fitted to the lightgun, but the mild recoil surprised me more than the sight of a simulated bullet ¨C an explosive tipped holo-round ¨C flying out of the barrel and striking the zombie woman roughly thirty feet away. A piece of her scalp was blown off, and she stumbled to her knees, but after a short while she picked herself back up. When her gaze meet mine, a cold shiver ran through my body.


    Her eyes looked alive and real, so much so that my doubts about the veracity of this being a simulation began to swell like a tsunami, and I took an unsteady step back. The rational part of my mind attributed the shift in my surroundings as the game system employing holo-fields and effect-fields to simulate the effect of retreating a step. But the not-so-rational part of me was beginning to clamor that what I was experiencing was indeed real. This wasn¡¯t the inside of the gaming booth but an actual plaza, and the pitiful creature in front of me wasn¡¯t a holographic image but an actual zombie.


    The young woman, her neck torn and bloodied, reached out for me as though pleading with me to end her existence and give her peace. Silently, she mouthed words that I couldn¡¯t hear¡­and didn¡¯t want to hear.


    My mouth dry, I aimed the light-gun, centered the targeting beam on the zombie¡¯s forehead, and squeezed the trigger. Again the gun kicked ¨C my rational self explaining it was simulated by an effect field ¨C but this time my aim was true.


    The front of the undead woman¡¯s skull exploded as the very real mini bullet struck home and detonated. But it wasn¡¯t enough to bring her down. I fired a second shot, no longer thinking the bullets were holographic, and watched another part of her head blow apart. Her body collapsed to the ground and shuddered one last time before it stopped moving.


    I noticed I was holding my breath, part of me afraid that she would begin moving again. But after a few seconds of silence and stillness, I inhaled deeply, feeling my lungs hurt a little as yet another shiver ran through me.


    This isn¡¯t a game.


    The proof was lying on the plaza no farther than ten meters away from me.


    The dead zombie wasn¡¯t fading away or derezzing into light particles. It remained where it fell, dark red blood dribbling out of the perforated skull and other wounds on her body.


    This is not a game.


    A second zombie stumbled out of the shattered shop window, another young woman dressed in the clothes of an employee; perhaps she was the store clerk. Her neck and shoulders were ripped open and ruined. She muttered something between undead lips, and without thinking I aimed and blew her away with a shot to the chest, then followed up with one to the head. Her body collapsed supine, and lay still. But my focus didn¡¯t linger on her, shifting quickly onto a group of zombies emerging from a caf¨¦ opposite the gaming arcade.


    They were people dressed in many walks of life, some wearing business suits, other in casual wear, and a couple dressed in tight waitress outfits. But they were all undead, and again the gamer in me took over, but now I felt a pressure on my consciousness I¡¯d never experienced before most probably from knowing this wasn¡¯t the game I was accustomed to playing.


    The plaza was real.


    The zombies were real.


    And the lightguns fired very real yet tiny bullets.


    Taking a number of deep breathes, and gathering my nerves like I¡¯d never before ¨C except on the occasion when I dressed up as the Silver Blue Princess as per the signed agreement with the Cosplay Club ¨C I extended the gunstock, pressed it against my right shoulder, and then stepped forward to face the undead slowly emerging from the shops of the arcade.


    Opening up my mind to the patterns I could recognize in their group movement, and gripping tightly the lightgun that wasn¡¯t a lightgun, I began picking them off one at a time with well-placed shots to their heads.


    Little by little, I lost myself to the game that wasn¡¯t a game and the ensuing carnage.


    ###

 Gun Princess (Amazon Ver.) - Ch 3.

    Chapter 3.


    - # -


    The notion that I was experiencing a holo-VR simulation was quickly dispelled from my mind. Even now, I like to think of myself as an open minded person, something that benefited me greatly when dealing with the blunt reality I was facing. However, while I had acknowledged that the situation was indeed real I nonetheless chose to refer to it as The Game, and while taking down zombies in quick succession, I made mental notes regarding my observations of The Game.


    To begin with, I considered the lightguns.


    It was obvious after the first few shots that the weapons were actual firearms. However, they were unlike anything I¡¯d heard of. They fired mini caseless bullets, perhaps no more than four or five millimeters in diameter, and with a very short body. Calling them bullets wasn¡¯t entirely accurate as I noticed later ¨C when the shooting had finally stopped ¨C they were like a cross between tiny arrows and bullets. The effective firing range wasn¡¯t so good ¨C fifty meters at best ¨C and their effective penetration was poor. A hit to their bodies was insufficient to stop them, and sometimes it required to shots to their heads to bring them down for good. So despite the oversized magazines containing some ninety rounds, I had to avoid being liberal with my shots.


    The second item of note was The Game itself.


    Necropolis was a game played through three to five stages. Because of my lack of stamina, I usually played it for three stages, rarely going as far as five. So the question plaguing my thoughts was whether The Game had stages, and if so, how many could I expect. However, the more dire consideration was whether or not The Game had an actual ending, or was I expected to travel the zombie infested city, fighting to the death until I ran out of ammunition? In short, this was a waking nightmare, and thus far I had seen nothing that suggested a way out of it.


    The third item of note were the zombies.


    To confirm they possessed physical bodies, I kicked one over after killing it. It felt very real to my foot and shoe, and in addition to its wounds, the condition of its skin and flesh implied rather explicitly the horrid fact that zombies did exist. Needless to say, I was quite familiar with their lore so knowing that these were actual zombies sent my panic gauge roaring skyward. It came back down over time as I forcefully immersed myself into the act of killing the undead, but the knowledge that zombies were real continued to trouble me greatly.


    Thankfully, it wouldn¡¯t be long before I learnt the truth, and thereby avoided being traumatized for life.


    However, I would eventually learn there are worse things in life than a zombie apocalypse.


    - # -


    When the shooting stopped, silence befell the plaza of the entertainment complex, and a deathly stillness spread throughout.


    I noticed I was breathing harder than usual, The Game stage ¨C if indeed this was a stage ¨C proving to be more taxing than I was accustomed to.


    Carnage surrounded me, countless bodies lying everywhere, including a few children lying prone in the fountain pool, dying the water red.


    It was all very visceral and traumatic, and certainly not for the faint hearted.


    I swallowed hard, wondering how something virtual could have turned into something that was evidently real.


    I silently pledged that if I found a way out I would hang up my lightguns for good.


    Afterwards, fear gripped me as I wondered if I was trapped in this Necropolis.


    I glanced at my wristwatch, and realized I¡¯d been shooting away for almost twenty minutes, though it felt like an hour since entering the booth. Maybe I¡¯d experienced some sort of time dilation phenomenon without knowing it. Looking down at the weapon in my hands, I saw that the ammo count or charge was almost empty. Thus far I¡¯d employed only one lightgun as I massacred the undead, so I still had a full magazine in the weapon slung across my back. However, I didn¡¯t know if there were other stages, or if I was doomed to wander the city of undead for an unforeseeable future.


    On the assumption that this environment possessed some of the attributes of a game, I wondered if there were hidden items for me to find, ammunition being one them.


    On a hunch, I made my way back to the information kiosk, and searched about the place. My intuition served me well, and I found a cardboard box containing about a dozen ammunition magazines under the kiosk counter. After quickly emptying my school carry-bag of anything I felt wasn¡¯t essential to my survival, I tossed the magazines into it. I also dropped a couple of magazines into my trouser pockets, and swapped out the empty mag in the lightgun for a fresh one.


    Emboldened by my newly acquired stock of ammunition, not knowing how much longer The Game would persist impinged upon me the need to be frugal with my expenditure of ammunition.


    After searching the kiosk for other useful items, and finding none, I slung the carry-bag¡¯s straps across my body, careful not to tangle them up with the straps of the lightgun, and then stepped away from the kiosk.


    Although the plaza and arcade were still, there was no indication the stage would end, if indeed this was but one stage of the game.


    Spotting a drink vending machine in the near distance, I walked up to it, and saw that it was receiving power and thus refrigerated. Looking around me, I noticed for the first time that the shops of the arcade were well lit, though the plaza lights were yet to turn on. The sky overhead was grey and overcast, and despite my watch claiming it was after six pm, I could be forgiven for thinking it was midafternoon.


    I was able to observe this now that peace and quiet had fallen upon my surroundings.


    Thinking of survival, I turned back to the vending machine. After carefully placing the lightgun on the ground and beside my feet, I waved my phone over the vending machine¡¯s scanner, by no means confident that I could make a purchase. To my surprise, the machine beeped in response. Thus encouraged, I bought a half dozen bottles of water, depositing all but one of them into my carry-bag.


    Regardless of the carnage, my thirst overrode my stomach. Opening a bottle, I drank down a third of its contents while keeping my eyes averted from the plaza. After another long gulp where I consumed half the water in the bottle, I capped it, then dropped it into my carry-bag. Only then did I turn around and search the plaza with my gaze for signs of movement and anything that caught my eye.


    I suspected that perhaps I hadn¡¯t cleared the level, so I picked up the lightgun, and began walking through the plaza. Regardless of the stillness surrounding me, I was wary of the dead as there may be undead still ambulatory hiding amongst them. Despite the need to be prudent with my ammunition, I fired a few rounds into bodies that didn¡¯t look dead enough to me, and continued onward cautiously.


    The sounds of an infant crying in the near distance brought me to a stop.


    Slowly turning my head left and right, I isolated the direction from whence it came ¨C a pram rocking against a shop door roughly a hundred feet down the plaza. Holding the lightgun in a firm two-handed grip, I cautiously approached the pram. Standing over it, I peered at the child lying inside, wailing with its short stubby arms and legs kicking futilely at the air like a turtle on its shell.


    To my horror, it was undead, its skin ashen like those of the other zombies I¡¯d killed.


    However, within moments a more horrifying thought slunk into my mind.


    I stood for a minute or more beside the pram, wondering if this was the key to ending the stage.


    Would I have to kill this baby zombie in order to gain my freedom from Necropolis?


    I felt a wave of revulsion for whomever was behind The Game. If I ever discovered who they were, I would find a way to exact retribution from them, the so called pound of flesh.


    It took me another minute to garner the grim resolve I needed to aim the lightgun at the child¡¯s head, and then to pull the trigger. A single round blew a hole through its small soft head, silencing its cries permanently.


    I felt bile work its way up my throat, but I pushed it back down, wiped the back of my mouth though the sour taste remained, and then walked back to the center of the plaza not far from the fountain where a group of zombie children had fallen in after I shot them dead. At sight of them, the pressure of being surrounded my dead overwhelmed me, and I turned around in a hurry, and walked fast toward the northeastern end of the plaza. In the distance, I could see a handful of large megascrapers as large as mountains with birds flying in small flocks between them. There were lights on the buildings¡¯ exterior surfaces, so it was clear they were drawing power from somewhere. At the thought, I began earnestly considering the possibility that I was inside a real city, one that had suffered a zombie apocalypse.


    ¡°Maybe this is Necropolis¡­maybe there are survivors¡­.¡±


    I was nearing the end of the plaza, and thereby approaching a deserted street with vehicles strewn about haphazardly. The area was as deathly still as the plaza behind me, devoid of movement or any signs of life. With the lightgun at the ready, I slowed my pace as I drew closer to the street.


    ¡°BRACE FOR TRANSLOCATION.¡±


    My heart jumped into my throat. I spun around and faced the plaza, searching for the owner of that female voice, soon realizing it was coming from the public address system mounted in the arcade.


    ¡°TRANSLOCATION IMMINENT.¡±


    I dropped to my knees in a hurry, but the hard shove I¡¯d experienced before made an encore appearance, and knocked me down onto my chest before I could stop my fall with my hands and arms. Wincing in pain, I was soon thrust into darkness and weightlessness that made my insides swim about for several nauseating seconds before I sensed a return to gravity and hard ground beneath me.


    Lying on my stomach, I pushed myself up onto my elbows, and then stared up into the dim darkness.


    I was back in the domed booth.


    The words CONGRATULATIONS appeared above me, quickly changing to NEXT STAGE LOADING.


    If this was indeed the booth, then I resolved to flee it immediately.


    I was upon my feet in a matter of heartbeats, and searching for the control pedestal at the ¡®back¡¯ of the booth. I ran to it as soon as I caught sight of it, but my hopes were dashed when I saw that it was dark and dead. Slapping the emergency open button made no difference.


    BRACE FOR TRANSLOCATION.


    Realizing my carry-bag and the lightguns had made the return journey, I ran back to the middle of the booth and picked up the closest weapon. With a two handed grip, I aimed the lightgun at the wall of the booth were I judged the door to be, and pressed the trigger. The weapon failed to fire, and I looked down to see the safety was on. Flicking it off, I took aim once more and pressed the trigger.


    The weapon discharge bullets every half or quarter second, stitching the dark wall with small explosions.


    WARNING. TRANSLOCATION FIELD DISRUPTION.


    I kept firing, swinging the weapon a few degrees to the left and right, tracing a line of fire up the wall, hoping to trigger some kind of abort that would cancel the so-called translocation process and open the doors.


    EMERGENTY TRANSLOCATION ENGAGED.


    I clenched my jaw and kept firing. It was reckless since I was expending ammunition that I would need later, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to hold back as desperation overrode me.


    TRANSLOCATING¡ª


    The hard shove was as bad as before, the weightlessness just as stomach twisting, and then the ground was pulled out from under me, tossing me face first into hard darkness.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± I yelled into the void.


    - # -


    I turned around smoothly to look around at my new surroundings.


    It was a school not unlike Telos Academy, and thereby a disturbingly familiar sight.


    I could almost imagine someone laughing wickedly at my expense from somewhere in the darkened corridors as cold sweat trickled down my back.


    Yet what unnerved me the most was the utter stillness of the air, as though my surroundings were locked in time. I wondered if the stage had actually completed loading as nothing moved around me.


    Taking a quiet breath, almost fearful of breaking the enveloping silence, I stepped cautiously forward with light-guns at the ready.


    From my memory of Telos Academy¡¯s layout, I judged I was close to the entrance of the high school building, standing on the third level ¨C the second floor if you counted the ground floor. I had classrooms and stairwells to my left, and the floor-to-ceiling windows of the main corridor to my right. The unbroken corridor circumnavigated the inside of the horseshoe shaped building ¨C otherwise known as a broken circle ¨C and if I followed it, I would eventually at the five-storey library constructed of transparent permaglass.


    The interior lighting was still on, and I saw signs of damage, with tables and furniture thrown out of classrooms and into the corridor. Some of the overhead ceiling panels had fallen away, exposing air conditioning and electricity conduits.


    The entrance to a stairwell was about twenty meters ahead of me. Approaching it with my right shoulder inches from the glass windows, thus giving the stairwell a wide berth, I trained the lightgun¡¯s targeting beam on the landing.


    A heartbeat later, a girl dressed in a school uniform stumbled up the stairs.


    I held my breath and waited for her to see me.


    When she looked up, I saw a very attractive face with large doe eyes and pale pink lips. She didn¡¯t look frightened. She just looked¡­.depressed. At sight of me she froze, but her gaze soon fell upon the weapon in my hands. A heartbeat later, she pointed down the stairs.


    ¡°Ah¡­help?¡±


    I kept my gun up, certain she wasn¡¯t an undead, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about the owner of the shadow climbing up the stairs behind her. When it came into light, I saw it was a male teacher, eyes glazed, mouth wide, a hunger for living flesh contorting his features.


    The girl cocked her head, then took a few steps away from the stairwell. She sounded depressingly bored as she waved her hands about gently in a dreary panic. ¡°I¡¯m being followed. I¡¯m going to be eaten. Kyaaa.¡±


    I blew the teacher¡¯s head apart with two well-placed round to his forehead, then approached the stairwell to see two more undead faculty members crawling up the stairs behind the dead teacher. I brought their journey to an end before they arrived at the landing, then turned to look at the girl I¡¯d just ¡®rescued¡¯.


    She was a pretty thing, like many of the girls of my Academy, with long dark hair, an oval face, and expressive eyes. There was no need for me to doubt or question whether she was real, long since convinced that The Game was not a holo-Virtual simulation.


    I surprised myself by asking her, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    She looked sadly at the deceased undead. ¡°What a tragic end to a teaching career.¡±


    Her response and demeanor confused me. It wasn¡¯t what I expected from someone fleeing from flesh eating zombies. Clearing my throat, I asked, ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she replied with a weak shake of her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­.¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    Again, I found her response and forlorn mien uncharacteristic of someone caught in this kind of scenario. Then again, was my response to The Game any more or less unusual? It clearly wasn¡¯t the game I remembered playing, yet I was treating it like a game that had stages to be cleared. Was I being open minded, or just simple minded? And if I considered this another stage of The Game, what were the conditions for clearing it?


    Peering up and then down the stairwell, I gave the corridor a quick look before asking the girl, ¡°Are you the only one alive? Are there any other survivors?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­survivors¡­I have no idea.¡±


    What is wrong with this girl? Is she traumatized? Has her mind retreated or something?


    When she turned and pointed through the corridor window, I saw that she was indicating the library that intersected the broken circle, thereby dividing the middle school from the high school arcs of the building.


    ¡°Over there,¡± she said despondently. ¡°I noticed them hiding in the library. Not very smart though. The library walls and floors are completely transparent.¡± She lowered her hand. ¡°Well, it may be too late for them as well.¡±


    The five story section of the building ¨C the apex of the broken circle shaped high school ¨C uncannily resembled the library at Telos Academy, and that included the transparent permaglass floors that gave a person the impression they were standing on air. Unfortunately, it allowed anyone on the floor below to upskirt the girls on the floor above. So the library at Telos Academy that was meant to be shared was now the exclusive domain of the female student body. There had been complaints from the male students inspiring a proposition to coat the glass with a material that would turn it into a one way surface, allowing people to look down but not up. However, this ran into problems when the girls demanded the library remain a sanctuary for the fairer sex.


    I found the whole situation irritating as hell, and it reeked of gender bias. Coating the floors would have solved the problem, but the Student Council President, a buxom brunette beauty by the name of Aleena Saint-Pierre, campaigned to shoot the plan down with the added backing of her mother who sat on the board of the school¡¯s directors. If I ever had the opportunity, I would do my utmost to have that decision overturned. At the very least, they could finance a library for the boys, one that was strictly off-limits to the girls.


    I realized I was glaring at the library, and hurriedly tried to dispel my heated emotions. The best way to do so was to focus on dealing with the situation at hand.


    After taking a deep breath, I rolled then relaxed my shoulders. Looking down at the lightgun, I checked the ammo count. Of the ninety mini-bullets it originally contained only forty remained.


    I gave the library another long look. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­go where?¡±


    ¡°To save the survivors.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­but they could be zombies by now.¡±


    I turned my head and faced her. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She looked up at the ceiling, then replied in a downcast voice. ¡°They turned to zombies without warning. One moment they were normal students. The next moment they were zombies.¡±


    ¡°Care to elaborate.¡±


    She tilted her head while looking up with a detached gaze. ¡°What¡¯s there to say? They were normal one moment¡±¡ªher body contorted strangely for a short while¡ª¡°then they were zombies the next. Very odd indeed. Very troublesome too.¡±


    Though I was keeping an eye out on our surroundings, I turned my body toward her. ¡°What exactly happened here?¡±


    The girl looked down at me and shrugged, with her palms upturned. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I decided to ditch class. I was smoking behind the gym. Then I heard a voice say, ¡°Translocation imminent. Brace for Translocation.¡± She lowered her hands and looked at me dispiritedly. Everything went dark. Then whack¡ªI woke up on the ground. I went back to class in time for homeroom. I was sitting in the back looking out the window when some of my classmates began acting strangely. They attacked their neighbors.¡± She raised her hands and mimed a mushroom cloud. ¡°Pandemonium soon followed. Running. Screaming.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I jumped out the window. Landed on cafeteria table. Made my way inside and hid in a storage room at the back of the kitchen. Waited for the stampede to end. When I came out, I saw zombies in the grounds surrounding the school, so I went back inside the building. I saw students sheltering in the library.¡± She pointed at me. ¡°I was looking for a way out when the teachers found me. Chased me. You saved me. End of chapter, and a new chapter begins.¡±


    My reaction was hard to pin down into few words. I can best describe it as being both confused and surprised by her story. I was also quite distinctly afraid as a dire scenario began to form in my mind. The Game was a survival simulation that pulled people into its stages, and thrust them into a life or death situation. I was at an advantage because I possessed the lightguns, and carried a sizeable quantity of ammunition. However, others might not be so fortunate, this girl being one of them.


    Turning around, I regarded the library visible through the curved corridor¡¯s window.


    ¡°What school do you attend?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Telos Academy. First Year, Class One-Eff.¡± She bowed politely. ¡°Tabitha Hexen. Nice to meet you.¡±


    I started to return her bow when her words abruptly drilled through my awareness. ¡°Telos Academy? Did you say Telos Academy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    I glanced at my watch, reading that it was well after six pm, but when I then looked out the corridor window at the overcast sky, I noted it was bright enough for late afternoon.


    ¡°¡­that can¡¯t be¡­.¡±


    I faced the girl, Tabitha.


    ¡°How long have you been here?¡±


    Unexpectedly, she looked up at the ceiling rather than pull out her phone to get the time, and I noticed she had no wristwatch.


    ¡°An hour? Maybe less.¡± She shrugged a shoulder dejectedly. ¡°I don¡¯t really know.¡±


    What the Hell is going on here? Was this really Telos Academy? If so, had I somehow been displaced back in time?


    I noticed movement behind her down the corridor. ¡°Ah¡ªcould you stand still for a moment.¡±


    Raising the lightgun with two hands, I aimed at the two students stumbling and staggering toward us. One of them was a girl, and she was helping her wounded companion, a boy. Catching sight of us, the girl cried out for help, and I hesitated for a moment before aiming at the boy whom she was supporting, centering the target beam on his head.


    ¡°Wait¡ªwe¡¯re not bitten!¡± she cried out. ¡°He fell and injured his leg. That¡¯s all! Please, you must believe us.¡±


    I stepped away from Tabitha, and shifted my aim to the corridor behind the two students. I¡¯d like to say I was feeling calm, but that wasn¡¯t the truth. Certainly, having the lightguns improved our chances of survival and bolstered my confidence, but the stage was fettered with unknowns such as how many zombies were we facing.


    I fired at the handful undead emerging from a classroom behind the two students, two shots to each of their heads. The girl noticed and began to hurry toward us, knowing to stay out of my line of fire. When I was done clearing the corridor behind them, I gave the corridor in the other direction a good look. For now it was clear of zombies, but for how long remained to be seen.


    So they¡¯re hiding in the classrooms. Good to know.


    I checked the ammo count.


    Thirty rounds in the magazine. I average three rounds per zombie, that means ten more kills.


    I regarded the lightgun grimly.


    I¡¯ll need to swap out shortly.


    As the girl and guy neared us, Tabitha broke her silence. ¡°You should be careful.¡±


    ¡°Of what?¡±


    ¡°I told you before¡­my classmates turned into zombies without warning.¡±


    Holding the lightgun diagonally across my body, I glanced at Tabitha. ¡°Are you telling me to abandon them?¡±


    She shook her head sadly. ¡°No. I¡¯m simply saying you should be careful.¡±


    Though I wasn¡¯t aiming at her, I did raise the lightgun a little in her direction. ¡°Then what about you? Should I be wary of you as well?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not going to turn into a zombie.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± I asked her brusquely, my feelings turning blunt toward her.


    ¡°I just know.¡±


    Now my feelings turned sharp. ¡°And how do you just now?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not like them,¡± she replied softly. ¡°I¡¯m like you.¡±


    I almost gawked at her.


    Tabitha continued. ¡°Are you going to turn into a zombie?¡±


    I swallowed. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Then remember, we were both pulled into this school. But they weren¡¯t¡ª¡±


    The girl suddenly cried out and collapsed onto the corridor floor. At first I thought she¡¯d tripped, but then I saw her and the male student convulsing on the floor.


    ¡°No¡­no¡­we weren¡¯t bitten¡­we weren¡¯t bitten¡­.¡±


    She pushed herself up to her knees, and I watched her skin become ashen like it was for the zombie¡¯s I¡¯d encountered thus far.


    ¡°No¡­no¡­please no¡­.¡±


    In the corner of my eyes, I saw Tabitha turn away. ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I¡­?¡±


    The girl on the floor looked up at me, and I watched in horror as the light in her eyes faded. ¡°¡­help¡­me¡­.¡±


    I fired at her without thinking. The first shot created a large hole in her forehead. The second bullet sailed through the opening and exploded inside her head. I watched her fall to the corridor with blood spurting out of her nose and mouth, while I turned my lightgun on the male student reaching out for her. I waited until he touched her lifeless hand before I blew two holes into his head, and fired a third bullet that detonated within his skull.


    I realized I was shaking and my heart beat with anguish in my chest.


    Killing the child in the pram had been hard, more so because I¡¯d had the time to think it over, to gather my resolve and pull the trigger. I¡¯d felt sick afterwards. Yet this was horrible in its own way.


    I clutched my chest with a hand. ¡°What the Hell¡­is going on here?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too soft¡­,¡± Tabitha whispered sadly, her arms crossed and her head bowed as she stood with her back to me.


    With a loud growl, I turned upon her. Anger, fury, despair, they gave me strength and I slammed the girl against the corridor window. Tabitha rebounded straight into the muzzle of the lightgun I was shoving hard into the valley between her breasts. With the weapon pressed against her, I pinned Tabitha to the permaglass window.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡±


    Tabitha¡¯s eyes had grown wide in surprise, but a heartbeat later she looked over my shoulder. Again, I reacted on instinct, spinning away from Tabitha while whirling to face the undead emerging from the classroom that had been behind me. I emptied the magazine by firing the remaining bullets into their heads. Flicking the ejection lever to release the empty magazine, I swapped it out with a full one from my left trouser pocket.


    ¡°Run,¡± I yelled at Tabitha.


    She didn¡¯t need encouragement from me as she ran ahead of me down the curved corridor. If we continued on this path, we would eventually arrive at the permaglass entrance to the library on this floor. As we fled, every so often I turned to check the corridor behind us. The undead students spilled out of the classrooms, but their numbers were fewer than I expected. It was on one occasion while I was looking behind us that I collided into the Tabitha who¡¯d come to a sudden stop.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I yelled at her, then realized we¡¯d arrived at the entrance to the library.


    Tabitha pointed at the library visible through the closed transparent doors that intersected the corridor.


    ¡°No point going that way,¡± she muttered morosely.


    ¡°Yeah, I can see that,¡± I snarked back at her.


    The students sheltering in the library had succumbed to whatever turned them into zombies. I watched them loiter about drunkenly within the library level before us, and when I peered upwards I saw more of the same.


    Tabitha crossed her arms under her modest bust, and declared dejectedly, ¡°This is the end. Nowhere to run. We¡¯re doomed.¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself. I haven¡¯t come this far to give up.¡±


    ¡°Then what will you do now?¡±


    I turned around and faced the corridor in the direction from whence we¡¯d come. ¡°What do you expect me to do? Clear the stage! What else?¡±


    Dropping to one knee, I quickly unslung the second lightgun and placed it on the floor beside me. I did the same with my carry-bag, doing my best to control my trembling hands. Half of the shakes were caused by fear beginning to get the better of me. The other half was caused by my lack of stamina. Then again, it was likely that adrenaline was responsible for the tremors that made it difficult for me to unzip the carry-bag. I was growing quickly flustered, wondering how I could so calmly swap out spent magazines, yet faced such difficulty trying to open my carry-bag.


    ¡°You need to calm down,¡± Tabitha commented in her usual crestfallen manner.


    ¡°That,¡± I growled as I finally succeeded in opening my carry-bag, ¡°is easier said than done.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­they¡¯re coming.¡±


    ¡°Do you wanna help?¡± I asked as I tossed a couple of fully loaded magazines into my trouser pockets. I then did a quick count of the remaining magazines in the bag.


    Ten mags. Is that going to be enough?


    I stood up and assumed a two-hand grip on the lightgun, pressed the extendable stock against my shoulder, and aimed the weapon at the oncoming undead. Their numbers weren¡¯t sufficient to describe them as a horde, but there was certainly enough of them to keep me busy.


    I don¡¯t know if this is the final stage, or if there¡¯s more to come.


    Depressing the trigger a couple of millimeters, the targeting beam shone out and pinpointed the forehead of a male zombie student.


    I¡¯m going to need to find more ammunition.


    I squeezed the trigger and fired the first round into boy zombie. It staggered, then went down when a second round widened the first hole in its forehead and blew away some of the brain matter behind it.


    I shifted my aim and selected a second target, another male student, and fired a round that sailed purely by luck through its open mouth and exploded somewhere in its neck. Surprised, I fired again as the zombie chocked making me wonder if the undead breathed at all. The mini-bullet hit the top of its head, requiring me to shoot twice more into its skull in order to ensure the kill.


    My third target was a girl with three pips on her blouse collar identifying her as third year senior. With three mini-bullets to her cranium, she collapsed to the corridor floor and lay still.


    My fourth target was another girl, short with blonde hair tied in twintails.


    My fifth kill was a tall, thin boy, a second year with two pips on his shirt collar. He fell with three rounds to his frontal bone.


    The sixth was female teacher. She took two mini-bullets through an eye socket before going down.


    The seventh¡­another male student.


    The eighth¡­a portly girl, a first year¡­.


    The ninth¡­another girl, pretty yet with vacant eyes¡­.


    I stopped counting after the tenth, and I stopped looking at their faces, to make it easier to stomach shooting them.


    When I had slaughtered the undead in the plaza, I had accepted they weren¡¯t holographic virtual representations, but I also didn¡¯t see them as people. That is to say, I understood they were real insofar as possessing physical bodies, but part of me refused to accept them as human beings. Because of this, I was able to kill them without being emotionally burdened with the act of taking not just one life but many, though ending the life of the zombie baby was by no means easy to accomplish.


    However, my encounter with the girl and guy in the corridor had altered my perception of the undead creatures. I could no longer see them as just zombies that I needed to kill. I had no answer for the question of what The Game was, but I did know that these zombies did not start out that way. In order to kill them, to end their undead existence and perhaps release their souls, I had to refrain from seeing them as people. Yet these zombies weren¡¯t like those back in the plaza. They were fellow students, and thereby I had a connection to them. It was this connection that provided the medium for the pang I felt in my chest every time I scored a kill.


    The lightgun sounded an alarm, and three shots later the magazine was empty. I dropped the weapon, picked the second lightgun up off the floor, and continued where I left off. When its magazine ran dry a few minutes later, I ejected it from the well and slapped in a new magazine from a trouser pocket within seconds, and resumed sniping the undead.


    I didn¡¯t notice until after the shooting had stopped and the corridor was littered with dead zombies that my hands had stopped shaking. I found that odd, wondering if I was back in gamer mode as I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d come to terms with the act of killing what were once people. I was also breathing loud and hard, exertion weighing down my arms, and I doubled over while sucking in lungfuls of air.


    Tabitha stepped up beside me. When I glanced at her, I noticed she was looking toward the library with a crestfallen appearance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re done just yet.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    A soft chime and an equally soft swish greeted my ears. I turned in time to see the permaglass doors of the library entrance part aside, admitting into the corridor the dozens of zombies already clamoring for us.


    ¡°Did you do that?¡± I asked her, but Tabitha shook her head.


    Does that mean someone is watching us?


    I brought my lightgun up, and fired at the zombies as soon as the targeting beam floated over their foreheads.


    ¡°This just never ends,¡± I muttered between shots.


    Remembering that there were four thousand students attending Telos Academy, that was far more than my finite ammunition could handle. With ninety rounds per magazine, it took two to three shots to bring down a single zombie. That meant I could bring down thirty to forty-five zombies at best before depleting a magazine, clearly not enough to purge the school of the undead infestation. I still didn¡¯t know what the conditions were for clearing this stage, if indeed this was a stage, but cleansing the academy didn¡¯t seem likely with the limited ammunition I possessed, so perhaps there was another goal.


    Abandoning the school was a more probable course of action.


    Though my attention was focused on the zombies coming out of the library, I saw something unexpected out the corner of my left eye. Tabitha picked up the discarded lightgun. Wondering what she was up to, I spared her another glance and saw her eject the empty magazine, and then reload the weapon with a fresh mag she retrieved from one of her dress¡¯s skirt pockets.


    ¡°¡­it fits¡­interesting¡­.¡±


    Though distracted, I didn¡¯t have time to be shocked upon learning she had ammo mags in her pockets. As the zombies drew closer, I backed away a step as I targeted a short girl wearing a torn uniform. The three mini-bullets to her head knocked her back before she slumped to her knees and then fell prone to the floor.


    ¡°Where did you get that?¡± I snapped at Tabitha.


    ¡°It was on the floor.¡±


    ¡°No¡ªthe ammo mag. Where did you find that?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­in the storage room I was hiding in.¡±


    ¡°How much was there?¡±


    ¡°A lot. Many boxes full of them.¡±


    Was the storage room in the kitchen an item cache, just like in a real game?


    I clenched my teeth as an oversized male student zombie proved hard to take down. The fifth round into his skull finally halted his advance. Before he crashed face down into the corridor, I was already shooting the zombie behind him.


    ¡°Hey¡ªaren¡¯t you going to use that?¡± I asked Tabitha.


    ¡°No. I can¡¯t be trusted with weapons.¡±


    ¡°Just point the thing at them and pull the trigger.¡±


    ¡°That sounds complicated.¡±


    ¡°No it¡¯s not, and I could use a little help, please!¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m the damsel in distress. You¡¯re the Princess. Save me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± With concentric shots to the side of his head, I blew away a tall, heavyset male student. ¡°I¡¯m not a Princess. I¡¯m a Prince!¡±


    ¡°Oh. I thought you were cross-playing as a male student¡­.¡±


    I retreated another step and Tabitha followed suit. ¡°Damsel in distress my ass. You¡¯re the Princess here.¡±


    The lightgun sounded an alarm warning me of a low ammo count, and after firing the remaining handful of mini-bullets, the weapon clicked empty.


    Slinging the lightgun across my back, I yelled at Tabitha, ¡°Give me that!¡±


    She tossed it over with a gloomy expression. ¡°Here, my Princess.¡±


    ¡°When I¡¯m done with them, I¡¯m starting with you.¡±


    ¡°Kyaah, don¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    I bit down a retort as I employed the lightgun liberally on the remaining zombies.


    If felt like an hour before I finally shot dead the last of the undead on this floor. Realistically it was probably no longer than five or six minutes, but by then I was gasping for air, and my arms felt weighed down by lead, while my stomach churned like a cauldron of acid. I held onto the lightgun and swept my gaze over the library interior, noting that the zombies on this floor were accounted for, but those on the other levels were now climbing toward us. I wasn¡¯t certain, but I felt they were moving faster than before, and I wondered if it had anything to do with the darkening sky.


    ¡°There¡¯s just too many of them,¡± I muttered, briefly startled when Tabitha handed me a reloaded lightgun. I took it, and handed the other one back to her. ¡°We have to get out of here. The sun is setting and I have a suspicion these things do better in the dark.¡±


    She arched an eyebrow at me gloomily. ¡°You¡¯re not going to search for survivors?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head sharply just once, and met her gaze. ¡°I¡¯m going to get you out of here.¡±


    For a heartbeat, Tabitha¡¯s gloominess lifted, and I saw a smile flicker on her lips. At that moment my heart jumped, and I turned away hoping she hadn¡¯t noticed my reaction. Seeking to distract myself from the memory of her faint smile, I waved the lightgun at her dress skirt and asked, ¡°How much ammunition did you take with you?¡±


    ¡°Two magazines.¡± She turned her skirt pockets inside out. ¡°That was all I could carry.¡±


    Turning back to the library, I watched the zombies climb up the broad transparent stairs to the third level. The zombies from the level above had already descended, leaving those library floors clear of undead. Hefting the lightgun in my hands, I checked it was loaded and with a round chambered, then raised it up to my shoulder.


    ¡°We go through the library, then down to the ground floor. If the west gates are closed, we go through the cafeteria, then over the balcony to the grounds outside the school.¡±


    ¡°Why not go down a corridor stairwell?¡±


    ¡°Too narrow. I don¡¯t want to get boxed in from above and below.¡± I started advancing toward the library entrance. ¡°If we travel down the library, we only have to worry about the zombies below us. Plus, I can see all the way down to the ground floor, so there are no surprises on the way down.¡± I tapped a shoe against my carry-bag resting on the floor. ¡°There¡¯s another ten magazines inside. I shoot you. You reload. How does that sound?¡±


    Tabitha looked depressed as she watched the zombies amble unsteadily yet quickly toward us.


    ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    As soon as the words left her lips, I fired the first shot of the next round.


    Two shots later, I¡¯d claimed another kill.


    Unfortunately, dozens of undead traversed the library floor toward us with ashen skin, hungry mouths, and glazed eyes.


    ###

 Gun Princess II (Amazon Ver) - Ch1. Part 1.

    Gun Princess Royale - Book Two - The Measure of a Princess


    Chapter 1 - Part I


    - # -


    The sound of the ocean waves, the wet chill in the air, and the storm enveloping it all was absent, replaced by a quiet stillness and dry warmth.


    It didn¡¯t take much reasoning to understand this wasn¡¯t the island of the Proving Grounds.


    A golden-brown desert stretched out before us in all directions, replacing the grey wet scenery of the island. The ground underfoot wasn¡¯t permacrete but a hard yellow-orange rock, and the sky was blanketed by cast iron clouds that looked ready to deliver a deluge, yet the air was as dry as the thin layer of sand canvassing the terrain. In the distance, thirty degrees or so above the horizon, burned the red orb of the sun, but whether it was sunrise or sunset was difficult to tell until I realized I was facing west. This was because I could sense a faint pulling sensation in one particular direction, and quickly realized it was magnetic north.


    Two hundred feet to the east stood an enormous building ¨C actually two buildings ¨C that towered over the rocky terrain. They were buildings I recognized and felt I knew quite well since they resembled the school I had attended these past three years. Now that school, undoubtedly a copy, rose before me amidst an arid, desolate setting.


    Perhaps because of the surreal portrait it and its surrounding painted, I found myself descending into an incongruous state of tranquil introspection.


    There is an order to the world.


    Even chaos viewed from a distance can appear beautiful and regular.


    As the warm breeze blew strands of blonde hair across my face, I chose to face the chaos surrounding me and bring it into a semblance of order by seeking to understand it. To do so I needed answers and the source of those answers sat on the desert ground at my feet.


    Unfortunately, I found the first of those answers confusing.


    The gusting wind blew particles of sand into my eyes that I squinted and blinked against, hampering my efforts to frown down at Clarisol, befuddled as I was by her reply.


    ¡°This¡­is a game?¡±


    The wind waned for a few seconds, and the girl sitting on the desert ground brushed aside the locks of dark blonde hair that had strayed across her face. ¡°Yes, to her this is a game. But to us it¡¯s an opportunity to see what you are capable of. In other words, it¡¯s very much a trial.¡±


    My frown deepened. ¡°How can you not know this body¡¯s abilities?¡±


    ¡°Because until now, Mirai has been sleeping her days away both in and out of a maturation tank.¡±


    ¡°But you created this body. Didn¡¯t you design it to meet certain specifications.¡±


    ¡°Are you seriously asking me that?¡± Clarisol questioned. ¡°Let me ask you something. Do you know how tall or large a child will grow up to be just by looking at it? Do you know if it will be smart or stupid? Do you know if it will be healthy or diseased?¡±


    ¡°No. But you can make an educated guess by taking its parents into account.¡±


    ¡°Mirai doesn¡¯t have parents. Although her body shares its genetics with a human donor, we can only guesstimate her physical abilities. We don¡¯t know how strong, fast, agile, healthy, or resilient Mirai will be. We have rough estimates on your abilities, but you are essentially an unknown quantity.¡±


    She made an attempt to rise to her feet but stopped when I shook my head at her. Sitting back down, she exhaled a heavy sigh.


    ¡°My family spent years working to create better Simulacra, but it took someone from this side, from your reality, to achieve what we couldn¡¯t. Of course, there were dozens of failures before we eventually succeeded with you. However, you are untested. We have no idea whether you will survive or die prematurely like the other failed attempts. That said, you could very well exceed all my family¡¯s expectations.¡±


    Die prematurely?


    ¡°That isn¡¯t entirely reassuring,¡± I told her.


    ¡°No, I imagine it¡¯s not.¡± She sighed and reached up to tie her hair into a taut ponytail. ¡°But if it¡¯s any consolation, Mirai¡¯s body has shown no signs of abnormal cellular degradation. That is, she regenerates normally and the cellular protoplasm is stable.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll die unexpectedly.¡±


    Clarisol shook her head weakly, and her shoulders slumped. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± She studied me quickly from head to toes. ¡°But I highly doubt it.¡±


    ¡°So what happens to me if this body dies?¡±


    A look of disappointment settled upon Clarisol¡¯s attractive face. ¡°Then we¡¯re back to square one.¡±


    I pointed at my head. ¡°What about me?¡±


    She finished tying up her hair into the ponytail. ¡°We have to make another copy of you to imprint into the next incarnation of Mirai. Hopefully, the next version won¡¯t be so difficult to wake up.¡±


    Without the need to turn and look at them, I sensed my travelling companions stir as they roused from the forced slumber. When I reached up with my right hand over my shoulder, the mechanical holster attached to my jacket over my right shoulder blade hummed ever so faintly and extended upwards. It swung the railgun over my shoulder, delivering the weapon to my waiting hand. I didn¡¯t know how the mechanical holster responded to my conscious desire for the firearm, but I found it handy as this made it easier for me to grab the railgun that I recognized as a Viper Vanquish. While I lacked intimate knowledge of the railgun¡¯s design, I knew of its capabilities and how to operate it, and assumed that this information had been imprinted into Mirai¡¯s mind as I¡¯d never seen or used such a weapon in my previous life.


    Flicking down the safety switch situated on the curved stock of the firearm, I listened to a voice in my head ¨C undoubtedly from the railgun¡¯s Assisting Intelligence ¨C report it was ready, and then I aimed the Viper down at Clarisol.


    The young woman grew rigid, her attention on the weapon pointed at her.


    I cleared my throat quickly. ¡°So if this body dies, then my consciousness dies with it.¡±


    Clarisol¡¯s gazed flickered upwards and met mine. ¡°Correct.¡±


    For a while, possessing Mirai¡¯s abnormally strong body had imbued me with a sense of confidence and power that helped me adjust to my present predicament. Yes, I was now a girl, but I wasn¡¯t just any girl. I was a very strong girl, and knowing this had allowed me to face Clarisol with poise that was uncharacteristic of me. But the more I listened to the young woman, the more my confidence eroded away as I understood that very little had changed and I was still dancing on someone¡¯s palm.


    Clarisol¡¯s attention alternated between my face and the railgun¡¯s muzzle. ¡°Are you planning to shoot?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I haven¡¯t decided. You put me through Hell, but oddly I¡¯m feeling generous.¡±


    She rearranged herself on the ground, tucking in her knees and wrapping her arms around them. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re willing to listen?¡±


    I nodded faintly down at her while in my peripheral vision I watched Tobias, and the three girls slowly sit up. I could faintly see the surprise on their faces as they realized they weren¡¯t on the island anymore. The sight of the school buildings rising up from the desert like a derelict ship run aground caused them to panic and scramble to their feet. But it wasn¡¯t long before they noticed me holding a gun on Clarisol, and quite abruptly their attention was now on me.


    Reaching up with my left hand I waited no more than a couple of heartbeats for the left mechanical holster to swung the second railgun over my shoulder, and I took hold of the weapon¡¯s grip. Thumbing down the safety, I heard the railgun report its ready status, yet I kept the firearm at my side and pointed down. For now, I wanted Tobias and the girls to see that I was armed, but I refrained from aiming the second Viper Vanquish at any of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± I told Clarisol. ¡°From what you¡¯ve told me this is a trial for me. But you said it was a game for her.¡± I paused as Clarisol nodded shallowly. ¡°So who is she?¡±


    The young woman squinted as the wind blew sand across her face. I had to narrow my eyes as well, but it didn¡¯t distract me from maintaining the railgun aimed at her.


    ¡°Has my brother told you about what my universe is like?¡± she asked.


    ¡°He told me a little. About the Noble Houses and the Empire. He said humanity on your side is ruled by an Empress from the House Aventisse.¡±


    Again, Clarisol nodded shallowly. ¡°My family kept Project Mirai a secret. It was what people on your side call a super black project. Yet somehow the Empress learnt of Mirai and our success at creating a Simulacrum like none other. We¡¯re still trying to determine how that happened, but the fallout was that she demanded we hand Mirai and all the data on her development over to the Imperial Family.¡±


    ¡°And your family refused?¡±


    ¡°Naturally. My family threatened to destroy it all rather than hand it over. She then threatened us with banishment from the Imperial Court. However, despite losing our long standing ranking of Alus and being demoted to Elsis, House Novis is not without its supporters and they would have demanded an explanation¡ªa reason for our exile¡ªthat could have undermined her fragile grip on the Empire, thereby complicating matters for her at a time when she needs all the support she can muster in order to keep the Empire at peace.¡±


    ¡°So what happened?¡± I asked, beginning to feel genuinely intrigued. Hearing about life in other universe from Tobias and Clarisol was like reading about a fantasy world become real, though unfortunately it seemed my participation was of key importance.


    Clarisol brushed a hand over her eyes to clear away the sand that was bothering her. ¡°The Empress proposed a compromise.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°And that was?¡±


    ¡°An assurance that we would not employ Mirai or any of the Simulacra that we produced against her rule.¡±


    I inhaled softly in surprise.


    ¡°In exchange,¡± Clarisol continued, ¡°House Novis would refrain from mass production, limiting the numbers produced to individual situations and circumstances as approved by House Aventisse.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means that Simulacra like Mirai can only be produced to cater for very specific needs. And those needs cannot run counter to the Imperial Family¡¯s decrees. In other words, you as Mirai cannot raise your hand against House Aventisse and the Empress¡¯s rule. For that matter, House Novis is prohibited from employing you against the Empress.¡±


    By her own account, Clarisol was painting an unexpected picture of the circumstances surrounding Mirai¡¯s existence, one that I was able to follow though I found it unsettling and surprising, and the implication was so clear that it elicited a deep shiver that made the railgun tremble slightly in my hand.


    ¡°Why am I so important that an Empress would take an interest in me?¡±


    ¡°Because you possess the Angel Fibers,¡± Clarisol replied with the merest hesitation. ¡°And that is what makes you an unknown quantity.¡±


    ¡°The Angel Fibers?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that they are something we don¡¯t fully understand, but have already seen the benefit of.¡± She raised a hand smoothly. ¡°Before you ask what they are, I can¡¯t tell you because I don¡¯t know. If you want an answer you¡¯ll need to speak to the head of House Novis here in this universe, or ask the one who created you.¡±


    ¡°And who would that be?¡±


    Clarisol¡¯s lips curled into a smile that was both enigmatic and menacing. ¡°Your sister, Doctor Erina Kassius.¡±


    I almost dropped the railguns as shock ran through me. Time seemed to suspend around me as my mind simply stopped thinking. I only recovered when I realized that I needed to breathe and that must have been a while later as I noticed that Clarisol was on her feet, peering at me intently, and Tobias and the girls were staring at me with mixed expressions.


    I swallowed, finding my throat had dried, and returned the looks I was receiving.


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    Clarisol¡¯s eyebrows furrowed and a look of unease crossed her face before she asked, ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am.¡±


    ¡°Well, you stopped responding to us¡­and I have to admit that was rather worrying.¡±


    Frowning back at her, I asked, ¡°For how long?¡±


    ¡°A couple of minutes. At least.¡±


    I glanced at Tobias who nodded subtly in agreement.


    Feeling I was losing my grip on the situation, and unhappy with the familiarity she was expressing toward me, I kicked out at Clarisol with my left foot, striking her midriff and knocking her back a dozen feet. She landed on her back, and the next moment she clutched her belly as though she¡¯d been shot.


    ¡°What¡ªwhat is wrong with you?¡± she grated out between sharp gasps for air.


    Ignoring the shocked reactions of Tobias and the girls, I strode up to her and aimed the right railgun at Clarisol¡¯s forehead as she sat on the ground. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you to get up.¡±


    ¡°Mirai?¡±


    Tobias sounded wary and for heartbeat it pained me a little, but I refused to be distracted. However, I did shift my position and then target the left railgun in the general direction of Anri Shirohime, Felicia Anjeur, and Angela Letrois. ¡°On your knees¡ªall of you.¡±


    Foolishly they refused to move, even going so far to glance at each other first. A flash of anger burned through me, and I depressed the railgun¡¯s trigger.


    A soft boom emanated from the weapon¡¯s barrel when it fired, sending a shot rocketing between Shirohime and Felicia¡¯s heads. From my vantage point the gap was less than two feet, so while I wasn¡¯t threading the needle so to speak, there wasn¡¯t that much margin for error. There was also the fact that I had never fired these railguns before, so I wasn¡¯t prepared for the recoil that twisted my body, knocking it back a couple of inches. Both girls spun toward each other as though their heads had been pulled along behind the passage of the bullet. I realized later it was because the hypersonic round had created a vacuum behind it, and thereby tugged at the flesh on their faces as it raced by.


    Having turned fully away from me, I had to wait for them to turn back before reading their shocked reactions, but it wasn¡¯t long before they dropped to their knees and that included a very worried Angela.


    ¡°Hands on your heads. Now!¡±


    I didn¡¯t have to tell them twice or fire another warning shot. They complied wordlessly.


    I aimed the weapon at Shirohime. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve forgotten what you did to me.¡±


    The beauty with snow white hair remained silent though she met my eyes with a calm that annoyed me.


    Tobias had been watching me with convoluted emotions contorting his face as though he was enduring great pressure from within. ¡°Cass?¡±


    I threw him a taut glance. ¡°That¡¯s right, Mat. I¡¯m Cass stuck inside Mirai¡¯s body. Surprise, surprise. Ha ha ha. Everybody clap and pat yourselves on the shoulder for a job well frekking done!¡± Turning in the blink of an eye, I pushed Clarisol back down to the ground by stepping on her midriff with my left foot and resumed aiming the railgun in my right hand at her head.


    ¡°And I haven¡¯t forgotten what you did to me,¡± I told her. ¡°Not a single frekking thing, you degenerate bitch.¡±


    With my foot planted on her, Clarisol struggled to breathe. She took a risk by grabbing onto my left foot, but her efforts to remove it from atop her were laughable. Mirai¡¯s strength was a dozen times more than what I was accustomed to, so I guessed she was at least six or seven times stronger than the young woman beneath me.


    ¡°Stop. Please.¡± She gasped loudly and her face began to darken and it wasn¡¯t due to the sun descending past late afternoon in the overhead sky. ¡°Please. We had to¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Oh really? You had to torture me. You had to abuse me. You had to turn me into a girl. And you had to steal my first kiss.¡±


    ¡°You had to want the dream to end!¡± Clarisol expended the last of the air in her lungs to get the words out.


    I grunted in anger, and removed my foot from her chest. ¡°Why?¡±


    I didn¡¯t get an immediate answer as the young woman gulped large quantities of air for a long while before she recovered sufficiently to be able to reply.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t¡­wake up¡­shock therapy didn¡¯t work.¡± Clarisol rolled over on her side and coughed loudly for a handful of seconds. ¡°So¡­she decided¡­to wake you up from the inside¡­had to get into your head¡ªyour mind.¡± Again she coughed, then rubbed her aching midriff. ¡°Needed to make you¡­wake from the dream¡­or whatever it was you were experiencing.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°By she, I assume you mean my sister.¡±


    The young woman nodded as she propped herself up an arm and looked up at me. ¡°Yes. She was desperate to wake you up. It was her idea to subject you to psychological torture. She knew about your conscious and subconscious fear of turning into a girl. She had us use that against you. You were put into a Master Grade Simulacrum that was designed to reconfigure from male to female. The process was rushed, but it only had to last a day or so.¡±


    ¡°Why? Did she think I couldn¡¯t handle it for longer?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    I turned my head and glared at Tobias. ¡°Were you in on this?¡±


    He shook his head firmly. ¡°No. Never. I didn¡¯t know, Cass. If I had known, I would never have gone along with it.¡±


    I studied his reaction for a little while, trying to find the lie. I wanted to believe him, but I was unwilling to lower my guard. ¡°If I ever learn you were lying to me¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you. I may have held things back from you, but I have never lied to you.¡±


    He met my hard glare with a strong confidence that had my guard waver, and I looked back down at Clarisol. ¡°Fine. So now that I¡¯m awake, what happens now? You said this was a trial for you to see what I can do. But you called it a game for her. Who did you mean by that¡ª?¡±


    I stopped and straightened quickly.


    For a moment, just a heartbeat, Mirai¡¯s ears had caught something in the wind ¨C something distant and so familiar that it set her heart ¨C now my heart ¨C into a brisk pace as I held my breath and listened carefully at our surroundings.


    I heard it again, and this time my stomach clenched.


    Quickly I stepped back from Clarisol and swept my gaze over the surroundings and that included the desert to the west and the tall school buildings to east.


    ¡°Cass, what¡¯s wrong¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Quiet!¡± I snapped. ¡°Everybody, shut up.¡±


    For a long while I heard nothing but the sound of the wind whooshed past us, coming and going like ocean waves, and my stomach began to relax¡­until I heard it again.


    I faced Clarisol in a hurry. ¡°You said this was a game.¡±


    Clarisol was watching me with a look that convinced me she knew exactly the kind of mess we were in. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a game for her. To test herself against you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a new Simulacrum. The Empress held back from kicking House Novis out of the Imperial Court, but like I said, there were conditions. One of them was to have you inhabit Mirai¡¯s body. To have you operate her.¡±


    ¡°Operate her? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because she took umbrage at your sister. You see, it was actually your sister who threatened to destroy all her research and to vanish deep into this universe where the Empress would never find her. She was willing to sacrifice everything in order to keep everything.¡± Clarisol smirked. ¡°I guess it takes a woman to face off against another woman¡±¡ªher expression darkened¡ª¡°but she took a monumental risk with both her work, your life, and my family on the line.¡±


    ¡°My life?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The Empress may have relented and compromised, but your sister pissed her off and so she had to pay compensation by putting her own brother¡¯s life on the line. That meant sticking your consciousness into Mirai after the Empress forced her hand by having you translocated into Limbo where your body broke down and you almost died.¡±


    I swallowed hard, feeling my chest constrict sharply at Clarisol¡¯s revelation. But I had little time to ponder or ruminate over what she¡¯d told me. What I heard in the wind was beginning to send shivers down my body. ¡°Tell me about this game.¡±


    Clarisol looked faintly surprised that I wasn¡¯t asking more about my sister challenging the Empress. However, she recovered smoothly and sat up on the desert rock beneath her. ¡°I don¡¯t know all the details, but I know it¡¯s a survival game. And it¡¯s one more condition for allowing House Novis to keep Mirai and all the research data. To give her an entertaining show.¡±


    ¡°This is in addition to my competing in the Gun Princess Royale?¡±


    She hesitated before nodding just once. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    I had my answer. Though it was what I¡¯d expected, it wasn¡¯t what I wanted to hear. But life is full of disappointments, and some are more dangerous than others.


    ¡°Get up,¡± I told her and when she refrained from moving, I growled at her, ¡°I said get up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to kick me back down¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Get up now, bitch.¡±


    Clarisol swallowed visibly and I suspected she was nervous though she kept her expression remarkably composed. When she rose to her feet, I pointed at the Humvee lying on its rooftop about a hundred feet away. ¡°Are there weapons inside?¡±


    ¡°That was the intention.¡±


    I snorted loudly. ¡°Then that means you know what this game involves. Otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have brought them along¡±¡ªI indicated Felicia and Angela¡ª¡°or the extra guns.¡±


    Clarisol regarded me silently for a short while. ¡°I suspected it would be something along the lines of what you faced.¡± She threw the overturned Humvee a glance. ¡°But I didn¡¯t know if all of us would be translocated to this location. I certainly didn¡¯t expect the Hummer to be dropped along with us. Honestly, I thought it would just be you and I who were tossed into the game.¡±


    I refrained from looking about us, though my gaze did flicker to the school buildings a couple of hundred feet behind Clarisol. ¡°Are we in my universe or yours?¡±


    ¡°Yours. Most definitely yours. Translocation can get us outside of the universe and into the Sea of Limbo, but the system cannot transport us between universes. In order to do that we need to use either a Sarcophagus or the Conduit that is anchored to my universe and yours. My guess, we¡¯re on the other side of Teloria. Probably on the east coast of the second continent.¡±


    I gave the sky a glance, noting the sun had yet to fall below the western horizon, lending credence to her assumption. It had been nightfall at the island of the Proving Grounds, yet here it was late afternoon on the cusp of early evening. That meant we were several hours to the west of Ar Telica.


    Suddenly, the unnerving moaning I¡¯d been hearing faintly carried by the wind was now heard by all. Clarisol stiffened without turning, but in the corner of my eyes, I saw the others look about anxiously.


    Tobias practically gulped before worriedly asking, ¡°Did you hear that?¡±


    Clenching the handgrips of both railguns, I nodded almost to myself. ¡°You¡¯d better get ready because they¡¯re coming.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s coming?¡± Tobias asked hastily, startled when Felicia and Angela ran over to the fallen Humvee. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Why are we here? Clarisol, what the frek is happening?¡±


    The young woman sighed and gave him a contemptuous look. ¡°Haven¡¯t you been paying attention, brother dear?¡±


    I rolled my shoulders and neck to limber them up as well, hoping to grow a little more comfortable in this new, stronger, and larger body. ¡°Mat, you know that game I like to play?¡±


    He faced me with visible fright. ¡°Necropolis? The zombie game?¡±


    I nodded at him. ¡°Well, this is somebody¡¯s idea of a live version of that game.¡±


    He gulped again. ¡°And we¡¯re in it?¡±


    ¡°Bingo. Rich boy. We¡¯re in it. Welcome to our very own zombie survival apocalypse.¡± I smiled and it came out grimmer than I¡¯d intended to the effect that Tobias paled. ¡°I think you and your sister need to have a little chat. I¡¯ll give you two some alone time.¡±


    I then started walking northeast toward the northern face of the circular school building.


    ¡°Cass, where are you going?¡± Tobias called out to me, sounding even more anxious than before.


    ¡°To find out where they¡¯re coming from,¡± I replied over my right shoulder. ¡°And I suggest you find yourself a gun. You¡¯re going to need it. But don¡¯t shoot Clarisol before I do.¡±


    ¡°Cass, I can¡¯t shoot a gun. I suck at first person shooters.¡±


    ¡°In that case, Mat, it was nice knowing you. Don¡¯t forget to thank Clarisol for the mess you¡¯re in now.¡±


    I picked up my pace, and it was a while before Tobias and Clarisol fell out of earshot. As a consequence, I got to listen to them argue quietly then loudly ¨C and stupidly since it drew attention to them ¨C before Tobias lost his temper and commenced strangling his sister until the girls hastily separated the two siblings.

 Gun Princess II (Amazon Ver) - Ch1. Part 2.

    Chapter 1. Part II


    ¨C II ¨C


    Each answer given by Clarisol had opened the door to roomfuls of more questions, but if I stepped inside to think about them then I would literally come to a stop. So as I hurried around the northern half of the circular school building, I chose to rationalize the questions to those immediately relevant to the current situation. That is to say, I limited myself to those questions that had an important bearing on the here and now.


    As an example of a lesser question, there was the matter of the school buildings rising up from the sandy, rocky desert. After assuming it was a reproduction of the real Telos Academy, I chose not to wonder how it came to be here. Nor did I ask why this incongruous setting. A desert of all places? That was something I could ruminate over much later.


    How we¡¯d all arrived here was equally as unimportant ¨C I put it down to advanced technology controlled by the Imperial Family ¨C but it reminded me that Clarisol had said this was a game for her. Was she talking about the Empress of her people or someone else? Was she referring to a Gun Princess? Perhaps a Gun Queen. Both were daunting prospects.


    I then pondered the game¡¯s scope. If it was similar to Necropolis, then it stood to reason that there would be different stages. However, as I looked around at the school buildings and the desert they sat on, I had the impression this was the one and only stage. Something about the place had an air of finality to it, as though this was the setting for an important showdown. And yet why the inclusion of the zombies, their pained moans carried aloft by the wind? If I assumed facing the zombies was the first stage or warmup act, then I could also assume that my eventual opponent was watching from nearby, and thereby waiting for the opportunity to step in and join the fray.


    That brought to mind the First Princess. On the way to the Island, Clarisol had said this was an important event for the three Princess, yet the First Princess had collapsed upon arrival here. Tobias had called her a machine and I recalled what the conspiracy theorists had said about the Gun Princesses being remotely operated bodies. If this was true, had the link between the Princess Meister and the Gun Princess been broken? I would need to question Clarisol when I returned.


    Then there was the matter of Mirai, the unknown factor in all this.


    I stopped to look down at myself ¨C at Mirai¡¯s body ¨C for a few moments.


    The outfit I wore was a black, glossy bodysuit that covered me from neck to toes, with a cropped open white jacket over shoulders. The flaring skirt, with metal sheeting that flexed just like fabric, was white on the outside and cherry colored on the inside. I counted eight ammunition magazines attached to the thin flexible metal armor. When I leaned to peer over the large twin mounds on my chest, I saw my feet clad in futuristic armored boots that were surprisingly comfortable. I¡¯d noticed all of this before when I was inside the strange metal coffin ¨C the Sarcophagus ¨C being outfitted by its mechanical arms and tentacles. In truth, I didn¡¯t need to look at myself again. I was simply responding to the urge to do so, as though confirming that nothing had changed since my emergence into the universe as Mirai.


    With a sigh, I looked down at the railguns I held in both hands.


    The weapons had a name, one that I recalled from memories Mirai possessed, undoubtedly given to her by her creators for I had never seen or operated weapons such as these. However, as I¡¯d noticed earlier, I knew much more about them than just their name.


    The railguns were known as Viper Vanquish Seven Six Two semi-automatic, smooth bore¡ªas opposed to rifle bore¡ªclose-to-medium range handcannons. They were painted entirely in non-reflective matte black. They had no stock, and the handgrips extended from the rear of the casing, curving down as they did. Overall, they resembled pump action riot guns, and were twenty-eight inches long, with an under barrel supporting the main barrel, and an angular black casing wrapped around them both. The safety was a sliding switch at the top of the curved handgrip that I could easily reach with my thumb. To fire I would slide it down; to the lock the weapon I would slide it up. In essence it was like cocking an old style revolver.


    The rectangular ammunition magazine was inserted into the magazine well situated just aft of the middle, and a release lever was located on either side of the handcannons. The guns were ambidextrous, and the ejection ports were covered because they were configured to fire caseless ammunition via an effect-field accelerator that simulated electro-magnetic induction. Thus, the Vipers could be described as railguns that were waterproof, jam proof, and able to operate in a vacuum.


    The casing and accelerator coil had a lifespan of twelve thousand rounds before needing to be replaced due to thermal warping ¨C a significant improvement on the previous Viper Vantage model. Ammunition was fired at thirty-three hundred feet per second, at a rate of zero point seven seconds per round. Being caseless, more ammunition could fit inside each magazine of which I had ten. Two magazines were loaded in the railguns. Eight more were attached to the metal sheeting of my skirt. The four casings on the right of the skirt were marked with blue strips to indicated high penetration rounds; those on the left had red strips to identify them as explosive tipped caseless rounds. At thirty rounds per magazine, I carried a total three hundred rounds ¨C minus the one warning shot I¡¯d fired between Felicia and Angela.


    In my hands, the Vipers felt too light for weapons so massive, but I attributed that as a side effect of Mirai¡¯s enormous strength. I was intuitively aware that a normal person would require two hands to operate a single Viper. The recoil alone would dislocate their shoulder so this was definitely a weapon fit for a girl like Mirai or another Gun Princess, and the thought had me sweeping my gaze about my surroundings wondering from where she might be watching. Again, I could only go by Clarisol¡¯s words, but I was slowly becoming convinced that my opponent was another Gun Princess. Why else would I be here but to face off against a suitable opponent?


    Yet, I puzzled over why Clarisol, Tobias, and the girls had also made the journey here.


    I noticed with a start that I¡¯d come to a stop on a small rocky hill overlooking the dry terrain to the north of the school building.


    Several moments went by before I came to fully understand what I was seeing and a soft gasp escaped my lips.


    A hundred or so feet ahead of me to the north stood a familiar structure of permaglass and Kronosteel ¨C the high school clubroom building. However, it wasn¡¯t the building that stole my breath, but what I could see through its transparent walls.


    The saying ¡®wall-to-wall¡¯ was an apt description. Sardines in a can was also quite fitting.


    Unfortunately the building wasn¡¯t brimming with fish.


    It was packed to bursting with zombies.


    I shook my head slowly, and reminded myself of what Ghost had told me back at the school. ¡°No, not zombies. Simulacra. They¡¯re Simulacra¡­.¡± I broke into a frown. ¡°Ghost¡­?¡±


    With so much to deal with, I¡¯d forgotten about the Artificial Awareness that Tobias had called an Overlord.


    ¡°Ghost? Are you there?¡± I narrowed my eyes subconsciously as I strained to catch even a whisper of the obnoxious voice in my ears. ¡°Cass to Ghost? Come in, Ghost. We have a situation.¡± Nothing but silence replied to me. ¡°Shit¡­buggered off again. How bloody unreliable.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if it was playing possum or hiding, but I had noticed during the day that Ghost was prone to vanishing for long periods of time, as though stepping out of my head and walking away to run errands before coming back a while later to resume tormenting me with its lies. With that in mind, perhaps it was better for it not to be around. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to trust anything it said anymore. Oddly, I realized that made me feel alone and my heart ached palpably. But I also felt the stirrings of a very real fear of being abandoned, and I had to take several deep breaths to avoid falling into a funk. Caving into loneliness and despair was something I couldn¡¯t afford. True, I didn¡¯t trust Ghost anymore, but I worried that considering my newness to Mirai¡¯s body, it wouldn¡¯t have hurt having him around to guide me through the opening scenes of the second act. At the least, he was someone I could talk to.


    I felt something run down my right cheek, and was surprised to realize it was a single tear.


    Reaching up, I wiped it away with the back of my gauntleted right hand.


    ¡°So Mirai hasn¡¯t run out of tears¡­.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why, but being reminded that I could still cry somehow made me feel a little better ¨C a little more human.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we save the tears for later? It¡¯s too early to give up¡­.¡±


    Inhaling deeply a few times, I stared up at the enormous clubroom building.


    ¡°Our fight is just beginning.¡±


    I shook my head firmly.


    ¡°And I¡¯m not alone¡­.¡±


    Though my relationship with them had irrevocably changed, and I could never view them as I had before, having them around was keeping me off the slippery slope of despair. If I¡¯d been alone on this desert, I was certain I¡¯d have collapsed under the cumulative weight of everything that had thus far happened to me. Though my body had changed, mentally I wasn¡¯t a strong person, and the beating my mind and ego had taken had left me frail and weak, so I acknowledged that I needed their support. I needed their companionship to survive this situation, because to be alone right now would be unbearable to me.


    Yet my tears continued to fall, and after a while I sat down on the rocky ground.


    Bowing over as I bent my legs, I crossed my arms atop my knees and then buried my face into them. With the railguns gripped tightly in my hands, I waited for my tears to subside, aware that precious minutes were ticking by. But I couldn¡¯t return to the others yet. I couldn¡¯t afford to show them this weakness, not after the bravado I¡¯d displayed before them not long ago.


    I simply refused to show them or Clarisol my tears.


    ¡°Cass¡­?¡±


    I froze, then jerked upright and turned from where I sat to look behind me.


    Tobias stood a several feet away and downhill, carrying a large handgun that I recognized as belonging to the First Princess. His breathing was a little harried and his face wore concern, but at sight of mine his expression deepened into outright worry and he started walking hastily toward me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I snapped at him, and then rose to my feet as I turned away from him. ¡°Don¡¯t come closer.¡±


    ¡°Cass¡ª¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here? You shouldn¡¯t be here. You need to go back.¡±


    ¡°You were gone for so long that I came to find you. Why else would I be here?¡± He sounded closer, obviously not heeding my advice to keep his distance. ¡°Cass, it¡¯s just the two of us here.¡±


    I straightened my back and continued to show him my back. ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°Talk to me.¡±


    ¡°Why? What could I possibly say to you?¡±


    ¡°You can tell me how you feel. How about that?¡±


    ¡°How I feel?¡± Reluctantly I peered at him over my right shoulder. ¡°How does it make you feel seeing me like this?¡±


    ¡°It hurts.¡±


    I flinched a little, and turned a little more toward him. ¡°Why¡­?¡±


    ¡°Because I want to help you, and I don¡¯t know how.¡±


    It was true that he had never lied to me, only held back on the truth. Now that I understood a little more of his situation, I could also appreciate why he¡¯d hidden it from me, and I realized that it must have been hard for him to do so. To not lie and yet not tell the truth either. It must have weighed heavily on him.


    I also realized something else.


    Tobias was popular with the girls yet he¡¯d never accepted any of the confessions they¡¯d expressed toward him. His friendship with the effeminate me had also sparked rumors that he wasn¡¯t interested in girls, but I knew that wasn¡¯t true. Tobias was definitely heterosexual, yet I felt understood why he¡¯d held himself back from accepting the affection of the girls that confessed to him. Perhaps a little of that was influenced by our friendship, but I believed it had more to do with his origins.


    Tobias couldn¡¯t open up to them with so much to hide.


    He may have been as alone as I was, living in a world that wasn¡¯t his home, a universe that was alien to him, surrounded by people that treated him like family yet weren¡¯t his family. I also realized that if I had been born a girl, he and I would never have formed a close friendship. He would have rejected me as he had other girls, and we would never have been more than classmates. Knowing this made my chest tighten a little painfully at the emptiness that bloomed within.


    ¡°My family did this to you,¡± Tobias said softly yet I heard him above the sound of the blowing desert wind, and I watched him slowly shake his head. ¡°My family and the Imperial family are responsible for all this. And I couldn¡¯t do anything to stop it. Even now I¡¯m helpless. I don¡¯t know how to help you.¡± He looked down at the gun in his right hand, and shook his head again. ¡°This is all so pointless. Nothing more than a grudge match with you caught up in it. Nothing more than my family butting heads with House Aventisse¡ªchallenging each other stupidly.¡±


    I turned a little more and frowned faintly. ¡°Mat, what do you mean?¡±


    He chose not to look at me, but stared up at the darkening sky overhead. ¡°House Novis lost its rank of Alus because it defied the Imperial family. Ever since then, my family has been trying to regain its status, but it¡¯s doing so in ways that just make things harder between us. Instead of patching things up with the Empress, they¡¯re making things worse. They tried using the Gun Princess Royale, and when that failed they tried to create a new breed of Simulacra. They created Mirai, they involved you. They¡¯re upending people¡¯s lives without any regard. It¡¯s all so stupid. It¡¯s all so wrong.¡±


    He lowered his gaze and met mine.


    ¡°And now they took away my best friend.¡±


    A pang lanced through me, and turned to face him properly. ¡°Mat, they haven¡¯t taken me away.¡±


    That was true. My relationship with him and the girls had changed, but I still saw myself as his friend. He¡¯d angered me, and he¡¯d wronged me, yet I wasn¡¯t ready to give up on our friendship.


    ¡°Mat, I¡¯m still your friend. That hasn¡¯t changed. I don¡¯t think that will ever change¡­.¡±


    Maybe my feelings and thoughts were being influenced by Mirai¡¯s body, but Tobias¡¯s friendship felt more important to me than it had before. It should have bothered since I was a boy inside a girl, yet it didn¡¯t ¨C at least not to the degree it once may have.


    For a long while, he stood still and watched me, his eyes never leaving my face. Then he cleared his throat and asked, ¡°Is it really still you?¡±


    I nodded and shrugged a shoulder hoping to appear casual, but then I added a faint smile. ¡°Yeah, Mat. It¡¯s still me.¡±


    A conflict of emotions broke out across his face, and for a while Tobias looked older to me than his sixteen years of age. But then the war of feelings ended and he showed me a smile he¡¯d never offered me before, and my both heart and chest tightened for a moment.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s still you.¡± He took a breath and added barely audibly, ¡°Of course it¡¯s still you¡­.¡±


    I turned my face away for heartbeat or two. Looking down at him again I remarked, ¡°So you took my advice.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You got yourself a gun.¡±


    Tobias regarded the weapon in his right hand. After some hesitation, he climbed the rest of the way up to the top of rock hill. Standing before me, I noticed I was now taller than him by a few centimeters, though it was probably because my boots added an inch or two to my height. However, having spent so long looking up at him, it felt a little strange to be looking down at him instead. It was yet another reminder that things had changed between us.


    Tobias faltered briefly before holding the gun out to me. ¡°You should have it.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°It would be more useful in your hands than in mine.¡±


    I wet my lips, tasting sand on them, and my tears as well. Undoubtedly, he¡¯d noticed I¡¯d been crying yet he made no mention of my tears other than to look worried for me. In a way, I was grateful that he didn¡¯t resort to well-worn platitudes to reassure me or make me feel better, but it confused my feelings to know that in some respects he was treating me like a girl ¨C a girl he felt obligated to protect because he believed his family had wronged me, but a girl nonetheless.


    Why wouldn¡¯t he treat me differently? I thought to myself, and then asked, Is it wrong for him to do so?


    I distracted myself by looking down at the firearm he offered me.


    It was a Syn Hauser, forty caliber handgun with dual barrels. An oversized magazine extended out from the base of the handgrip and a second shorter magazine was attached to the lower barrel just ahead of the trigger guard. In effect, it was like having two guns combined into one frame and sharing the trigger.


    I swallowed to clear my throat. ¡°Mat, you told Class Rep that she was in for a surprise.¡±


    He looked puzzled. ¡°I did? When?¡±


    ¡°Back in the classroom¡ªback when I told you and the girls what had happened to me. Back when things fell apart between us.¡± I narrowed my eyes slightly at him. ¡°What did you mean by that?¡±


    A briefly pained expression swept across his face, but then he surprised me by snorting softly. ¡°My family¡ªI mean my adopted family¡ªhad me practice martial arts for years. They figured it would help me grow as a person as well as help me to protect myself.¡±


    I watched him chuckle a little before he reached up and offered me the gun again.


    ¡°But they have an aversion to firearms,¡± he added, ¡°so they never taught me how to use one.¡±


    I grimaced at him. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s all it was?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Tobias was a terrible shot. I knew this from watching his dismal attempts to play first person shooters at the gaming arcades. He really had no innate talent for shooting a gun. The concept and practice of point-and-shoot did not apply to him. In contrast, I excelled at those games while failing at all the other games he succeeded at.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    It further emphasized how mismatched we were.


    Was it one of the reasons why we became close friends?


    I considered the Syn Hauser in his hands. Was it more dangerous to leave him with it?


    After deliberating for a handful of heartbeats, I shook my head. Tobias was a bad shot, but at point blank range even he couldn¡¯t miss. ¡°No, you keep it. It makes me feel better knowing that you have something to shoot with.¡± I swallowed and then somberly added, ¡°Besides, there¡¯s so many of them I doubt you¡¯d miss hitting at least one of them.¡±


    Tobias frowned and tipped his head a few degrees.


    I answered the question written on his face by pointing the Viper in my left hand at the clubroom building. ¡°Take a look.¡±


    He did so, and I watched shock turn his face as pale as writing paper.


    ¡°Sweet Jeezes¡­,¡± he whispered though I almost failed to hear it as the wind picked up and the moaning coming from the building grew louder.


    I shook my head at him in disbelief. ¡°Honestly, I thought you would have noticed by now. They¡¯ve been making more noise since I arrived.¡±


    He swallowed visibly, his attention locked on the building replete with zombie Simulacra. ¡°Cut me a break. I had other things on my mind¡­.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying you only have eyes for me?¡±


    ¡°Well, you are pretty easy on the eyes.¡±


    ¡°Is that all? Just easy¡± I frowned to myself as I realized something momentous. ¡°Come to think of it¡­I have no idea what I look like.¡±


    My admission surprised him enough to distract him away from the view of the clubroom building. ¡°Wait a minute. You don¡¯t know what you look like?¡±


    I shook my head, feeling worry prick at me. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    Tobias grew aghast which worried me further even after he recovered his composure. Giving the building full of zombies a hasty look, he turned back to me and declared, ¡°We need to find you a mirror.¡±


    ¨C III ¨C


    ¡°What the Hell is this?¡±


    I held the Humvee¡¯s side-view mirror in both hands up to my face and stared at my reflection.


    ¡°Why the Hell do I look like Mercy Haddaway?¡±


    After hurrying back to the rendezvous point in front of the school¡¯s admin building, Tobias had hauled me over to the overturned Humvee and then torn free one of the side-view mirrors for me to use. His haste had me both confused and worried, especially when he strode past Clarisol and the girls without so much as a sidelong look as he made tracks toward the Humvee.


    Now that I was seeing my face for the first time, I understood why.


    On closer inspection, I noticed that I didn¡¯t exactly resemble the girl that I considered the most beautiful in the universe. Rather, I bore a sisterly resemblance to her that was uncanny. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if her legion of fans confused me for her.


    ¡°This is just wonderful¡­,¡± I muttered when Tobias responded with an embarrassed shrug and pointed at Clarisol.


    With the mirror in hand, I walked back to the young woman with dark blonde hair who busy running through the inventory of weapons and munitions recovered from the Humvee. I observed it was quite the arsenal that she was crouched before, and something I would ask her about shortly, but first I had my appearance to discuss.


    Clarisol straightened upright at my approach. ¡°So, you finally noticed.¡±


    ¡°Why do I look like Mercy?¡±


    ¡°You resemble her but you are not her twin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m know that! I¡¯m one of her biggest fans so I know what she looks like.¡±


    Clarisol pursed her lips into a pout that she held for several moments. ¡°I happen to be one of her biggest fans as well.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be one of her fans.¡±


    Clarisol¡¯s lips parted into a sneer. ¡°And why not?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a girl.¡±


    ¡°So are you,¡± she pointed out and her sneer became wicked.


    ¡°Thank you for reminding me.¡± Dropping the mirror to the desert ground, I reached up for the right railgun, delivered smoothly to my hand by the mechanical holster. Swinging it down in a fluid arc, I aimed the weapon at Clarisol¡¯s head. ¡°And that brings me to my next question. Answer correctly and you get to keep your head.¡±


    Standing around me, Felicia, Angela, and Tobias held up their hands, each of them pleading with me to calm down. However, they didn¡¯t concern me nearly as much as the fact that Class Rep was unaccounted for. I¡¯d noticed she wasn¡¯t around when Tobias and I returned to the front of the school, and being distracted by my appearance I¡¯d yet to ask about her. However, that wasn¡¯t what I wanted to ask Clarisol.


    ¡°When this is over, do I get my body back?¡±


    Clarisol had been watching me calmly but I¡¯d noticed she was holding her breath since I unholstered the Viper.


    ¡°Will I get my body back?¡± I asked again, inwardly surprised by how calm I sounded.


    Clarisol swallowed quietly but visibly. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°Because whether you get your body back or not isn¡¯t up to me.¡± She took a quick breath. ¡°It will depend on you. On whether you choose to co-operate. On whether you participate in the Gun Princess Royale. On whether you win. On whether you meet my family¡¯s expectations¡­and those of the Empress.¡±


    ¡°Ghost said, that if I fought for House Novis they would return my body to me.¡± Truthfully, I didn¡¯t remember if that was exactly what the annoying bastard had told me, but I doubted Clarisol knew either.


    ¡°Ghost?¡±


    She flicked a questioning glance at Tobias who replied, ¡°She means the Overlord in the Simulacrum¡¯s head¡ªin that copy of Cass¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in Mirai¡¯s head, too,¡± I told him. ¡°Before we all came here, it spoke to me after I emerged from the Sarcophagus.¡±


    ¡°And you call it Ghost?¡± she asked me. ¡°Well, that¡¯s no regular Overlord. It¡¯s a Maestro Class Artificial Awareness.¡±


    ¡°Maestro Class¡­?¡± Tobias sounded strangled and for a moment he swayed on his feet. ¡°Oh my gods. Are you serious? Use of a Maestro Class is prohibited by order of the Imperial Family!¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± I asked him. I didn¡¯t need to take my eyes off Clarisol to see him. Mirai¡¯s field-of-vision was incredibly wide so I had a clear view of Tobias without having to shift my gaze away from the young woman.


    Either he didn¡¯t hear me or he was too preoccupied with tumultuous thoughts for him to reply. Instead, Tobias took a long step toward Clarisol. ¡°You put a banned intelligence into her head?¡±


    ¡°Not in her head,¡± Clarisol answered tautly. ¡°It¡¯s in Mirai¡¯s Sarcophagus. It only remotes into her head.¡± She pointed at me. ¡°Do you think a brain that small could contain a Maestro Class?¡±


    Remotes in, I frowned inwardly while ignoring her taunt about my brain. ¡°Is that why it comes and goes?¡±


    Unexpectedly, Clarisol promptly looked as though she¡¯d swallowed something unpleasant upon hearing me. ¡°So the telemetry data was telling the truth. Not good. Not good at all¡­.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s not good?¡± I was starting to lose my calm. ¡°Don¡¯t make me ask you twice.¡±


    Folding her arms almost absently, Clarisol focused her attention on me. ¡°The Maestro is your combat support and then some. If it¡¯s not around to back you up twenty-four seven, then it¡¯s not much use.¡±


    ¡°So why is he doing that? Why is he jumping in and out of my head?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know. And it¡¯s not telling us why either. Rather, we don¡¯t know if we can believe what it¡¯s telling us.¡±


    I snorted and then laughed bitterly. ¡°So he lies to you as well. That¡¯s poetic justice.¡± Clarisol said nothing so I continued after a breath. ¡°If Ghost lied to me, then what¡¯s the truth? If I fight for House Novis, will you return my body to me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more or less what I told you already,¡± she stated flatly. ¡°Co-operate and it will be returned to you.¡±


    ¡°Do I get my body back now?¡±


    The proverbial penny appeared to drop for her and she made a silent ¡®oh¡¯ shape with her lips before replying, ¡°No.¡±


    I started squeezing the trigger. ¡°That was the wrong answer.¡±


    ¡°Cass¡ªwait! Don¡¯t shoot her!¡± Tobias addressed Clarisol in a hurry. ¡°Why can¡¯t she have her body back?¡±


    Under different circumstances, Clarisol may have rolled her eyes. However, with a gun pointed at her head, she wasn¡¯t being so flippant. ¡°I told you before. His body is in a stasis tank pending regeneration.¡±


    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t we regenerating it?¡± Tobias sounded confused and annoyed. ¡°What are we waiting for¡ª?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have it.¡±


    Upon hearing that you could have knocked me over with a feather.


    Tobias sounded incredulous. ¡°We¡ªwe don¡¯t have it?¡±


    She looked annoyed with him. ¡°That¡¯s what I said. We don¡¯t have it.¡±


    Tobias took a step closer to his sister. ¡°That¡¯s not what you said back in the car. That¡¯s not what you told me on the boat.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have his body now,¡± Clarisol clarified. ¡°We had his body, but it was taken from our facility here on Teloria after his consciousness was mapped into Mirai¡¯s mind.¡±


    ¡°Taken by whom?¡± Tobias asked.


    ¡°Who do you think?¡± Clarisol replied. ¡°Who are we at odds with?¡±


    ¡°The Empress¡­.¡±


    ¡°Correct. Though I said ¡®taken¡¯, it was more like we had to hand it over.¡±


    A look of dismay settled on his face, and Tobias stepped back, giving me the opportunity to cut in.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked Clarisol as I edged toward her. ¡°Why hand my body over to the Imperial family? What could they possibly want with my body?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s part of the price of keeping Mirai. In exchange for Mirai, we handed over your body. It¡¯s part of the price your sister had to pay for standing up to the Empress.¡±


    Slowly, I lowered the railgun down to my side. ¡°Well, she made one Hell of a one-sided deal. She threatens to destroy all of her research, but she gives away my body instead? I can tell she really values me by choosing Mirai over me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. At this point, Mirai is more valuable than you are.¡±


    ¡°Say that again, and I will shoot you.¡±


    ¡°Your body is barely even alive. It¡¯ll take months to regenerate it. What do you expect to do until then? At least now you¡¯re alive and breathing. You¡¯re not comatose inside a stasis tank.¡±


    The railgun trembled in my hand. The urge to bring it up and shoot her frayed at my composure, what little was left of it. ¡°So how do I get my body back? How do I go back to being a guy? What do I need to do?¡±


    Clarisol narrowed her eyes. ¡°Is that how you saw yourself? Is that what you want to go back to? That little femboi you used to be?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t test me, bitch,¡± I warned her. ¡°At least it was my body. It belonged to me!¡±


    Clarisol¡¯s eyes narrowed further into thin slits. ¡°Don¡¯t you want more?¡±


    A new voice cut in between us, slicing smoothly through the air though it sounded strained. ¡°Is this a bad time?¡±


    Anri Shirohime¡¯s breathing was labored as she approached us from the south, but it wasn¡¯t the reason why I flicked a glance her way to see her dragging a heavily loaded bag along the desert floor.


    ¡°A little help please,¡± she asked sarcastically.


    I glanced at her because I didn¡¯t trust her. During the time I held a gun pointed at Clarisol, I¡¯d feared Shirohime was out there somewhere out of sight, hiding out with a gun aimed at me from a distance.


    Turning on his heels, Tobias hurried over to her and then picked up one of the bag¡¯s straps. Lifting it off the ground, he and Shirohime carried it over to the rest of the munitions laid out on the desert rock. ¡°Where did you get this? And where were you?¡± he demanded. ¡°Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s dangerous out there?¡±


    ¡°I was scouting the middle school side of the academy.¡± She paused to catch her breath. ¡°There¡¯s a clubroom building to the south and its packed with zombies.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I mean,¡± he reiterated. ¡°Dangerous. You shouldn¡¯t be out there on your own.¡±


    I gave Shirohime a look that went beyond a cursory glance, and noticed she was packing heat. She had two large guns resembling snub nosed shotguns holstered to her thighs, and I glimpsed an automatic rifle strapped across her back. ¡°Where did you get those?¡±


    She threw me a cold look. ¡°These I brought with me from the stash in the upside-down Humvee.¡± Waving at the bag she¡¯d dragged along with her, she said, ¡°This I picked up from the second Humvee that made the trip with us. And before you ask, the answer is no, it¡¯s not working.¡±


    ¡°Is there more where this came from?¡± Clarisol inquired.


    ¡°This is just what I could load up and carry with me,¡± Shirohime answered then cocked her head at the young woman. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask but aren¡¯t you being a bit too casual about all this.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Clarisol sounded slightly ticked off.


    Shirohime met the woman¡¯s stare with a cold one of her own. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you¡¯re taking this situation seriously.¡±


    Pointing at the weapons and munitions, Clarisol snapped, ¡°Would I have arranged for all this if I wasn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Then is this scenario what you expected or not?¡± Shirohime asked, and I noticed her hands floating over the handguns holstered at her thighs.


    Tobias had unzipped the large canvas bag he¡¯d helped carry and was looking inside. ¡°Jezzes, Clarisol. Were you planning for a war?¡± He threw his sister a suspicious look. ¡°Just what were you expecting?¡±


    ¡°Necropolis,¡± she answered. ¡°That¡¯s what I was expecting. And I was right. We have the zombies. We have the school setting. And we have our protagonist.¡±


    Shirohime raised her chin at Clarisol. ¡°And you have all of us. Was that part of the plan?¡±


    Clarisol turned her body and faced Class Rep, planting her hands on her hips in the process. ¡°I didn¡¯t know how many of us would be pulled into her game. I believed it would just be Mirai and I. I didn¡¯t even know if she would allow us to bring this much ammo with us.¡±


    ¡°Her game?¡± I queried. ¡°Who are you talking about? The Empress?¡±


    ¡°No. Her daughter. The First Imperial Princess.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tobias gasped. ¡°Why would this be a game for her?¡±


    Clarisol took a very deep breath that she released as a heavy sigh. ¡°Because she¡¯s the reigning Gun Queen of Ar Telica city.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡± Tobias shouted while Shirohime grew as pale as her snow white hair, and I stood dumbfounded and at a loss for words.


    I need to point out that during all this, Angela and Felicia had been quietly stocking up on rifles and ammunition, strapping and holstering the weaponry to their black clad dominatrix outfits, and filling small backpacks with munitions. However, they too paused in surprise after hearing Clarisol¡¯s revelation.


    Clarisol looked chagrined, which I considered an odd reaction. Hands still on hips, she released a heavy sigh. ¡°It turns out the First Imperial Princess has been living in this universe for a while now. I learnt this last week.¡±


    ¡°What is this? An exchange program?¡± I asked in a disgruntled tone.


    ¡°Hardly,¡± Clarisol replied. ¡°There is no exchange between your side and mine. It¡¯s all one sided. But I will declare that I was quite stunned to learn that she¡¯s attending Telos Academy.¡±


    I surprised myself by stepping close to Clarisol and grabbing her by her duster¡¯s lapel. ¡°Who is she? What¡¯s her name? What class is she in?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know!¡± Clarisol yelled back. ¡°All they told me is that she¡¯s a student. But I don¡¯t know whom.¡±


    I released her as I pushed her away, and she stumbled back several steps. ¡°Is her name, Tabitha? Tabitha Hexen?¡±


    Clarisol glowered at me as she straightened out her clothes. ¡°If you¡¯re referring to that minx from last Friday¡¯s trial, I simply don¡¯t know if it¡¯s her. I checked the school records, and Tabitha Hexen is not a student there. If the Imperial Princess is really a student, then she may have been attending for a while. There were no mysterious transfers into the school over the past three years. All the school records we analyzed looked perfect. So I have no idea under what identity the Imperial Princess is living under However, as for that girl who stepped into the trial without warning¡ªshe is persona non grata!¡±


    ¡°What happened to her?¡± I demanded. ¡°Did she make it out safely?¡±


    Clarisol looked incensed. ¡°She got away before we could lock a translocation field on her!¡±


    ¡°She got away?¡± I stood silent and confused for a short while. ¡°So who is Tabitha Hexen?¡±


    ¡°I told you already¡ªI don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t have all the answers!¡± Clarisol was growing flustered, losing her composure by the breath as she was hammered on all sides. ¡°Cut me some slack.¡±


    ¡°Not bloody happening,¡± I snapped angrily back at her, my right hand flexing around the Viper¡¯s handgrip.


    Tobias raised his hands to both Clarisol and I. ¡°Calm down. Fighting between us isn¡¯t going to help.¡±


    ¡°Mat, stay out of this,¡± I snapped harshly then pointed at Shirohime. ¡°Class Rep is right. Why did you bring them along? Safety in numbers?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Clarisol asked in reply.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re dragging people into your mess!¡± I growled at her. ¡°I have no choice in this, but they didn¡¯t have to come along! And you brought Mat as well!¡±


    Clarisol was grinding her teeth while I berated her. ¡°I have no intention of doing this alone.¡± She pointed at me with an accusing finger. ¡°And you¡¯re planning to ditch me as soon as the game starts!¡±


    ¡°And when is the game starting?¡± I asked her while holding a tight grip on my boiling emotions.


    ¡°Sunset. My guess¡ªthe game starts at sunset.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because all this was arranged by the Imperial Family, and when infected with the pathogen, their Simulacra don¡¯t work well in daylight. Ours can operate in day or night, but not theirs. Before you say that¡¯s a good thing, it¡¯s not because in darkness, the Imperial Simulacra zombie move about with no limits. Their bodies¡¯ limiters are turned off, so they can exceed their normal physical abilities.¡±


    I dipped my head at her, the gamer in me piqued. ¡°Are you saying they¡¯re tougher than the Simulacra I faced in your game?¡±


    An uncomfortable look crossed her face. ¡°They¡¯re faster, stronger, and more vicious.¡±


    ¡°How much more?¡±


    Clarisol took a long, deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re a Gun Princess. You should be able to keep up with them.¡±


    I sucked in air slowly as I realized what she meant now. Zombies in film or otherwise are said to move without the limits on their bodies that prevent humans from breaking apart.


    Shirohime must have understood this as well because she sounded worried when she asked, ¡°What about the rest of us?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not Gun Princesses,¡± Clarisol replied. ¡°Feli and Ange are Master Grade so I¡¯m hoping they¡¯ll be able to go toe-to-toe with them. But that¡¯s not the case for the rest of us.¡±


    Tobias shook his head and turned away. ¡°Jeezes Clari¡­this is one Hell of a shit storm you dragged us into¡­.¡±


    Shirohime looked ready to draw her guns and blow Clarisol away, and I wasn¡¯t inclined to stop her. ¡°That¡¯s just wonderful,¡± the girl complained. ¡°I didn¡¯t get to summon my Gun Princess body. Now I¡¯m having to face zombies like this? That¡¯s frekking wonderful!¡±


    I gasped softly as Shirohime¡¯s complaint sunk into my mind. ¡°Why did she stop moving?¡± At Clarisol¡¯s puzzled frown, I clarified my question. ¡°Why did the First Princess stop moving after we all arrived here?¡±


    Clarisol folded her arms slowly. ¡°Because we¡¯ve been cut off from the outside world.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Because my phone has no reception,¡± she quipped drily.


    ¡°Very funny,¡± I retorted humorlessly.


    Clarisol slowly wet her lips. ¡°Even if our phones have no reception, we should still have a link back to civilization, so to speak. But we don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What link?¡±


    Clarisol cautiously waved a hand in the direction of the motionless girl lying on her back several meters away. ¡°The First Princess.¡±


    ¡°How does she offer us a link back to civilization?¡± I gaped as a memory from Mirai flittered across my mind, then I broke into a frown. ¡°The remote link?¡±


    Clarisol nodded. ¡°Precisely. There are two parts to a Gun Princess. There¡¯s the operator who resides within their Sarcophagus, and then there¡¯s the mechanical remote body. The operator controls the Gun Princess through a quantum link that is considered virtually foolproof against entanglement sudden death. At least, that¡¯s what we¡¯ve been told by the smart people who reverse engineered part of the Remnant technology in order to implement it. Humanity on your side and mine have had quantum communication for decades, but making it resistant to sudden death has proven problematic. However, there simply is no better way to communicate efficiently over vast distances¡­whether here or outside the universe.¡±


    My frown deepened. ¡°You mean in Limbo?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Not all Princess Royale matches are conducted in Limbo. Most are conducted either in your universe or mine in slivers that copy elements of our two realities. However, there are matches held in Limbo. In particular, the competitions to determine the Gun Queen and the Gun Empress. Having instantaneous communication between operator and the remote Gun Princess is essential to the success¡ªto the realism¡ªof the Princess Royale.¡±


    Clarisol again gestured at the inert Gun Princess lying on the ground.


    ¡°However, the First Princess appears to have been cut off from her remote body shortly after arriving here. For that to happen, the quantum link must have been exposed to a strong noise field, triggering sudden death. Not only do we have no phone reception, but I¡¯m certain that quantum noise is also keeping you from summoning your Sarcophagus.¡±


    I remembered the large structure I¡¯d emerged from, the one with tentacles. ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s something I would normally be able to summon?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Every Princess has her own Sarcophagus. It is her base of operations after all. In your case it works differently. There is no remote operator. You are Mirai, the Gun Princess, a complete package. The Sarcophagus you¡¯ve been gifted with is designed to maintain your body, as well as serve as your personal armory. So you will have a link back to your Sarcophagus. Trying calling out to it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel its presence in the back of your mind?¡±


    Again, I bit my lower lip as I searched my awareness for anything that might feel like a ¡®presence¡¯. However, after a dozen seconds or more, I came up empty and gave Clarisol a subtle shake of my head.


    Clarisol smiled thinly. ¡°And that is the problem. We¡¯re cut off from the outside world, and chances are this area is under a stealth-field. That means orbiting satellites could flyby overhead without seeing us. Someone would have to run into us in order to find us.¡± She chuckled under her breath as she looked at our surroundings.


    ¡°What about Ghost?¡±


    Clarisol looked back at me. ¡°The Maestro? Its core is housed within your Sarcophagus. The wetware inside your head has insufficient capacity to sustain an Artificial Awareness of its grandeur.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m cut off from him too.¡±


    ¡°Precisely. And frankly that sucks. We could have really used having it around.¡± Clarisol faced Shirohime who wasn¡¯t hiding her simmering emotions any longer. ¡°If you¡¯d summoned your Princess, we would have lost contact with you as well.¡±


    ¡°That would have suited me just fine,¡± Shirohime countered. ¡°Then I wouldn¡¯t be stuck here with you.¡±


    Clarisol narrowed her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to protect my brother?¡±


    Shirohime inhaled sharply before replying with an austere tone. ¡°I would rather he wasn¡¯t here, either.¡±


    The relationship Shirohime shared with Clarisol was starting to become a little clearer to me, and I recognized it as one of mutual benefit. Both had something the other could offer them. But there was no love between them. These recent signs of dissent reminded me of pair of thieves working together to achieve their own goals. But as the saying goes, there is no honor amongst thieves, and it was apparent now that Shirohime didn¡¯t approve of Clarisol. Also, Shirohime was beginning to treat her the way she treated me before my unfortunate demise. Thus, with the situation being less than favorable the girl was starting to show her true colors.


    However, for now I focused on Clarisol. ¡°You said we were still in our universe. You also said we were probably on the second continent.¡±


    Clarisol nodded. ¡°I said we were still in your universe, but I believe I was wrong about this being the second continent.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    Clarisol addressed Tobias. ¡°Brother dear, what time is it in Ar Telica city?¡±


    Tobias frowned at her. ¡°What?¡±


    Her voice grew weary. ¡°Tell me the time in Ar Telica.¡±


    After glancing at his wristwatch, he replied, ¡°One am in the morning.¡±


    With deliberate care, Clarisol pointed at the sun glowing like a fiery red ball low in the sky. ¡°This time of year the sun sets at six pm. If that¡¯s a sunset it means we only have an hour of daylight remaining.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a sunset,¡± I told her. Jutting my chin off to my left, I added, ¡°I can feel north is that way.¡±


    Clarisol¡¯s eyes widened for a heartbeat before narrowing. ¡°You can feel magnetic north? Well, that will come in handy.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s a sunset. So what?¡±


    ¡°Then it means we¡¯re around eight to nine hours west of Ar Telica.¡± Clarisol smiled but she didn¡¯t look happy. ¡°In other words, we¡¯re more than a third of the way around the world from Ar Telica. We¡¯re not on the Northern Continent anymore.¡±


    I thought about the distances involved between continents. ¡°A third of the way? But that¡¯s not far enough¡ª¡±


    ¡°Correct. We¡¯re not on the Second Continent either. This is probably one of the large islands of the archipelago east of the Second Continent. And we know that some of those islands are nothing but desert because they haven¡¯t been terraformed yet. We¡¯re nowhere near the Proving Grounds. In fact, starting from the Proving Grounds we can guess we¡¯re already halfway around the world.¡±


    Tobias and the other girls showed mixed reactions to her explanation, though they shared one thing in common¡ªfear.


    Again, Shirohime looked ready to draw her guns, but then she turned away and crossed her arms under impressive bust.


    ¡°In that case,¡± the girl with brilliant snow white hair declared, ¡°we need to find shelter for the night.¡±


    I looked up at the school building behind Clarisol, particularly the admin building. ¡°The fifth floor. That¡¯s where we should go.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Class Rep asked while giving the top level of the admin building a studious look.


    ¡°Because other than the fire escape, there¡¯s only one stairway up to the fifth floor. We block that and we can defend that floor pretty easily.¡± Pointing at the guns on the ground, I suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s not leave anything behind.¡±


    There was one flaw to my logic, and that was the amount of permaglass occupying the walls of the fifth floor. That permaglass was designed to survive a severe storm, but would it be strong enough to survive a concerted zombie attack? Granted, they would need to climb the outside of the admin building all the way to the fifth floor, but if the glass failed then we would be boxed into a corner with no way out but to jump from the highest level to the ground. Unfortunately, I had no better idea to suggest, and from the look Shirohime was giving me, I had the impression she¡¯d realized that as well, yet she remained silent on the issue.


    Holstering the Viper railgun, I walked over to the bag Shirohime and Tobias had dragged over, zipped it up, then easily picked it up off the ground by its carry straps.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going. We don¡¯t know if there are zombies inside the school, and we need to secure that top floor,¡± I declared, careful to keep my voice firm and commanding, and not be influenced by the trepidation creeping around in my chest.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the weapons were stashed into the various carry bags, and a minute or so later we walked as a group to the admin building¡¯s permaglass entrance.


    @@@

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Intro.

    Intro.


    - I -


    There is a marked difference between the other girls and I.


    If they take a bullet to the head, it is the mechanical avatar that dies ¨C the Gun Princess and not the Meister.


    If I take a bullet to the head, I die ¨C both the Gun Princess and the Meister.


    There is another significant difference between them and I.


    It takes more than one bullet to the brainbox to bring down a Gun Princess because they have very hard heads.


    In contrast, I don¡¯t have an adamantine skull or adamantium coating over my skeleton.


    Thus, all it takes is a single armor-piercing round to the cranium, and it¡¯s Game Over for me.


    Farewell Mirai, and better luck to your next incarnation.


    It¡¯s true that the Sanreal Family, that is House Elsis Novis, and my cold-hearted bitch of a sister could imprint the most recent archive of my neural map into another copy of Mirai¡­but that¡¯s only if they can make one.


    You may recall from the previous installment of my progressive memoires that Erina called me a miracle. A miracle she said, with a zealous light in her eyes. So producing another Ultra Grade Mirai doesn¡¯t happen at the snap of the fingers, although it does start with the push of a button. However, in the event that they are successful, and the archive of my neural map can be implanted into the new brain, the new Mirai wouldn¡¯t be me.


    It wouldn¡¯t be the me that I am now.


    That me would die, and perhaps fly off to Heaven or Hell, depending on whether I¡¯ve been a good or bad girl because I do believe that Mirai has a soul. At least, I want to believe that she does. She has Angel wings, so why not a soul? Nonetheless, the existence that I am now would perish in this reality, and the copy would only be a copy.


    The real Mirai, the first Mirai, would be no more.


    I have asked Erina what would happen to me if I was shot in the head.


    Would the Angel Fibers repair the damage? If so, then perhaps installing the latest archive of my neural map would compensate for the loss of information in the regenerated portions of my brain. But there would certainly be a lot to repair because Mirai¡¯s skull ¨C as strong as it is ¨C isn¡¯t armor plated.


    Erina said she didn¡¯t know.


    She and her research team that developed Mirai are continuously collating the data they collect on me, so they have yet to determine the extent to which the Angel Fibers can heal my wounds. But if I died from head trauma and the Angel Fibers subsequently put me back together, would I be the same person I was before? Perhaps, it really does come down to whether Mirai has a soul or not.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Yet even if Mirai could survive a bullet to the noggin, I have no intention of finding out, and I don¡¯t want a copy to be made of me because I am the true, one-and-only Mirai.


    I want to survive and I want to live.


    That¡¯s what I decided for myself as I listened to the bullets whiz by, ripping through the air, not quite indiscriminately tearing up my surroundings.


    Maybe I¡¯m jumping too far ahead, revealing too much too early in this the latest volume of my memoires.


    Maybe I should let the story run its course, but having said that I¡¯d resolved to live, I would like to explain a little of my circumstances at the time.


    Just a sneak peak, a teaser, of what is to come.


    ¨C II ¨C


    I¡¯d heard the term once before, spoken in conversation during a rather stressful period of my life.


    It was something I¡¯d forgotten about until blared out by the Game Master circling high overhead in the Battle Commission¡¯s observation airship, a giant zeppelin the size of a cruise ship.


    I certainly knew what the term meant in my reality, but it should have been clear that terms from my universe may not carry the same meaning in the other universe.


    But knowing what I did know, a shiver of fear trickled down my spine as I watched the giant gunmetal grey egg fall from the airship, and crater the middle of the plaza when it landed with a deafening boom that smashed permaglass shopfronts, buckled the nearby mag-lev station supports, and caused the ground to undulate and ripple, tossing the Gun Princesses and I like plastic dolls into the air.


    Some of them crashed through shop windows and deep into the stores.


    Others rolled along the ground like helpless tenpins.


    A few collided with walls, benches, tables, and signs.


    And I crashed into an interactive information board, snapping its supports, and knocking it to the ground.


    In a heartbeat, the center of the plaza was ruined, and the girls and I were scattered about.


    Lying on the wrecked board, I looked up to see fireworks launch from the Game Master¡¯s airship.


    They exploded brilliantly in the evening sky, signaling a start to the festivities.


    Then the gunmetal grey egg broke apart¡­and it emerged.


    Of course, I couldn¡¯t see it because the middle of the plaza was shrouded in a dense cloud of powdered rubble.


    But I could hear it and I could feel it due to the deep thrumming that spread through the air and resonated with my bones.


    I could smell it too ¨C the scent of ozone that follows a lightning strike.


    One by one the mechanical girls either picked themselves off the ground or hurried out from the shops they¡¯d crashed into.


    In quick succession, they checked their weapons and readied themselves for whatever would come bursting out of the cloud filling the center of the plaza.


    I too prepared myself, first rising from the wrecked information board, and then checking my weapons ¨C two Mag-Hauser railguns ¨C as I took cover behind the remains of a permacrete fountain mostly demolished by the egg¡¯s explosive landing.


    Maybe those Meisters thought they¡¯d be ready for what was to emerge.


    Maybe I thought so as well.


    After all, there were fifteen Gun Princesses in the plaza¡­and only one opponent.


    However, I didn¡¯t know how wrong we would be.


    I didn¡¯t know we¡¯d be facing something that wasn¡¯t from my reality, but from a harsher realm.


    A realm where a war had been fought and it razed the face of an entire planet.


    Then a century later, the survivors fought another war.


    A war that began with Simulacra.


    A war that ended with machine versus machine.


    Not long ago, Ghost told me that a Gun Princess has no natural enemies because her enemies are all unnatural.


    They are all machines, metal predators, and among their ranks is one that even a Gun Princess has reason to fear.


    The Gun Slinger.


    As a Gun Princess, I too learnt to fear the Gun Slinger.


    But a Gun Slinger has never met a Gun Princess like Mirai, and I was determined to cut my name into the metal demon that emerged from the cloud of rubble to the tune of six Gatling guns and a swarm of missiles.


    Before the night was out, I promised to make this Gun Slinger tremble at the mere whisper of the name, Mirai.


    And then I would blow the metal mother frekker up and send it straight into the machine afterlife!

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 1 - Part 1.

    Chapter 1.


    ¨C I ¨C


    I had much to think about on the night flight from the marina to the apartment complex in Ar Telica as the civilian VTOL flew us over the horseshoe shaped harbor, its waters glistening with light from the city-state¡¯s immense pyramidal buildings.


    My decision to live as Isabel and to fight as Mirai weighed heavily upon my shoulders.


    Knowing that I was abandoning any chance to return to my old life squeezed my heart and chest. But I didn¡¯t know what else to do. My options were few if any, and I wasn¡¯t in a position to fight back. Moving forward as both Isabel and Mirai was the logical course of action, and in truth it wasn¡¯t one I¡¯d taken lightly. It also meant that I believed what Clarisol had told me, and Erina¡¯s reaction when I questioned her had proven Clarisol¡¯s assertion that my life as Ronin Kassius was a thing of the past.


    So what kind of what life could I look forward to?


    Feeling as though I was living minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, reluctant to think of what the sunrise would bring, should I even allow myself to ponder my future. When I did so, there was the question of whether I could live on as a girl, or was it something that would come to me gradually now that I was inside Mirai¡¯s female body and brain?


    As the VTOL flew over the harbor, my gaze wandered through the large window beside me, and by chance it floated over one of the three islands poking their heads above water. I didn¡¯t think it was Telos Island that I glimpsed, but the sight of that island was enough to send an anxious jolt through me as I thought of what returning to the academy would be like now that I was Isabel val Sanreal, and not Ronin Kassius. But was it something I should worry over? In other words, was it not the least of my problems?


    That depressing line of thinking made me turn away from the window, and I regarded the plush interior of the passenger cabin with its forward and reverse seating.


    The VTOL was moth shaped, with six landing struts and wedge-shaped levitator wings fanning out from the dorsal superstructure. With a body thirty-feet long it had plenty of space for the passenger cabin. Despite my mood and situation, I nonetheless appreciated the lavishly appointed interior that was outfitted like a limousine with comfortable leather seating, wood paneling, climate control, and noise dampening for a whisper quiet ride.


    However, my appreciation for its luxury was tempered by my troubled thoughts exacerbated by the company that I shared.


    The Cat Princess, to whom Erina referred to as Akane, was sitting beside me to my right and facing forward. For now, her stun baton was clipped to her thigh, and the handgun she carried was holstered and hidden beneath the windbreaker jacket she wore. However, it wasn¡¯t the heavy caliber handcannon she¡¯d threatened me with aboard the yacht, but a smaller sidearm she could easily conceal under the jacket. I was hesitant to call it a lady¡¯s gun, but that¡¯s how I viewed it.


    My sister, Erina, sat directly opposite me and faced the rear of the cabin with her eyes closed as her head rested back against the seat. She had changed her attire to an all-white affair ¨C an ensemble of slim trousers, blouse, blazer, kitten sling backs ¨C and once again she looked resplendent. Should I say, worth a fortune? In fact, she looked so good my feelings soured into a gloomy mix that swirled around in my stomach and gave me a belly ache.


    The last of my companions in the cabin was a petite young woman wearing thin glasses, a business skirt-suit, and a long summer coat. She was waiting for us at the marina¡¯s wharf, and introduced herself as Doctor Umi Pearson, a member of Erina¡¯s team that put Mirai together. When she offered me her hand, I gave her a cruel smile that portrayed my intention to rip it off. Erina saved her by stepping between Pearson and I. At the very least, I had conveyed me feelings to the young woman, and she wasn¡¯t going to make the mistake of being friendly with me.


    Seated beside Erina, Pearson tapped away at the large magazine sized tablet on her lap.


    ¡°This is her schedule,¡± Pearson handed the device to my sister who blinked away for a while before wordlessly taking the tablet.


    I watched Erina study the contents on display, and couldn¡¯t refrain from sniping sarcastically at her. ¡°Do you need a blood and urine sample?¡±


    Erina shook her head faintly, her attention on the tablet she held. ¡°No, we obtained those while you were unconscious.¡±


    ¡°How considerate of you.¡±


    ¡°It was simply less trouble that way.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t the samples be contaminated by the tranquilizer?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We factored that into the analysis,¡± Pearson replied with a weak smile. ¡°We won¡¯t need another sample until tomorrow¡±¡ªshe glanced quickly at her slender wristwatch¡ª¡°I mean, later this morning.¡±


    I clapped softly. ¡°So what¡¯s next? Do you want me in a rat¡¯s wheel? Shall I show you how quickly I can run?¡±


    Erina exhaled unhappily yet continued reading the contents on the tablet¡¯s screen. ¡°Isabel, grow up.¡±


    ¡°Into someone like you? No thank you. I¡¯d rather jump out of this VTOL now.¡±


    The Cat Princess yawned. ¡°Eri, just say the word¡ª¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll what? Shoot me?¡± I asked her.


    The Cat Princess tapped her stun baton. ¡°No. I¡¯ll shove this up your¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Both of you,¡± Erina warned us, suddenly alert. She placed the tablet on her lap as she regarded me with a stern light in her eyes. ¡°You assured me you would behave.¡±


    I thought back over my conversations with her. ¡°I don¡¯t remember saying that.¡±


    Erina clenched her teeth and exhaled loudly. ¡°Then will you behave? You do realize you can make this a lot easier on yourself.¡±


    ¡°You mean a lot easier for you.¡±


    Again, Erina exhaled loudly. ¡°You¡¯re going to give me gray hairs.¡±


    I clapped softly again. ¡°Why stop there? When I¡¯m done, you¡¯ll be bald.¡±


    ¡°That does it,¡± the Cat Princess snarled. ¡°Time to stick this up your¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not happening!¡± I reached over and started grappling with her.


    As we tussled on the back seat of the VTOL¡¯s cabin, the craft lurched abruptly causing Erina and Pearson to cry out in panic.


    The Cat Princess and I stopped fighting as we listened to the pilot¡¯s voice enter the cabin.


    ¡°Apologies, Doctor Kassius. Mild turbulence over the city.¡±


    The VTOL lurched again and suddenly Erina and Pearson clutched at the armrests fitted to the cabin doors.


    Forgetting about the Cat Princess for a moment, I stared at my sister as a distant memory came bounding to the forefront of my mind.


    ¡°Are you¡­still afraid of flying?¡±


    Erina glared at me and clenched her jaw as the craft bounced in the air with enough force to make me feel weightless for a heartbeat.


    ¡°Hah,¡± I scoffed, then resumed scuffling with the Cat Princess.


    The tussle ended minutes later when the pilot announced we would be landing soon


    The Cat Princess relented on her choke hold, and I was able to breathe again, though I was shocked to discover Mirai could hold her breath for more than two minutes before turning blue.


    At the same time, I released my hold on the girl¡¯s head, and the mechanical avatar could straighten her body after I¡¯d deliberately pinned her into an awkward posture against the starboard side of the cabin that would have broken a human girl¡¯s back.


    Moving to opposite sides on the back seat, we fixed up our tattered clothes.


    My top had a long rip down the middle that exposed my bra and voluptuous cleavage. ¡°Bitch.¡±


    Her jacket was missing a sleeve. ¡°Whore.¡±


    I turned to her and pointed at my crotch. ¡°Hey, at least I have all the right parts now, Machine Girl.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°What? You want a prize?¡± she hurled at me.


    My mouth fell open. ¡°Wait a minute. Are you a guy? Are you a guy operating that body?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not! I¡¯m a girl. Okay.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right.¡±


    The Cat Princess gave me a dumbfounded look before growing angry. ¡°My name is Akane Straus. I¡¯m a girl. In fact, I¡¯m twenty-three years old. So you should be showing your elder some respect.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a bit old to be calling yourself a girl?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I waved a hand. ¡°I thought you were like those online male gamers who pass themselves off as girls by using female avatars.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Never mind,¡± I muttered, then noticed the exhausted look Erina was giving me, and the disbelief plastered on Pearson¡¯s face. ¡°What?¡±


    Though she kept her attention on me, Pearson half turned to Erina and hesitantly asked, ¡°Are you sure the transfer worked?¡±


    Erina rubbed both her temples. ¡°Yes, it worked.¡±


    ¡°But¡­I thought your brother was more¡ª¡±


    ¡°More what?¡± Erina asked her bluntly.


    Pearson inhaled deeply before blurting out, ¡°Compliant?¡±


    Erina gave Pearson a troubled look before she resumed rubbing her temples. ¡°Don¡¯t ask.¡±


    ¡°So something went wrong,¡± Pearson murmured.


    ¡°Hey, Glasses,¡± I snapped at her. ¡°Of course something went wrong. I¡¯m a guy in a girl¡¯s body all because of you¡±¡ªI pointed at my sister¡ª¡°and this megalomaniac.¡±


    Erina lowered her hands and frowned at me disapprovingly. ¡°I¡¯m not obsessed with power.¡±


    ¡°From rags to riches, huh, Sis?¡±


    My sister¡¯s expression grew hard and sharp. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    I crossed my arms, aware that by doing so I pushed up my big breasts. ¡°So, when do I get to meet this rich fianc¨¦ of yours?¡±


    ¡°When you learn to behave,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Better make sure you put in me in a lion¡¯s cage¡±¡ªI made clawing gestures at her¡ª¡°or you never know what might happen.¡±


    ¡°Eri, put me in a cage with her,¡± the Cat Princess requested. ¡°I¡¯ll pull out her claws.¡±


    I raised a fist at her. ¡°Why wait for a cage!¡±


    ¡°This time I¡¯m choking you blue!¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m tearing your head off!¡±


    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Erina screamed.


    A loud rip underscored her cry.


    ¡°My bra!¡±


    ¡°My sleeve!¡±


    A heartbeat later I felt the VTOL lurch gently as it touched down.


    ¡°Doctor Kassius, we¡¯ve landed at the complex.¡±


    Pearson pressed a hand to her chest and wilted into the leather seat. ¡°Thank the gods. Down in one piece.¡±


    The sliding cabin door beside Erina and I opened to reveal a man wearing a ground crew jacket with fluorescent stripes.


    He took one look at the Cat Princess and I locked in combat, and froze.


    ¡°Ex¡ªexcuse the interruption.¡±


    Then he hastily closed the door.


    Erina dropped her head into her hands.


    Pearson cautiously reached out and patted her shoulder. ¡°Eri? Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Do I look all right?¡± my sister mumbled.


    ¡°Um¡­maybe you should let me take over.¡±


    Erina swiftly raised her head and stared at Pearson in disbelief. ¡°Do you think you can handle them?¡±


    Pearson gave the Cat Princess and I a long, thoughtful look, then visibly shrank back in her seat. ¡°I¡ªI get your point¡­.¡±


    Erina turned her attention on us. ¡°Akane. For the love of the gods, act your damn age. You¡¯re the team leader for Team Novis. How the Hell do you expect to lead if you can¡¯t control yourself? You¡¯re acting like you used to back in high school.¡±


    The Cat Princess slackened her grip on me. ¡°Oh, right¡­.¡±


    Erina regarded me. ¡°I will box you. Is that clear? I don¡¯t care what happens. Damn the consequences, but if you don¡¯t behave, I swear to the gods I will box you.¡±


    I released my hold on the Cat Princess. ¡°Fine. For now.¡±


    ¡°Not for now!¡± Erina shouted. ¡°Forever! Do you hear me! You will learn to act your age, and behave like a lady of proper standing. Is that clear!¡±


    I frowned at my sister who was trembling in rage. ¡°Okay. I get it. I¡¯ll be good. For now.¡±


    ¡°Isabel!¡±


    ¡°For now!¡± I yelled back at her with a rage of my own. ¡°Don¡¯t ask more of me!¡±


    Pearson¡¯s eyes suddenly widened to the size of platters. ¡°Oh my gods!¡±


    Her reaction cut through my anger, and I stared at her in confusion until I noticed my dark locks of hair in the corner of my eyes.


    I changed again?


    Pearson covered her mouth for a heartbeat. ¡°What¡ªwhat is that?¡±


    Erina was breathing heavily but staring at me with worry. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what that is. For all we know, it could be the dark side of her personality manifesting itself.¡±


    ¡°The dark side?¡± Pearson whispered, then her eyes brightened with a sudden passion that made me glare at her. ¡°We need to examine her immediately.¡± Noticing my glare, she squeaked and quickly shied back. ¡°Her¡ªher eyes glow!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know,¡± Erina replied, then quickly shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re not examining her now. Later, but not now.¡±


    There was a series of loud knocks on the cabin door beside me, then it slid back a few inches and the man from before peeked in.


    ¡°Um, excuse me. But we¡¯re expecting another flight.¡±


    Erina sighed heavily, and nodded equally so. ¡°Yes, we understand. My apologies.¡±


    The man pulled back the door, exposing the side of the cabin, and Erina was the first to disembark from the VTOL, using the steps that had extended down from the flank of the craft to the ground.


    I followed after her, with both arms thrown across my chest to cover my exposed breasts after the Cat Princess ripped my top and bra.


    The mechanical bitch climbed out close behind me, and Pearson was the last to exit the VTOL, visibly giving us a wide berth as she hurried over to Erina¡¯s side.


    The man in the ground grew jacket called out to me. ¡°Uh, Miss.¡±


    I stared at him, wondering what he wanted and expecting his eyes to be glued to my chest. Instead, I was surprised to see him take off his heavy jacket and offer it to me.


    ¡°Here. You should take it,¡± he said while averting his gaze.


    I weighed my options: walk half naked to wherever we were going, or put on someone¡¯s sweaty jacket.


    Holding back a groan, I smiled weakly as I took the jacket, and then turned away from him and everybody else so that I could put it on. ¡°Thanks¡­,¡± I muttered over a shoulder.


    ¡°Uh¡­sure¡­.¡±


    At the very least he hadn¡¯t peeked at my chest, though he was probably holding himself back through a monumental effort. Or maybe I was just imagining all that in my head.


    I really needed to stop being so self-conscious about Mirai¡¯s huge bust.


    Zipping up the jacket, I could smell the man¡¯s scent on the material through Mirai¡¯s sharpened senses. This was despite the strong wind blowing over the top of the landing platform. It wasn¡¯t entirely unpleasant but it wasn¡¯t pleasant either, and I resolved to strip out of my clothes and take a shower at the earliest convenience. However, he¡¯d been a gentleman after noticing my state of undress, so I wasn¡¯t going to throw his jacket back at him. Instead, I bowed slightly toward him in a show of gratitude.


    There were other ground crew on the platform, and they ushered the four of us urgently though politely away from the parked VTOL that had flown us from the marina to the city. Moments after we¡¯d been escorted into an enclosed lounge area adjoining the platform, the moth-shaped VTOL pointed its levitator fins downward, revved up its engines, then smoothly hopped into the air.


    I watched the craft spread its levitator fins before it banked away southward. As my gaze followed it across the sky, I ended up looking out over the city.


    I¡¯d never observed Ar Telica from this high up and the lounge treated me to a resplendent midnight view of the sprawling city-state.


    The building the VTOL had delivered us to was one of the dozens of pyramid-like megascrapers that bordered the west end of the horseshoe shaped harbor. That meant we were in Ar Telica¡¯s Ring Zero that followed the shape of the harbor, with a thousand more megascrapers towering behind us to the west in Rings One to Twelve. Looking eastward at the immense watery expanse, I saw the lights of the city undulating with the waves, and my gaze traced the bridge connecting the shore to Telos Island. Shrunk by distance, the school buildings resembled miniatures illuminated by their rooftop floodlights.


    I was growing tired of seeing the academy by night.


    Turning around, I looked through the transparent walls of the waiting lounge at the building we were standing on.


    From what I could see of the megascraper, it was a hexagonal, steep sided Aztec pyramid. Because we were standing at an elevation that was level with most of the megascrapers around us, I guessed the building was around the average of two hundred stories high. If this was an apartment complex, then I assumed the top floors would be home to spacious suites that could house a few dozen students. They would certainly be far larger than the apartment I used to share with Erina when we were younger.


    My sister was watching me, and I met her gaze without flinching.


    After a moment, she indicated that I should follow her.


    When I sensed the Cat Princess fall in behind me, I looked at her over my shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think of running away,¡± she warned me.


    ¡°Can you fly?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Why? Are you thinking of jumping off the building?¡±


    I grinned at her. ¡°I have wings, remember?¡±


    The Cat Princess missed a step, then hurried to catch up. ¡°And I have a gun, remember?¡±


    Unzipping the top of my jacket by a few inches, I reached in between Mirai¡¯s boobs and the remains of my clothes to pull out my hard-earned prize. Then I turned around smoothly and pressed the muzzle of a small yet hefty handgun to the Cat Princess¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°You mean this gun?¡±


    The Cat Princess froze and I heard a gasp that could have come from either Erina or Pearson.


    I grinned broadly at the mechanical girl and cocked my head slightly. ¡°You feeling lucky, Punk?¡±


    The girl remained completely motionless except for her mouth and lips. ¡°How¡­?¡±


    ¡°Back when you and I were scuffling aboard the VTOL.¡±


    I pushed the gun¡¯s muzzle into her forehead, forcing her back a step.


    Then I took a step back myself.


    Relying on Mirai¡¯s imprinted familiarity with weapons, I ejected the magazine from the gun¡¯s grip, then slid the receiver to empty the chamber of the bullet within, all without having to stop and think about the process. Nor did I look directly at the weapon itself, though in truth I could see it clearly because of Mirai¡¯s unnaturally wide field-of-vision that probably rivaled that of an owl¡¯s.


    Twisting the gun with both hands, I succeeded in bending the grip so that it couldn¡¯t be reloaded with a fresh magazine. Then I tossed the weapon to the ground where it subsequently slid under a lounge seat.


    The Cat Princess took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. ¡°You really are a pain.¡±


    ¡°Like I said before, Kitten, you¡¯re not so tough when I can see you.¡± I turned around and walked up to Erina. ¡°Lead the way, Doc.¡±


    The petite Umi Pearson discreetly hid behind my sister who regarded me with an anxious look that brought a smile to my face.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the stun baton?¡± she inquired.


    I shrugged and answered her honestly. ¡°I have no idea. Probably back on the VTOL.¡±


    ¡°What the¡ª!¡± The Cat Princess shouted abruptly as she realized she¡¯d been disarmed. ¡°You bitch.¡±


    I looked at her over a shoulder and then shrugged. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I was picking a fight with you for nothing, did you?¡±


    The cat ears on her head suddenly popped up and began twitching madly as she glowered at me. A moment later, I realized that the ground crew hadn¡¯t mentioned or noticed her cat ears, and it was because she¡¯d folded them down and hid them in her long platinum hair.


    ¡°I am going to teach you to respect your elders,¡± she promised me.


    ¡°Meow,¡± I replied and made clawing gestures at her.


    Erina exhaled tremulously. ¡°You truly are devious.¡±


    I faced my sister. ¡°No. I¡¯m a Gun Princess.¡±


    From behind Erina, a pale looking Pearson was muttering, ¡°¡­not cute¡­not cute....¡±


    I chose to ignore her as I pointed in the direction of the escalators leading down into the building from the far end of the enclosed lounge. ¡°I¡¯m tired and I want to take a shower. Are you going to lead the way or not?¡±


    Erina wet her lips before revealing, ¡°Akane likes to keep a knife around.¡±


    I pulled the aforementioned knife out of a pocket. ¡°You mean this one?¡±


    ¡°Aaaah!¡± The Cat Princess yelled. ¡°You thief!¡±


    I handed the knife to Erina, who took it reluctantly. ¡°Worried I¡¯ll stab you in the back?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°The thought did cross my mind,¡± she admitted as she pocketed the knife.


    Pearson¡¯s mumbles fell to a whispered, ¡°¡­not cute¡­not cute at all¡­.¡±

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 1 - Part 2.

    Chapter 1


    ¨C II ¨C


    Initially it was a surprise, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made to me.


    The Cat Princess was a mechanical, remote controlled body.


    I didn¡¯t know what it was like for the operator to experience their surroundings through the interface with the avatar, but it was possible they lacked the tactile sensitivity a human or Simulacrum possessed. In other words, the Cat Princess¡¯s Meister didn¡¯t feel her surroundings as much as I did. This was something I only realized while grappling with the Cat Princess aboard the VTOL.


    When I felt the knife in her back pocket, I was able to steal it from her without being discovered. As we continued to scuffle, she made no mention of the knife, so I went further and succeeded in removing the gun from the holster she wore under her jacket. It wasn¡¯t easy, and I honestly feared she would notice my intent, yet she didn¡¯t. Uncomfortably hiding the small gun in the band of my denim trousers, while keeping that side of my body facing away from the Cat Princess, I once again waited for her to notice she¡¯d been disarmed but she remained oblivious to the fact.


    It was then apparent that as realistic as she was ¨C which included breathing ¨C she didn¡¯t possess the same degree of touch sensitivity as a real person. She wasn¡¯t aware of all the changes in pressure to her body, and that certainly surprised me. It also made me curious as to how a Meister operated the mechanical avatar. What was the experience like for them? How did they view and feel the world around them? If the result was limited like the Cat Princess demonstrated, then their perception of their surroundings was woefully trivial compared to how clearly I could experience my environment.


    I decided it was something I¡¯d ask Erina or Ghost about later.


    Scratch that.


    I¡¯d ask Ghost about it later when we were alone.


    With the Cat Princess glowering at my back, I followed my sister and Pearson out of the waiting lounge and into the innards of the apartment complex. The landing platform was constructed on one corner of the six-sided building, but it wasn¡¯t located at the top of the megascraper. In fact, the middle of the hexagonal pyramid towered a dozen or more floors above the platform. After a short walk down an opulent hallway, we arrived at a bank of elevators and caught one up several floors. Exiting the lift car, I trailed behind Erina and Pearson, and came up to a pair of doors at the end of a short corridor. I expected Erina to unlock the doors, but instead she touched the doorplate to the right of the jamb, and with Mirai¡¯s acute hearing, I listened to a chime sound faintly somewhere ahead of us.


    When one of the doors unlocked and then opened gently, my eyebrows rose dramatically to the ceiling and try as I might I couldn¡¯t bring them back down.


    A young woman in a traditional maid outfit poked her body out into the corridor.


    No, no, no. Allow me to properly elaborate upon that observation.


    A young woman in a traditional French Maid¡¯s outfit, with a bodice that clung tightly to her well-endowed chest, poked her body out into the corridor. At sight of Erina, she opened the door fully, revealing the rest of her, and I ran my gaze quickly over her short skirt, and slender shapely legs perched atop a pair of black high heels. Her long, auburn hair was arranged into what I guessed was a thick braid, and I judged her to be a little older than me, though still in her teenage years. It was then that my eyebrows lowered, when I found myself wondering if she was a Menial, and perhaps this was all the employment she could find herself after graduating from second tier education, otherwise known as high school. When I realized what I was thinking, and I flinched in shame as I averted my gaze.


    Who was I to judge her? I wasn¡¯t even human. I was a fraud. But more so, what right did I have to be critical of her?


    While I felt contrite over my supercilious thoughts, Erina had no qualms or regrets in regarding the girl as an inconsequence.


    ¡°Lady Kassius¡ª¡± the maid started to say but hurriedly stepped aside when my sister walked into the wide hallway beyond the doors, almost pushing her way past the pretty girl.


    Pearson gave me a hasty look before hurrying after my sister.


    I exhaled slowly, aware of the Cat Princess standing close by and when I glanced at her, I noticed the veiled reproach on her face and wondered if she was directing at Erina.


    She can display subtle emotions, yet she can¡¯t feel her surroundings the way I can. How strange.


    Seeing that the maid was looking anxiously at me, I took a quick breath, then entered the apartment through the open doorway. As I stepped past the girl, I bowed my head to her, and offered her a softly spoken apology.


    ¡°Sorry¡­.¡±


    The girl blinked quickly, then her lips curled into a faint smile, but she said nothing until after she¡¯d quietly closed the door behind the Cat Princess who followed me silently into the apartment.


    ¡°This way, please,¡± the young maid suggested as she ushered us down the wide hallway to a spacious rectangular living area with a sunken floor at one end that was furnished with sofas, a low table made of tinted glass, and a holovid projection system that belonged in a private cinema. A permaglass window spanned the length of one wall, and offered access to an enormous balcony that was several times larger than my dormitory apartment. An open kitchen area was situated adjacent to the living room, and two hallways led deeper into the apartment, undoubtedly to the bedrooms, guestrooms, bathrooms and so forth. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all a light creamy color, and that included the soft pile carpet underfoot.


    Everything about the place projected luxury, comfort, and convenience, and that included the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.


    In terms of opulence, the apartment was on par with Mat¡¯s family home in Ring One, District Ten where society¡¯s affluent lived.


    It was a richness that made me uncomfortable as I slowly walked around the living area, aware that my sister and Pearson were watching me, while the Cat Princess gawked at the interior of the apartment.


    As for the maid, she was keeping to herself at the entrance to the living room.


    I faced my sister. ¡°You planning on living here as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    That brought a snarl to my face that I had trouble clearing away. ¡°Just frekking wonderful¡­.¡±


    ¡°I need to be here,¡± she stated sternly.


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head at her, ¡°you don¡¯t.¡± Walking up to her, I folded my arms under my big chest. ¡°I don¡¯t need you around, and you don¡¯t need to be here. I have no doubt that you have a surveillance system installed in this apartment, so you can watch me from somewhere else, you voyeur. But I won¡¯t tolerate having you here.¡±


    I turned around and started walking toward the hallway leading to the apartment¡¯s entrance.


    As I¡¯d expected, the Cat Princess stood in my way.


    I punched a fist into a palm. ¡°Ready for round two?¡±


    She gave me a disappointed look, and that wasn¡¯t what I was expecting.


    From behind me, Erina¡¯s voice reached my ears. ¡°It¡¯s important that I be here.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked without turning around, my attention on the Cat Princess who stood before me with arms folded under her bust. ¡°I¡¯m not your lab rat, Erina, so you don¡¯t need to be here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still your sister.¡±


    ¡°No. You¡¯re Ronin¡¯s sister.¡± This time I threw her a glare over my left shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re not my sister.¡±


    I¡¯d finally made the long overdue admission that I no longer considered that woman as my sister, and I felt lighter for it.


    However, Erina¡¯s response was to sigh at me as though I were a stupid child. ¡°According to legal documents submitted to the Civil Registry, the Sanreal Family has made me your guardian.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a stupid thing to do. If I¡¯m a member of their family, shouldn¡¯t I be living with them?¡± Taking a step back from the Cat Princess, I half turned to look at Erina. ¡°Just what¡¯s the deal here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your guardian, though you are soon to be my sister-in-law, even though officially you¡¯re only a half-sister to the Sanreal siblings.¡±


    ¡°You mean, Mat?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m speaking in terms of what¡¯s recorded in the Civil Registry. Matrim is a Praetor. You are a Sanreal.¡±


    ¡°So who are my other official siblings? Clarisol?¡±


    ¡°She is one of them.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean a Simulacrum of Clarisol will eventually be unleashed upon the unsuspecting masses?¡±


    Erina started to sigh but stopped herself abruptly. ¡°Her absence would be problematic, thus the answer is ¡®yes¡¯.¡±


    I mulled that over, wondering if this version of Clarisol would be less extreme than the previous incarnation, and wondering why it would be a problem if she disappeared from society¡¯s pages. ¡°So who else is a half-sibling of mine?¡±


    ¡°Simon Sanreal. The head of the Sanreal Family.¡±


    Abruptly, I frowned and turned to look behind the Cat Princess at the maid standing silently by the hallway¡¯s entrance, wearing a confused expression that she failed to hide.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I asked her, ¡°who are you?¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes widened in a heartbeat and she bowed frantically. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m Cecilia. I was hired as the maid¡ªI¡ªI mean housekeeper. It¡ªit¡¯s a pleasure to serve you.¡±


    I winced at her reaction, but tore my attention away from her chest bouncing wildly in her bodice. ¡°Okay¡ªokay! Stop it. You¡¯re making me dizzy.¡±


    The girl stopped bowing and regarded me anxiously.


    ¡°Could you please¡­give us a moment?¡± I asked of her.


    I noticed the glance she threw at Erina before bowing to me quickly and then hurrying off into one of the hallways connected to the living area.


    With the maid now having left the scene, I took a deep breath, then turned to face Erina. ¡°How much does she know?¡±


    ¡°She knows that you¡¯re Isabel val Sanreal, the youngest member of the Sanreal Family, and that you¡¯re also an illegitimate child.¡±


    ¡°You mean a love child,¡± I grumbled harshly in a low voice.


    ¡°Yes. You are.¡±


    ¡°What else does she know?¡±


    ¡°That you¡¯re lacking in manners, good graces, and you¡¯re a tomboy. That despite your appearance as an attractive girl, there is nothing ladylike about you.¡±


    I heard the Cat Princess snicker but decided not to confront her, and instead directed a scowl at my former sister. ¡°Anything else I should know?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re also convinced that you are a teenage boy.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I growled.


    ¡°You have delusions of being a boy in a past life. In other words, you believe you¡¯re a boy reincarnated as a girl.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    I swear I could hear my tendons pop as I clenched my hands. ¡°No thanks to you¡­.¡±


    To my surprise, Erina folded her arms under breasts and smiled at me like someone about to say ¡®checkmate¡¯, yet she said, ¡°We have all the bases covered.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can see that. You have the maid believing that I¡¯m crazy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and you like girls.¡±


    This time I blushed. ¡°Well of course I do¡ª¡± I cut myself off as I realized I was about to say something that would further incriminate me as being delusional.


    I¡¯m a straight guy in a girl¡¯s body. Of course I¡¯d like girls. But now this makes me a lesbian!


    Abruptly feeling drained, my shoulders slumped and I relaxed my hands.


    The Civil Registry keeps a profile on people. I wonder what they have on me.


    ¡°You sure laid it out nicely, didn¡¯t you,¡± I applauded her.


    ¡°What choice did we have?¡± she asked in return. ¡°You¡¯re not aware of it, but you don¡¯t move like a girl. Your mannerisms are barely feminine in passing. Other than your looks, there¡¯s little else that¡¯s feminine about you.¡±


    I frowned at her. ¡°Meaning¡ª¡±


    ¡°Meaning that come Monday morning, everyone in Telos Academy who encounters you will start to wonder what kind of upbringing you¡¯ve had.¡±


    I began to realize what she was implying. ¡°Because I don¡¯t act like a girl.¡±


    ¡°Correct. And soon it¡¯ll be all over the social media waves that the youngest daughter of the well-known Sanreal Family is a tomboy¡­and that¡¯s putting it politely.¡±


    Taking another deep breath, I planted my hands on my hips. ¡°So what?¡±


    Erina¡¯s eyebrows rose and fell. ¡°Indeed. So what. Well, you¡¯ll find out eventually. By then, you¡¯ll have dug yourself into a social pit of your own making. Frankly, it¡¯s not my concern. As I¡¯ve said before, you have a purpose and so long as you meet that purpose, it¡¯s not my problem if you ruin your school and social life.¡±


    ¡°Wow, and here I thought you cared about your lab rat.¡±


    She stepped up to me. Since our heights were comparable, I met her gaze at eyelevel.


    ¡°Only the lab rat, Isabel. You make it impossible to care about the rest of you.¡±


    I wet my lips slowly. ¡°Then get out. Or better still, have the school assign me to a dormitory, and I¡¯ll continue living on my own¡ªas I¡¯ve been doing for the past three years.¡±


    ¡°Not happening.¡±


    I smiled at her. ¡°Then I plan to make your time here as unpleasant as possible.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to be boxed?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and do it,¡± I answered with an unwavering stare.


    From behind me, I heard a heavy sigh. ¡°Eri, you¡¯re going to give yourself ulcers again. Remember what your doctor told you? This time it could be a lot worse than last time. If you end up hospitalized¡ªoops!¡±


    Hospitalized? Did she say hospitalized?


    While I had trouble hiding my shock, Erina shifted her attention onto the Cat Princess standing behind me to my five o¡¯clock. ¡°Unlike many people, I learn from my mistakes.¡±


    The Cat Princess sighed again. ¡°And now you¡¯re going to make a new set of mistakes.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at Erina. ¡°You were hospitalized? For real?¡±


    She snorted loudly and regarded me with contempt. ¡°It¡¯s none of your concern.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. And I don¡¯t intend to go easy on you. When I¡¯m done, you¡¯ll have sworn off having kids for life.¡±


    Without warning, Erina violently flung her hands and arms into the air. ¡°Oh have it your way! Do whatever the Hell you want!¡±


    I have to admit she took me by surprise to the point where I almost took a step back.


    Almost.


    Erina poked me hard in the collarbone. ¡°You want to live alone? Fine. Live alone. I¡¯ll have you assigned to a dormitory in time for school next week. But until then, you¡¯re going to live here for the next five days, and learn how to be a lady! At the very least, learn how to walk like one!¡± She took several deep breaths. ¡°Is that clear?¡±


    Erina stared at me hard until I replied with a curt nod, while holding back a grin.


    It might seem like a small victory, but no one had ever won a war overnight.


    Well, no one I¡¯d ever read about.


    Invariably it was a series of poignant victories that led to ultimate success.


    Even dropping the A-bomb on that island nation back on Earth centuries ago was the result of years of conflict that brought the American forces ever closer to their enemy¡¯s homeland.


    I watched Erina inhale deeply, and then squeeze her eyes shut while pinching the bridge of her nose. Unexpectedly, she turned and sluggishly walked off without a word, exiting the living area and disappearing into one of the hallways. However, a few moments later she re-emerged, crossed the living area, and entered the hallway on the opposite side of the large room.


    Did she get lost? I wondered, then proverbially patted myself on the back. Wow, I really got to her. Hooray!


    Pearson was standing in the middle of the living area, looking in the direction Erina had wandered off.


    I gave her contemptuous look. ¡°Go. Run after your master.¡±


    The young woman flinched but didn¡¯t wait for me to tell her twice before fleeing after Erina.


    I exhaled loudly and let my shoulders slump. ¡°Shit. She¡¯s so exhausting¡­.¡±


    ¡°I bet you feel really proud,¡± the Cat Princess said.


    I half turned around to look back at her. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m clapping madly inside. Woo hoo.¡±


    ¡°Then why do it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a stupid question,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Then when are you planning to stop lashing out at everyone around you? What good will that do you? You¡¯re not going back to being Ronin Kassius.¡±


    I straightened as I stared at her. ¡°So you knew about that.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I bet you enjoyed watching me think that I had some hope of being a man again.¡±


    She shook her head and seemed sincere when she replied, ¡°It wasn¡¯t fun at all.¡±


    ¡°Well, you sure looked like you were having fun.¡±


    ¡°That was the intention. It doesn¡¯t mean I enjoyed it.¡±


    This time I turned around and faced her properly with my hands on my hips. ¡°You think I¡¯ll believe that bullshit?¡±


    ¡°The point was to give you a traumatic experience so that you would want to wake up.¡±


    ¡°You shot me.¡±


    ¡°And you woke up,¡± she stated as though it was a natural result.


    ¡°No. I died.¡±


    ¡°You were already as good as dead. That Simulacrum wouldn¡¯t have lasted more than a week at best. But the truth is that your consciousness was already mapped into Mirai¡¯s brain. You were connected to the Simulacrum¡¯s mind, so that you could experience everything it experienced. But you were already inside Mirai.¡± The Cat Princess glanced away. ¡°It still sounds weird no matter how much Erina explained it to me¡­.¡±


    I felt something wasn¡¯t adding up. ¡°Clarisol told me that my sister¡ªI mean, Erina¡ªknew that the Empress wanted my mind inside Mirai two months ago. So why put me in a Simulacrum that wasn¡¯t going to last?¡±


    ¡°We knew about her intention to stick you in Mirai. What we didn¡¯t know was that she was going to throw Ronin Kassius into Limbo. Everything happened so fast. And then we found out we couldn¡¯t wake up Mirai. She was experiencing some weird dream state after Ronin¡¯s mind was imprinted into her in a rush. So the Simulacrum of Ronin Kassius was produced on short notice.¡±


    Was this really the truth? It sounded probable, but why the rush to wake up Mirai? Was it because they were trying to keep up with the Empress changing the rules on them? Despite what my sister had said about standing up to the Empress, they were still dancing to her tune.


    I gave the Cat Princess a sour smile. ¡°When you put it that way, I¡¯m surprised I¡¯m still sane.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not following you¡­.¡± She looked genuinely confused.


    ¡°I mean that I¡¯m surprised Erina did anything right. I could have ended up with multiple personalities or a complete nut job in a padded cell.¡±


    The Cat Princess remained silent for a while before declaring, ¡°The night is still young.¡±


    ¡°Oh wonderful.¡± I rolled my eyes and started turning away.


    ¡°If you want to blame someone,¡± the Cat Princess continued, ¡°then blame the Empress. Blame her and not Erina. She doesn¡¯t deserve your scorn.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she deserves it,¡± I countered. ¡°Every bit and more. She has treated me like nothing more than a science project. And she made it clear just now that that¡¯s all I am to her. So she can get frekked for all I care.¡±


    Once again, the Cat Princess was studiously quiet for a long while before declaring, ¡°She may have said that. But to me you¡¯re a lot more.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You said you wanted to see the real me. Fine. I¡¯ll show you. Maybe then you¡¯ll understand how important you are to us in different ways.¡±


    Puzzled, I watched the Cat Princess walk past me toward the far wall of the living area. This was the wall that was composed of floor to ceiling permaglass with a view of the city and the apartment¡¯s balcony. Sliding aside one of the permaglass partitions, the Cat Princess stepped out onto the balcony, allowing the cold night air into the apartments temperate interior.


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    She didn¡¯t wait for me to do so, and instead walked out to the middle of the balcony floor space. Then she sat down cross legged on the ground, and closed her eyes.


    Standing by the open permaglass partition, I wondered what she was up to when I abruptly sensed a wrongness in the air around the balcony. It was disconcerting, like experiencing weightlessness and disorientation simultaneously. For a moment, I feared a translocation was imminent and I clenched my gut to keep myself from feeling overly sick as I hastily swept my gaze over the balcony. Moments later, I noticed a warping of my view of the city buildings beyond the balcony, something akin to a fish eye lens effect, and a deep thrumming filled the air. I could feel that thrumming work its way into my bones, and quickly recalled experiencing something similar when I stood near a Sarcophagus, but never at this scale.


    The phrase, ¡®speak of the Devil and he shall come¡¯ rushed through my head as I watched the lens effect warp my view of the city even more before a giant gunmetal grey Sarcophagus emerged from the distorted area, and float inches above the balcony. The giant device towered over me and the motionless Cat Princess as it belched a cold white fog much like an ancient locomotive venting steam. Within moments the thick billowing fog nearly obscured the balcony, and I was able to glimpse the shadow of the Sarcophagus as it opened up and deposited something on the ground. But I could also see the dark shapes of many tentacles reach down and pick up the silhouette of the seated Cat Princess, quickly drawing her into the machine¡¯s dark innards. The fog began to dissipate quickly after the Sarcophagus closed its doors and disappeared back into the warped area above the balcony.


    As soon as it vanished, the disorienting sensation went away and I felt my surroundings return to normal.


    Whatever the Sarcophagus had delivered was slowly moving on the ground.


    I waited until the fog had evaporated some more before cautiously venturing out onto the balcony to see what it was. However, after walking a few meters toward it, I stopped and stared uncertainly at it.


    A young woman with long, blonde hair, wearing a white leotard, was half-lying on the balcony like a beached mermaid. She had propped up her torso on her arms, and was shaking her head slowly while blinking in a staccato rhythm.


    Swallowing quietly, I stepped closer to her.


    Sensing me draw near, she looked up at me with a strained expression, and my innards tightened when I recognized her.


    ¡°It¡¯s you¡­,¡± I whispered.


    She swallowed a few times before saying in a hoarse voice, ¡°You remember me.¡±


    I nodded absently though I was looking at her intently. ¡°You were there at the game center the day my nightmare began. You were playing the Gun Princess Royale, and Class Rep¡ªI mean, Shirohime¡ªshe called you stupid.¡±


    The young woman snorted softly. ¡°Yes, she did. And you were hiding in the crowd.¡±


    Remembering the wheelchair she¡¯d used ¨C the one with the Telos Corporation logo ¨C I regarded her legs. There were odd grey rivulets running all over them, scarring their skin. Sweeping my gaze over the rest of her body, I noticed it was waifish, and her arms had the same rivulets running their length. I recalled that back at the game center she¡¯d been wearing long sleeves and her legs were sheathed in stockings. At the time, I¡¯d thought she was a burn victim, but now I understood she was hiding the condition of her skin.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    With a groan, she shifted her body, indeed much like a mermaid.


    ¡°Humanity hasn¡¯t solved all medical conditions,¡± she replied. ¡°There¡¯s a few they haven¡¯t fixed yet.¡± She looked up at me again. ¡°My body looks horrible to you, doesn¡¯t it.¡±


    ¡°¡­yeah¡­.¡±


    Her laugh was gentle yet bitter. ¡°This is the result of your sister saving my life.¡± Seeing me frown slightly, she smiled in pity and I felt it was directed at herself. ¡°I suffered from muscle dystrophy, and your sister tried to save me by using the Angel Fibers she had cultivated. It was illegal, and contravened scientific practices, but I had nothing to lose, and she was running out of time. So I became her first human test subject¡­and her last.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t work¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no. The Angel Fibers stopped my muscular dystrophy, but they paralyzed my legs and scarred my body when they ripped out of me.¡±


    I winced in reaction to the image her words painted in my mind.


    Akane Straus nodded slowly. ¡°That¡¯s right. I wasn¡¯t a pretty sight. But I survived, and whatever changes they made to my body stopped the muscular dystrophy in its tracks. But they also disrupted my motor controls, crippling my legs. I can feel them so in that respect I¡¯m not a paraplegic, but I can¡¯t use them. I can¡¯t even crawl on them.¡±


    ¡°What happened afterwards?¡±


    Straus looked at me puzzled. ¡°Afterwards?¡±


    ¡°You said my sister operated on you illegally.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Her superiors suspended her, but the Sanreal Family who own the Telos Corporation stepped in and re-instated her. However, rather than using human subjects, they provided her with Simulacra instead. That¡¯s when she learnt about the other universe and the truth about the Sanreal Family.¡±


    ¡°Akane!¡±


    Startled, I turned toward the apartment and saw Erina standing by the permaglass entrance to the balcony. Umi Pearson was there too, with the large magazine sized tablet in her hands, but it was Erina who rushed out and dropped to her knees beside Straus who was now sitting on the ground.


    ¡°What are you doing? What were you thinking?¡± Erina asked the young woman.


    ¡°It was something I needed to do,¡± Straus answered her.


    Erina looked aghast. ¡°What? Why?¡± She shook her head in condemnation. ¡°No. It wasn¡¯t. You didn¡¯t need to do this at all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did. She needed to see me.¡±


    ¡°We can argue about this elsewhere. It¡¯s cold out here. We need to get you inside.¡±


    Erina attempted to pick up Straus, but she was unable to cope with the young woman¡¯s weight.


    She looked pathetic to me, and I held back a sigh because it would have sounded too much like a derisive snort as I stepped closer to Straus. ¡°I¡¯ll do it¡ª¡±


    ¡°Get away from her,¡± Erina shouted at me.


    Surprised, I stepped back and stared at her with eyes wide.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch her,¡± Erina snapped, and resumed her feeble attempts to pick up Straus.


    However, the latter reached out with her hands and stopped the woman that I no longer considered to be my sister. Facing me, Straus spoke in a manner that did not reflect her personality as the Cat Princess. She sounded quite calm and composed while supported by Erina as she half lay helplessly on the ground.


    ¡°Do you still want to hit me? Or am too pathetic?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell if she was taunting me or asking honestly for my opinion.


    I chose to be honest. ¡°If I hit you with Mirai¡¯s strength, I¡¯d probably kill you¡­and I don¡¯t want your blood on my hands.¡±


    Straus smiled wistfully up at me. ¡°I don¡¯t know whether to be grateful or not.¡±


    I started to shrug indifferently. ¡°I¡¯ll find another way to make you suffer.¡±


    Erina stood up swiftly and spoke in a heated, menacing tone. ¡°You will do no such thing¡ª¡±


    ¡°Eri!¡±


    She looked down sharply at Straus who wore an admonishing expression on her face.


    ¡°This is between her and I,¡± Straus stated calmly then painfully rearranged her legs on the balcony floor so that they stretched out before her.


    When she looked up at me, I could see the strain on her face.


    ¡°I told you, to me you¡¯re a lot more,¡± she said. ¡°To me, you¡¯re my hope.¡±


    I understood what she meant, and I didn¡¯t like it at all.


    I felt she was being unfair to me, and I could have said as much, but instead I shook my head slowly and replied in a perfunctory manner, ¡°At least you have something to hope for. I don¡¯t.¡±


    I walked around her, leaving Straus and Erina behind me as I approached the edge of the balcony.


    To prevent people from jumping off the balcony, it was bordered by a permaglass wall around ten or twelve feet high that also deflected the wind blowing strongly this far above sea level.


    I pressed myself against the almost perfectly transparent material, and peered down at what lay below, before stepping back a couple of steps. Leaping upwards, I caught onto the rounded top of the permaglass wall, then easily levered myself over it and down onto the other side. Because of the sound damping properties of the transparent wall, and the blustering wind, I barely heard Erina shout at me in protest at my escape.


    Landing on the ledge running along the outside of the balcony, I used the permaglass wall to steady myself against the wind, before jumping off the side of the pyramidal megascraper.

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 2 - Part 1.

    Chapter 2.


    ¨C I ¨C


    I¡¯d like to think of my actions as unconventional.


    Unpredictable. Unexpected. Difficult to fathom.


    Dare I say crazy?


    I¡¯d like to stress that there is a method to my madness; a reason behind my irrational behavior.


    In other words, I¡¯d like to say that I didn¡¯t jump off the side of the building without a plan or a reason.


    Let¡¯s begin with the reason.


    I wanted to get away from Erina.


    Pure and simple.


    So what was the fastest, most reliable method?


    If I decided to leave via the apartment, I would need a means to operate the elevator. I had noticed Erina touching her fingertips to a sensor plate beside the elevator doors. Undoubtedly that was a security measure. Were Mirai¡¯s fingerprints recorded in the building¡¯s security system? Alternatively, would the elevator take me straight down to the ground floor lobby or foyer without the need for fingerprint recognition?


    I didn¡¯t know, but in the event that I couldn¡¯t operate the elevator, I would need to either return to the apartment, or descend via the fire escape.


    Thinking about it now, as I jumped from balcony down to balcony and in the process having to repeatedly to climb over permaglass fencing, the fire escape was certainly the logical choice.


    But instead I stupidly fled over the side of the building.


    Why?


    Because Erina worked her way into my thoughts, disrupted my rationality, and flipped my switches.


    In short, I had to get away from her or I was liable to lash out with tragic results.


    Yet, I wasn¡¯t angry.


    As contradictory as that sounds, as I jumped down the building, level by level, I wasn¡¯t angry at Erina.


    Instead, I felt wounded and hollow as though from that wound all my emotions had bled out, leaving a vacant shell behind.


    Not even despair lurked within me.


    Emptied of feeling, a calm had settled upon my mind, and I moved without thought ¨C jumping and falling from balcony to balcony ¨C until finally a new emotion was born.


    It started with a mild soreness, but as it grew it birthed irritation.


    What was the source of this soreness and the irritation it sired?


    Mirai¡¯s giant boobs!


    Without a proper bra, the Princess Regalia, or other means of support, those perfectly shaped mounds of womanhood bounced every time I landed on a balcony, and by the time I¡¯d descended fifteen or sixteen floors, I was in some real discomfort, and the pain coupled with the emptiness I felt within me to distract me, and eventually became my undoing.


    Having leapt onto the edge of a permaglass balcony wall, I didn¡¯t check below me.


    Mirai¡¯s mountainous breasts made looking down a little cumbersome, but I could still have taken a peek at where I was going to land before I jumped down from the top of the transparent wall.


    I didn¡¯t, and a moment later I splashed feet first into someone¡¯s pool.


    The cold water stunned me far more than the shock of suddenly finding myself submerged in a balcony pool. Because it was shallow, I touched the bottom with my sneakers as soon as my head sunk below the surface. I pushed upwards, broke through the surface, and gasped for air. After flailing for a heartbeat or two, I swam to the nearest edge of the pool, and started hauling myself out of the water.


    In the corner of my eye, something small and white sped toward me. At first I suspected a security droid, but soon recognized it for a small dog. Neither I nor Mirai recognized the breed, but I can describe it as small, white, and covered in long shaggy hair. Running full pelt, it circled around the pool, yapping at me madly with a mouth full of small flat teeth.


    I was halfway out of the pool when it launched itself at me, and tried to bite my face.


    I splashed water at it, but it moved faster than I expected, making me wonder for a heartbeat if it really was a dog.


    Dodging the water, it latched onto my right arm with its mouth, but the jacket sleeve proved too tough for its small teeth to penetrate. However, once it latched on, I couldn¡¯t dislodge it, and given Mirai¡¯s enormous strength, I was afraid of swinging my arm around too forcefully. If the little dog flew off, it might sail over the balcony and into the night sky, or it could fall in the pool and drown, or hit the ground with bone breaking force.


    Hampered by sentimentality, and reluctant to cause it harm, I found myself at a loss on how to deal with the pesky mutt that was defending its realm.


    If dealing with the pint sized pet wasn¡¯t troublesome enough, the apartment lights soon turned on, and I glimpsed shadows moving behind the curtains drawn across the balcony window wall.


    It wasn¡¯t long before I heard a woman yell from inside the apartment.


    ¡°Harold! Shut up!¡±


    From the tonal properties of her voice, she sounded middle aged, but it wasn¡¯t until she drew the curtains aside with a wave of her hand that I saw that was true.


    ¡°It¡¯s one in the morning. What the Hell is wrong with¡ªhuh?¡±


    She stopped short as our eyes met.


    I was kneeling by the side of the pool, soaking wet, my long blond hair drenched, wearing a heavy ground crew jacket, and looking like a runaway caught in the act.


    I could very well imagine what was running through her head.


    With her dark blonde hair tied into twin buns, and wearing a tracksuit in place of pajamas, the woman stared at me for a full second, before she waved her hand at the permaglass balcony doors. They opened in response and she rushed outside.


    ¡°What the Hell happened to you?¡± she demanded as she circled around the balcony pool. ¡°Where did you come from?¡±


    I stood up with the dog clinging by its teeth to my jacket sleeve. Its feet kicked the air as it refused to let go. ¡°I fell from the sky.¡±


    The woman stopped a few feet away, regarded me from head to toes, looked up at the early morning sky, and then stared down at her dog in confusion.


    I held out my right arm to her, offering her the dog that stubbornly clung to my sleeve.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t get him off. And I really need to be going.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Her face contorted in confusion. ¡°Going?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I need to be going.¡± I sounded a lot calmer than she had expected. In a way, I sounded rather mechanical, and it surprised me. ¡°Could you get it off me?¡±


    She crossed her arms. ¡°First you tell me what¡¯s going on, or I call the police.¡±


    I sighed and began taking off the heavy jacket, then remembered my torn clothing. Giving up on that, I chose the next best option ¨C I walked away.


    I arrived at the permaglass wall fencing the balcony, judged the jump I needed to make, then leapt upwards with the dog clamped onto my jacket sleeve like a giant clothes pin.


    ¡°Hey¡ªcome back here! My dog¡ª!¡±


    Standing on the top edge of the permaglass wall, I looked quickly at the next balcony below me, then dropped onto it, landing with a wet sounding squelch. I winced when Mirai¡¯s heavy boobs once again bounced with a sharp sting.


    The dog must have been blessed with the jaws of death because it continued to cling onto my sleeve. At that point, I frowned at it then concentrated my vision upon the small animal. It wasn¡¯t long before my senses sharpened to a razor¡¯s edge, and I could now see people¡¯s auras. But when I studied the dog, I noticed that it had none and realized then that it was an automaton constructed in the form of a small canine.


    ¡°Ghost, can you do something about it?¡±


    ¡°Princess, I thought you would never ask.¡±


    I watched the mechanical canine jerk twice, before opening its death trap jaws. It dropped with a cringe worthy thud and lay still on the balcony floor. ¡°Did you¡ªkill it?¡±


    ¡°No, I merely reset its functions.¡±


    ¡°A factory reset?¡±


    ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t necessary. A mere off-on was sufficient.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­.¡±


    Free of the small mechanical mutt, I considered the permaglass wall surrounding this balcony, and looked up to see the woman thumping on the glass bordering her balcony, her yelling muted by the permaglass. Even without hearing her, it was clear to see she was pissed at me.


    Hoping to appease her a little, I picked up the mechanical dog that was still in the process of resetting ¨C though it was twitching on the ground as though electrocuted ¨C and threw it up and over the transparent wall of the balcony above me. The woman had the presence of mind to catch the small machine before it could land on the ground and break. Afterwards, she continued to throw what I presumed were choice words down at me, before hurrying off somewhere, perhaps back into her apartment to report me to the authorities.


    ¡°Wonderful¡­.¡±


    Deciding to turn the page on that brief installment of my life, I once again regarded my surroundings with displeasure as I gently massaged my huge breasts under the jacket.


    ¡°This sucks¡­.¡±


    ¡°Princess, if I may suggest.¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­,¡± I replied somewhat absently as I threw the floors above me a quick look in search of signs of pursuit.


    I wonder if the Cat Princess will come after me?Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Princess, make a right turn. This is the corner of the building so you will find a terraced wall connecting the east face with the south-east face. I assure you, it will be far quicker to descend down that wall. And less painful.¡±


    I looked down at myself. ¡°I need a change of clothes.¡±


    ¡°Do you wish to summon the Sarcophagus? I can have you outfitted in your Regalia in a matter of seconds.¡±


    I gave that some thought as I walked to the transparent wall fencing the south side of the balcony. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want them knowing yet that I¡¯m linked with that coffin.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t call it that¡­.¡±


    Whatever, I muttered inwardly as I looked through the permaglass at the terraced wall beyond it that resembled giant steps running steeply all the way down to street level. As Ghost had said, it was more like a wide join between the east and south-east faces of the building. It didn¡¯t take me long to get over the permaglass and onto it, and with one arm supporting my boobs, I proceeded to down to street level, one terrace at a time.


    It took me a good ten minutes to descend to the last terrace that overlooked the base of the megascraper some twenty meters below it.


    Cradling my breasts in my arms, I frowned at the drop I¡¯d need to make, then took a deep breath before dropping down to the ground.


    Did it hurt?


    Hell yes.


    The impact worked its way up my legs and all the way to my eyeballs, and I fell to my hands and knees with a short sharp cry that turned into a hiss of pain.


    If it wasn¡¯t evident before, it was certainly clear to me now just how beneficial the Princess Regalia was to me. Not only did it provide excellent support for Mirai¡¯s voluptuous chest, but it seemed to absorb, distribute, and disperse physical impacts away from body. Perhaps it was more accurate to say that it acted like a bumper between me and harm. Regardless, as I picked myself up off the ground, I seriously considered revealing my hand and summoning the Sarcophagus for a change of clothes.


    Gasping a little, I looked myself over. ¡°Next time I spread my wings.¡±


    ¡°Princess, are you certain you can summon them?¡±


    I pouted in thought, realized what I was doing, and cleared my expression in a hurry. ¡°Honestly. No idea. Maybe they would spread on their own if I was falling to my death.¡±


    ¡°¡­you are not considering putting that hypothesis to the test, are you?¡±


    My face twisted as I scowled at Ghost whom I could now see standing before me, a few feet away. I guessed he was projecting himself into my vision through the wetware.


    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m that suicidal?¡± I grumbled at him.


    He averted his eyes in thought. ¡°I have yet to formulate an accurate profile on your personality.¡± He met my stare with a calm gaze. ¡°Shall we say, the jury is still out?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha. You are so funny.¡± I indicated my boobs that I was cradling. ¡°Why don¡¯t you start being helpful instead and do something about these?¡±


    In my vision, the ghost of Ghost regarded my breasts studiously. ¡°Princess, might I inquire?¡±


    ¡°Inquire what?¡±


    ¡°Well, what exactly is wrong with them?¡±


    My lips drew back into a snarl and I hissed at him, ¡°They need support!¡±


    ¡°Very well. Follow me.¡±


    I blinked sharply and gaped at him as he then smoothly flourished upon me an elaborate bow.


    ¡°Princess, this way if you please.¡±


    Without waiting for me to reply, Ghost turned around and began walking away from the building.


    I stared at him in bewilderment for a few seconds before chasing after him.


    The base of the megascraper apartment complex was a hexagonal stepped plaza leading down to street level. As I hurried away from the building, I looked behind me at the lobby visible through the ground floor windows.


    ¡°I thought the Cat Princess would be here by now,¡± I muttered.


    Naturally, Ghost heard me. ¡°No need to worry.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Why not?¡±


    ¡°I temporarily suspended her security rights within the building. The elevators will not respond to her, and the fire escape doors have been automatically locked to her.¡±


    ¡°What about my sister¡ªI mean, Erina?¡±


    ¡°Likewise.¡±


    ¡°Hah,¡± I exhaled loudly. ¡°Aren¡¯t they going to know it was you?¡±


    ¡°Eventually.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Or maybe not.¡±


    I looked up at the building towering over me, and pictured Erina losing her cool and tearing up the apartment.


    ¡°Princess, please don¡¯t dally.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±


    Cradling my boobs, and feeling the chill through my wet clothes, I hurried after the ghost only I could see and hear.


    Courtesy of Mirai¡¯s wetware, I knew that local time was 1:15 in the morning. Not surprisingly, there was plenty of pedestrian traffic in Ar Telica¡¯s Ring Zero. I wouldn¡¯t describe it as the city that never sleeps, but there were plenty of shops open serving food, coffee, and drinks. Ring Zero bordered the harbor, so there were restaurants a plenty, and more than enough patrons to keep them running well into the bright side of the morning.


    To say I was conspicuous was an understatement, so I ducked my head, hiding my face under my long dark locks ¨C yes, Mirai was still in powered up mode ¨C and kept an eye on Ghost a few feet ahead of me who nonchalantly walked through people like a phantasmal entity. Though I knew he was merely a projection into my vision, I have to admit the effect was a little creepy.


    However, while he could pass through people without worry, I had to avoid bumping into them. I kept my attention away from their faces, refusing to make eye contact. But because of Mirai¡¯s wide field-of-vision, I could see the curious expressions I drew, as well as looks of disgust from the women I walked by. No doubt some of them thought of me as I was a runaway or drugged out teen prostitute.


    I can¡¯t say I felt pleasant when I garnered such looks, and I cursed Ghost for leading me down busy sidewalks.


    After a few minutes of this torture, I followed him down a narrow side street, that was sparsely lit. A hundred meters further on, Ghost turned into a wide alley, and I trailed after him until he stopped after a dozen meters. Halting beside him, I looked up to see the entrance to a shelter with numerous donation bins clustered nearby.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I asked him, sensing there were people inside the building, and despite knowing what it was.


    ¡°A charity organization,¡± he replied. ¡°Frequently, the services of the Health and Welfare Division fall short of meeting the needs of the population. A non-profit organization such as this one helps fill the gap between the haves and the have nots.¡±


    ¡°Why is the entrance so far away from the street?¡±


    Ghost stared at me with a faintly puzzled air. ¡°Perhaps because the citizens do not wish to be reminded there are those less fortunate than them.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­you have a point¡­.¡± His answer was depressingly reasonable.


    Ghost pointed at the bins I¡¯d noticed. ¡°You should find something in those donation bins.¡±


    I chuckled softly without humor. ¡°From riches to rags¡ª¡± My chuckle died in a hurry when I noticed the stern expression on Ghost¡¯s face. ¡°What¡­?¡±


    He regarded me in silence for a long while before saying flatly, ¡°I suggest you hurry, Princess.¡±


    What¡¯s his problem, I asked myself, not liking the way ¡®Princess¡¯ rolled of his phantasmal tongue. Ah, whatever. I¡¯m too tired to care.


    Ignoring him, I stepped up to the bins, and then opened their lids.


    After a few minutes rummaging inside, I found a surprisingly large plastic bag filled to bursting with clothing that must have belonged to a teenage girl. It was full of tops in various colors and styles, most of them quite trendy and revealing. But more importantly, I found a wide selection of bras and sports tops.


    Closing the bin lids, I moved to a dark corner with my spoils.


    Mirai¡¯s night vision made it easy for me to see in the dark, but even so it was hard telling colors apart. I picked out items that I guessed would fit me, then peered around to see if I was being watched as I contemplated changing clothes here in the open.


    Ghost indicated what looked like a narrow laneway. ¡°Princess, I suggest that entrance over there. I¡¯ve disabled the security camera watching over it.¡±


    For a moment, I stared at him in both awe and fear at the ease with which he could interface and dominate photronic systems.


    This is the entity that destroyed a Citadel with half a million people in it. If he wanted to, could he destroy Ar Telica just as easily?


    The thought made me shiver and I hugged the plastic bag to my chest.


    ¡°Princess, time is precious,¡± Ghost warned me as he swept his gaze down both directions of the alley. ¡°Please hurry.¡±


    I swallowed hard, nodded once, and then rushed over to the laneway that wasn¡¯t a laneway but a basement entrance into one of the megascrapers occupying this city district block.


    After descending a dozen or more steps, I approached the closed metal door and dropped the plastic bag at its foot. Throwing off the wet jacket, I quickly stripped out of my torn clothing, tossing them to the ground as the cold air bit into my skin, and chilled my arms and torso. I expected to sneeze, but Mirai was sturdier than she looked. Certainly, I felt cold but if I was Ronin Kassius, I¡¯d be sneezing my lungs out by now.


    After quickly drying myself by using a dark satin top from the bag, I found a grey sports bra that stretched fittingly over my breasts, then pulled out another top I¡¯d noticed before. It was black, with short, ruffled sleeves, a modest neckline, and a frilled hem. It fit so well, that I guessed its owner must have been a well-endowed girl, and I wondered why she¡¯d thrown all these clothes away. From what I remembered of teenage girl fashion, these articles of clothing were quite expensive. In other words, they weren¡¯t items you¡¯d purchase at a department store, but at a boutique.


    Feeling curious, I dug deeper into the bag, discovering a handful of short, tight skirts, and a pair of dark capri pants that I decided to trade for my soaked denims. But that meant I had to do something about my underwear, and again I resorted to fishing around in the bag until I found ¨C shock, shudder, horror ¨C black lacy panties that were at least dry.


    Who the Hell was this girl?


    I had an epiphany as I stared at the silk panties in my hands.


    Did her mother toss out all her sexy clothing?


    Quickly slipping out of my wet clothes and into the dry panties and capri pants, I proceeded to donate my soaked belongings by pushing them into the bag.


    The only pieces of clothing I couldn¡¯t replace were my deck shoes, so I slipped my feet back into them, grimacing as I did so, and then fled the basement entrance. Having returned to the side street, I skulked back to the donation bins and tossed the plastic bag into one of them.


    Ghost was keeping a lookout in a very humanly way that unnerved me, but he did run his gaze over me at one point.


    ¡°Good choice,¡± he praised me. ¡°Ah, about your shoes.¡± Pointing at a specific bin, he added, ¡°Try that one.¡±


    When I peered inside, I soon realized it was meant for donated footwear.


    I wasn¡¯t keen on slipping my feet into someone else¡¯s shoes, both literally and figuratively, but my deck shoes were dank and unpleasant to walk in.


    After a couple of minutes looking at what was on offer, I found some heeled sandals that looked to be Mirai¡¯s size, and put them on. They were cold but clean and dry, so I decided trade them for my wet deck shoes.


    Feeling better about my appearance, I pondered what I should do with the man¡¯s ground crew jacket, eventually deciding to fold it up and take it with me.


    Ghost nodded in satisfaction at me, then arched an eyebrow as he expressed curiosity. ¡°I am surprised by how well you are taking all this.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Changing clothes without arguing. Not making a fuss over your body.¡±


    I stared at him but in truth I wasn¡¯t looking at him. Instead, I was picturing myself changing clothes beside the basement entrance with little regard to my surroundings.


    ¡°Yeah, that was a little too willing on my part,¡± I replied with a bitter nod, ¡°but I was cold, wet, and uncomfortable. What would be the point in arguing about it?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting I should have kicked up a fuss?¡±


    ¡°I am merely making an observation that you demonstrate a surprising willingness to adapt to your circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Is that a compliment?¡± I warily asked.


    ¡°Indeed it is.¡±


    I took a deep breath, and admitted to him, ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m comfortable being Mirai. And getting changed out in the open isn¡¯t my idea of fun. But there are times when put up and shut up make the most sense.¡± I hesitated before asking, ¡°Does that make any sense?¡±


    ¡°It does.¡±


    I sighed after a moment. ¡°When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.¡±


    ¡°Does that imply you are accepting of Mirai?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice, do I.¡±


    ¡°And if you did?¡±


    I sighed again and looked away. ¡°I¡¯d prefer going back to my old life.¡±


    But that would mean dying prematurely.


    Feeling trapped on all sides, I felt anxious and could only quell it by taking slow, deep breaths while focusing on the damp, folded jacket in my arms. But by looking down, I was conscious of the clothes I was now wearing, and how well Mirai¡¯s body filled them out. I blushed in shame as I realized I was being vain, and yet I couldn¡¯t deny that it felt pleasant to take pride in my appearance.


    ¡°Princess?¡±


    I looked up at Ghost, and wondered if one day I would wake up and no longer think of myself as Ronin¡­but as Mirai or Isabel.


    If so, what sort of person would I be when that happened?


    What would my life be like afterwards?


    Would I have learned to walk like a girl by then?


    ¡°Hey Ghost, can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°By all means.¡±


    ¡°Do I walk like a girl or a boy?¡±


    His eyebrows arched steeply, then came down in a frown. ¡°If I may be so bold as to present my opinion.¡±


    ¡°You may.¡±


    ¡°From my many observations of Ronin Kassius, I can safely say he was never the manliest of men.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve mentioned that already.¡±


    ¡°My point is that he lacked the¡ªdare I say¡ªswagger that most teenage boys have.¡±


    ¡°So I walked like a girl?¡±


    ¡°No, you simply walked. That is to say, you lacked the physique of girl but you also lacked the physique of a boy.¡±


    ¡°So I was somewhere in the middle.¡±


    ¡°Correct. As a consequence, I can say that your manner of walking is rather neutral.¡±


    I felt my forehead begin to furrow. ¡°Is that what Erina meant?¡±


    ¡°No, she most clearly exaggerated.¡±


    I exhaled long and slow, feeling oddly relieved perhaps because I didn¡¯t feel I was at an extreme. In other words, my body language wasn¡¯t something that would naturally stand out. It may draw attention to me, but not in an untoward way.


    So that begged the question, did I want to walk like a girl?


    Folding his hands behind his back, Ghost observed me studiously for a moment before interrupting my train of thought. ¡°Princess, I propose you not dwell upon it deeply.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because in Mirai¡¯s body, you will naturally learn to adapt your manner of movement. You simply need to give it time.¡±


    I felt a cold emptiness begin to hollow out my chest, and I found myself speechless so I kept my mouth closed as I turned away.


    Ghost had stated the obvious, that little by little I would become Mirai and Isabel, and discard the traits of Ronin Kassius.


    Yet, apparent or not, it was still an unpleasant truth that I didn¡¯t want to accept.


    In the corner of my eye, I watched Ghost regard me with the air of a teacher, or a counsellor. ¡°Princess, where to next?¡±


    I realized he was choosing to distract me from my troubled thoughts, and I silently thanked him.


    Looking around me at the quiet, deserted side street, I gave the question my full attention for a short while. After clearing my throat, I wet my lips slowly and I looked up at him. ¡°I¡­I need some time¡­to myself.¡± I frowned slightly before concluding, ¡°I¡¯d like to go somewhere where I can think.¡±


    Ghost¡¯s eyebrows rose and fell in a subtle response to my answer.


    Was he surprised by my reply? Why would that be?


    I was still wondering why when he soon favored me with a gentle nod. ¡°In that case, Princess, may I make another suggestion.¡±


    I wet my lips again before deferring to his judgement with a hesitant nod of my own.

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 2 - Part 2.

    Chapter 2.


    ¨C II ¨C


    As I followed Ghost, or at the very least his superimposed image, the bustling sidewalks grew busier the farther we walked and the closer we drew to Ring Zero¡¯s entertainment districts due west of the horseshoe shaped harbor.


    Ghost wouldn¡¯t tell me our destination within the district, so I decided pressing him for an answer would be a waste of time, but I had another reason for keeping silent.


    I was enthralled by my surroundings.


    No longer wet and uncomfortable, I walked straight rather than slightly hunched over with my head bowed.


    I wasn¡¯t hiding from the crowds anymore.


    I had become one of them, and I wasn¡¯t looking down but ahead of me and upwards.


    Standing at an intersection, surrounded by people waiting for the light to change, I brushed aside locks of blonde hair, and looked up at the city buildings.


    Even when she wasn¡¯t powered up, Mirai¡¯s eyes and senses were crystal clear, allowing me to perceive my surroundings with greater clarity than during my existence as Ronin Kassius. Because of this, I was able observe and experience the city like never before.


    My olfactory organs were nearly inundated by the rich variety of smells they were capturing and cataloging. The smell of people, the smells from the shops, the smell of vehicles on the road, even the subtle smell of metal from the mag-levs racing overhead on elevated rail lines ¨C I could sense all of it, including the veiled scent of the ocean carried on the back of the breeze drafting in from the harbor a few hundred meters away to the east.


    On my bare skin, I could feel the cold air, and the warmth of the people around me. When their bodies brushed by me, unable or unwilling to avoid contact on the wide, populated sidewalk, I could feel the texture of their clothes and their skin.


    Conversations, shouts, laughter, footsteps, music, the hiss of electro-fusion drives from cars and mag-levs, the whirring of drones overhead, the high frequency hum of photronics lights, the rustling of clothes, all blended into a collage of sounds absorbed by my ears.


    Looking up, my eyes feasted upon the sight of the giant pyramidal megascrapers of Ar Telica. They rose a thousand feet high, lit by countless exterior lights rather than by light coming from their windows since the majority of the city¡¯s population was asleep. Because of their slanted walls, they avoided the canyon effect. Rather than take away the sky, they leaned back to offer as much of it as they could. Thus while they loomed over me, I didn¡¯t feel oppressed by them. I knew little about the engineering benefits ¨C in fact, I doubted there were any ¨C but perhaps this was one reason why the general architecture of the city-states was reminiscent of the Aztec pyramids.


    I was drowning in the m¨¦lange of sights, sounds, smells, and textures of the city.


    But while this was the proverbial cake, the icing was the emotional impact.


    For me, this was a new experience that went beyond the physical.


    I had never walked these streets during the dark side of the morning.


    I had never lived in the city as I was living in it now.


    I had lived a sheltered routine existence that was safe and secure, that adhered to a mandatory curfew for young people.


    From my dormitory balcony I had looked down at the city.


    I had never looked up at it the way I was now.


    But then again, I could never have indulged in my surroundings to this extent.


    Mirai was an entity that felt naked and raw because all of her senses were so sharp.


    I remembered reading how autistic people experienced the world to such a degree of clarity that the sensory overload overwhelmed them.


    Yet while it was true that I now lived in a world where the proverbial curtains had been drawn aside, the windows opened, and the scales removed from my eyes, Mirai¡¯s mind was coping.


    I wasn¡¯t hampered by the rich, vibrancy of Ar Telica¡¯s nightlife.


    I was absorbing and relishing it.


    I was seeing the world like no other human could.


    And as I realized this¡­I suddenly felt alone.


    I was an entity that couldn¡¯t share what I was feeling with anyone else because they wouldn¡¯t understand it.


    Describing it with words would never suffice.


    You had to be me in order to appreciate what I was experiencing.


    But that meant no longer being human.


    And knowing that I wasn¡¯t human added to the isolation that now fettered my state of heart and mind.


    The sights and sounds of the city grew muted, vague, and indistinct.


    What was once so clear was now dull.


    I turned my attention away from the city above me, and focused on the immediate surroundings.


    Trailing quietly behind Ghost, I began to feel incorporeal, an existence that now lived in a separate reality from the rest of humanity.


    I no longer wondered where we were going because the city had stopped feeling real to me.


    When we finally stopped, I found myself standing before a civic center, and looked up to see Ar Telica Tower rising some two thousand feet over me.


    The place was a tourist location, and one that happened to be open at all hours, though entry was by paid admission.


    ¡°Ghost?¡±


    ¡°It will be fine, Princess. Follow me.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean, why are we here?¡±


    ¡°Princess, you need a change in perspective.¡±


    I frowned inwardly, wondering how was looking at the city from above going to help?


    I could have easily sighed as I followed Ghost up the long steps to the building¡¯s entrance, but what would be the point? Would I feel better afterwards?


    I wasn¡¯t required to pay to enter the ground floor of the civic center building that served as the foundation for Ar Telica Tower. However, I would have to pay if I wished to ride the fast mag-lev elevators to the observations decks that ringed the tower at various points along its length.


    There was a short queue of people waiting on the stepped dais surrounding the elevator bank.


    To get up there, I would need to pass through the security scanning gates, and so I hesitated as I was unsure of how they would react to Mirai¡¯s body. There was also the matter of how I would pay for the trip up the tower.


    ¡°Princess, you may walk through. I have taken care of the security gates.¡±


    A shiver ran through me again as Ghost calmly reminded me of the extent of his abilities.


    If he ever turned against us¡­we wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.


    I swallowed nervously before asking, ¡°How am I going to pay?¡±


    ¡°Isabel val Sanreal has considerable funds to her name. The cost of admission will be deducted from her account when you press your right hand to the scanning plate.¡±


    ¡°So I do have money?¡±


    ¡°Most assuredly. Considerable funds.¡±


    I noticed I sounded reluctant when I asked, ¡°Just how much is considerable?¡±


    ¡°Approximately four million dorans.¡±


    ¡°Four million¡­?¡± I collapsed to my knees and then swayed drunkenly. ¡°¡­four¡­four million¡­.¡±


    ¡°Princess, please. Compose yourself. As a member of the Sanreal Family, you should expect your net value to be substantial.¡±


    I looked crookedly up at a Ghost. ¡°Four million dorans, Ghost.¡±


    Crouching beside me, he nodded firmly. ¡°Indeed.¡±


    I lowered my voice to a whisper. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? Four million dorans! I could buy a mansion with that much money.¡±


    ¡°A wise investment.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I asked, ¡°Why do I have so much money?¡±


    ¡°A welcoming gift from the Sanreal Family to their long lost daughter.¡±


    ¡°I can use all that money now?¡±


    ¡°The terms and conditions stipulate that a stipend is available to you each month out of the four million in your account. Also, a portfolio has been established under your name. At present your investments total an impressive amount.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t just reluctant but scared to ask, ¡°How¡­how impressive?¡±


    ¡°Three hundred and sixty million dorans¡­give or take a few million.¡±


    I promptly passed out on the spot¡­


    ¡­and woke up to find myself lying down on something comfortable while a young female medic with short dark hair, and large expressive brown eyes, watched over me.


    Seeing me open my eyes, she spoke to someone over her shoulder.


    ¡°She¡¯s coming too.¡±


    A male security guard came into view when he stepped up to the bed. ¡°How is she?¡±


    ¡°Like her scan says, she¡¯s in perfect health.¡± The young woman waved scanning wand over me. ¡°Miss, can you hear me?¡± she asked while reading the results of the scan on a tablet she held in her left hand.


    I blinked slowly at first then a little quicker as my mental faculties rebooted. Giving her a short nod, I cleared my throat and cautiously asked, ¡°What happened to me?¡±


    ¡°You fainted,¡± the woman replied. ¡°The security drones brought you to the guards¡¯ station, and they carried you to the med center.¡±


    I propped myself up on my elbows. ¡°Where am I?¡±


    The medic looked at me puzzled before saying, ¡°As I just explained, you¡¯re in the med center at the civic tower. You fainted in the foyer and were brought here by the security guards.¡±


    Looking around me, I saw a few other beds, all empty, with flat display screens above their headrests. The place definitely looked like a sickbay, and it certainly smelt like one.


    This is bad. They¡¯ll realize Mirai isn¡¯t human.


    I turned to the young woman and asked, ¡°Am I free to go?¡±


    The medic glanced at the security guard standing beside her, watching me quietly with an intent expression.


    ¡°Miss Sanreal, before we can let you go¡ª¡±


    I flinched. ¡°You know who I am?¡±


    He nodded with a faint frown. ¡°We verified your identity via handprint. Your registered guardian has been notified of your situation. She¡¯s on her way to pick you up. I suggest you lie down and wait for her.¡±


    Erina is coming here! Shit!


    In a panic, I swung my legs off the bed. ¡°I have to go.¡±


    The guard stepped up to me. ¡°Miss, you really should wait for her.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    I swept my gaze over him and judged how much of a threat he posed. He was middle aged, and quite trim. His security uniform looked padded, and a stun baton hung from his belt. There was also a thigh holstered electro-dartgun to be wary of.


    Looking up at him, I asked, ¡°Are you detaining me?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Miss, at this time we have no authority to detain you. I can only suggest that you remain here while waiting for your guardian.¡±


    ¡°Good, then I¡¯m free to go.¡± Climbing off the bed, I tested my balance and was reasonably confident I wouldn¡¯t be falling over on my way to the door.


    I cursed myself inwardly.


    What an idiot! Fainting just because I¡¯m rich! How frekking stupid!


    While the guard regarded me with suspicion, the medic waved her scanning wand over me one more time, then tapped at the tablet displaying the results.


    I stared at the device fearfully until I noticed Ghost standing behind the medic, peering over her shoulder while nodding to himself in satisfaction at what I presumed was his handiwork. No doubt, he was ensuring the device revealed no abnormalities with Mirai¡¯s body.


    Sure enough the medic announced, ¡°Well, I can see nothing wrong with her.¡± Turning off the scanning wand, she added, ¡°If you wish to go, I can¡¯t keep you here.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡±


    ¡°But I would recommend you visit a hospital in the morning. There could be something I can¡¯t detect with the equipment here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Bowing to her quickly, I said, ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sorry for the trouble I¡¯ve caused.¡±


    The guard who¡¯d spoken to me, looked reluctant to let me go. ¡°Miss, shouldn¡¯t you wait for your guardian.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Slipping between him and the medic, I made my way out of the large room without a glance behind me. Finding myself in a short corridor that I didn¡¯t recognize, I whispered hastily, ¡°Ghost?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess?¡±


    ¡°Which way out of here?¡± I asked, while quickly reading the signs mounted to the walls.


    ¡°That way,¡± he said, indicating down the corridor to my left.


    Walking fast, I then asked, ¡°Where is my sister? How close is she?¡±


    He frowned faintly as he walked with long strides beside me. ¡°Turn right here.¡±


    Rounding the corner, I began to jog, grateful for the sports bra keeping my boobs in check. ¡°Ghost? About Erina¡ª¡±


    ¡°She should be arriving within the next couple minutes. Princess, do you think it is wise to run from her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her face. I don¡¯t want to be anywhere near her.¡±


    ¡°Princess, eventually you will need to face her.¡±


    I shook my head curtly. ¡°Not now. Not yet.¡±


    Ghost pointed at a set of double doors. ¡°Through there.¡±


    Pushing through the doors, I found myself at end of a short corridor. I hurried to the doors at the opposite end, and pushed them open to see a wide open circular room with a tall ceiling, and a thick column rising through the middle of it. Seeing the security gates and the dais surrounding the base of the column, I recognized the room as the foyer of the civic center.


    ¡°You know your way from here,¡± Ghost quipped.


    I didn¡¯t reply, instead jogging to the wide permaglass entrance on the diametrically opposite the double doors I¡¯d come through. At the entrance, I had to wait a moment for them to open automatically, before I could rush outside into the morning air.


    ¡°If you wish to avoid her,¡± Ghost said after coming up beside me, ¡°I suggest you make your way left. There is a mag-lev station nearby.¡±


    I was sweeping my gaze over the city streets before me, watching the cars driving by, when a business grey two-door sports saloon pulled into the civic center¡¯s temporary parking area. Something about the way the car moved made my heart jump, and I stared at it warily. My heart jumped again when I saw Erina jump out of the passenger side of the car, and look about quickly before walking hurriedly to the building¡¯s entrance.


    I turned away, but not before she looked up and saw me standing on the landing outside the permaglass entrance.


    Erina¡¯s mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. A heartbeat later she cried out, ¡°Isabel.¡±


    Turning swiftly, I ran away to my right, in the opposite direction Ghost had suggested.


    ¡°Isabel!¡±


    I ignored my sister as I leapt from the edge of the landing all the way to the sidewalk with a jump that carried me a dozen meters through the air.


    ¡°Isabel¡ªwait!¡±


    Landing hard at the foot of the steps leading up to the building, I cushioned the impact by dropping onto all fours, and after a breath, I pushed myself back up to my feet and ran down the sidewalk, away from my sister.


    ¡°Isabel¡ªplease wait!¡±


    The sandals I was wearing were not made for running, and I briefly considered taking them off and sprinting barefoot. However, by then I was weaving through pedestrian traffic, and my pace slowed dramatically.


    ¡°Princess, I recommend making a right turn at the next corner. There is another mag-lev station at the end of this district block.¡±


    I could hear Ghost, but I couldn¡¯t see him, as I hurried between the slow moving traffic on the sidewalk.


    Half-running, half-jogging past people, I arrived at the corner and saw the underground entrance to the subway mag-lev station.


    With barely a thought, I worked my way across to it, and descended the steps in a hurry, though again I was hampered by the number of people riding the escalators down to the subterranean station.


    ¡°Princess, a train will be arriving at Platform Four in the next minute. I suggest you board it.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s it going?¡± I asked while slipping between a young couple holding hands on the escalator. I had to jump over their clasped hands, catching myself with outstretched arms as I landed awkwardly on the stairs. Paying their surprised outcries no mind, I continued downward, leapt onto the landing at the foot of the escalators, and then ran over to the security turnstiles with a steady stream of people flowing through them.


    If I¡¯d had my phone, I could have waved it over the scanning plate. Instead, I had to press my palm to the plate, wait for the device to recognize me, then beep its approval before I could pass through the turnstile gate.


    Ghost directed me to Platform Four, so all I needed to do was run rather than stop to read the overhead signs.


    The mag-lev with a dozen odd carriages pulled up to the platform with a loud sigh as it came to rest on the supporting rail line.


    I was still some ways from it when the carriages opened their doors and disgorged their contents, so I broke into a run. The usual innocent pushing and shoving ensued as those disembarking merged with the individuals waiting to board.


    Arriving at the mag-lev, going with the flow was the best option, and I was soon swept into a carriage. Once inside, I found myself a spot near the opposite doors, and then held onto the nearest vertical pole stretching from the cabin¡¯s floor to the ceiling. With an eye on the open doors, I peered at them between the bodies of the commuters standing before me, and refrained from sighing in relief when the doors closed exactly sixty seconds after they¡¯d opened.


    When the mag-lev smoothly pulled away from the platform, I exhaled loudly ¨C no, I didn¡¯t sigh ¨C and sagged a little against the carriage wall behind me. After a moment, I gave into the luxury of closing my eyes and resting my head back.


    ¡°Princess?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep doing this,¡± I whispered, and then placed a hand over my stomach. ¡°Tired. Hungry.¡± I opened my eyes and grimaced. ¡°And I need to pee.¡±


    Ghost wasn¡¯t visible. It would have been disturbing seeing him standing merged with the bodies of the passengers crowding the inside of the carriage, so I assumed he¡¯d reverted to voice-only mode.


    ¡°I should get off at the next stop,¡± I whispered.


    It might sound strange, but the truth was that I hadn¡¯t felt the need urinate or otherwise since waking up in Mirai¡¯s body. With everything going on around me, I hadn¡¯t consciously thought about it. But it seemed that lunch aboard Erina¡¯s superyacht had finally caught up with Mirai. I cringed inwardly as I thought of the mechanics involved, but if I didn¡¯t make a pitstop in the next ten odd minutes I¡¯d have a disaster on my hands ¨C I mean, panties.


    I stared at the ceiling while holding back the urge to urinate. With there being different muscles involved, doing so didn¡¯t feel the same as from when I was male. In addition, I had to consciously think about what I was doing to keep my bladder from voiding and making a mess.


    ¡°Princess, what then? Will you continue running?¡±


    I turned away from the inside of the carriage and faced the doors.


    There was nothing but darkness outside as the mag-lev raced through the underground tunnel, so the interior of the carriage was reflected in the glass doors, and that included me.


    Staring at myself through lidded eyes, I answered him in a whisper. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­I just don¡¯t want to face her¡­just looking at her¡­turns my stomach¡­.¡±


    ¡°You cannot continue to run away. I will assist you, but I must tell you this will only prolong the inevitable.¡±


    I took a quiet breath, and leaned my forehead against the glass door. ¡°At least until morning¡­I don¡¯t want to see her¡­.¡±


    A short melody played by soft chimes sounded in the carriage, indicating we were approaching the next station.


    I looked up at an overhead display indicating where we were and realized we¡¯d travelled north through Ring Zero. With my eyes, I followed the mag-lev line on the display, reading the district numbers it intersected.


    When the doors opened, I remained aboard the carriage.


    ¡°Princess?¡±


    ¡°Next two stops,¡± I replied in a hushed tone. ¡°Not here.¡±


    My decision not to disembark meant travelling aboard the mag-lev for another six minutes while restraining my body¡¯s urge to pee.


    When my stop finally arrived, I bolted out of the mag-lev, raced up the escalators to the station promenade, then searched for the ladies restroom. Finding one, I dove into the anteroom and through to the toilet area, narrowly avoided colliding with a woman making her way out, apologized in a hurry, then found an empty stall. Locking the door to the stall, I hurriedly unclasped my tight capri pants, hardly thinking about what was to come next as I dropped all articles of clothing in the way, and then sat down to urinate ¨C but not before hastily lowering the toilet seat.


    It wasn¡¯t until it was all over that I felt the weight and significance of what had transpired.


    Hunched over, I held my head in my hands, and bit my lower lip to distract myself from the unwanted tears slowly trickling down my cheeks.


    Frek! Frek! Frekking frek!


    I squeezed my eyes shut causing fireworks to explode behind my eyelids, but I couldn¡¯t run away from the truth.


    Frek! I¡¯m a frekking girl! Erina made a frekking girl!


    My chest ached as I kept my tears and sobs silent for what felt like an eternity. But in truth, it was only a few minutes that went by before I recovered enough of my composure to dry my face with toilet paper from the dispenser mounted to the stall¡¯s wall. Next was the humiliating and embarrassing business of drying myself down below.


    I kept my eyes closed as I did so, my gut muscles clenched tightly as I carefully cleaned up.


    I didn¡¯t rise until a short while later, dressing myself, and then flushing the toilet after lowering the toilet cover.


    Leaning against a stall wall, I took deep, slow breaths for half a minute, then unlocked the door and stepped outside.


    The restroom wasn¡¯t vacant. A handful of women were making use of the other stalls, and couple were finishing up at the hand basins mounted to the restroom¡¯s longest wall. I chose not to glance at them. I didn¡¯t need to with Mirai¡¯s wide field-of-vision.


    Walking over to the hand basins, I went through the motions of washing my hands, then regarded my reflection in the large mirror before me.


    I had to admit, even when tired Mirai still looked good.


    Exhaustion diminished her manufactured beauty by only a little.


    With a heavy sigh, I reluctantly wet my blonde hair, brushing it with my fingertips for a few strokes, before hanging my head as I leaned on the hand basin with both hands.


    Ever since awakening as Mirai, the truth that she was a girl ¨C that I was a girl ¨C was something I¡¯d subconsciously struggled to accept. Surviving against the Gun Queen had kept my mind from delving or dwelling on the truth for long, and during the relative peace and calm aboard the Sanreal Crest, I hadn¡¯t thought about myself as a girl. I¡¯d been preoccupied with puzzling through my circumstances, and in a way, I had been operating on auto-pilot. I was conscious of being female, yet I hadn¡¯t fully accepted it as though my subconscious was rejecting reality. Maybe it was acting like my last line of mental defense, keeping me sane when all other measures had failed.


    But now it was impossible for me to deny it any longer on any level.


    I couldn¡¯t run away from Erina, and I couldn¡¯t escape from myself either.


    Having performed a most basic act of nature, there was no hiding from the reality that I was now a girl.


    Raising my head, I looked at my tired visage, but my heart skipped a beat when I noticed the reflection of a beautiful teenage girl standing beside an open stall with her arms folded across her chest, watching me in silence. She had long silky black hair, an oval face, and green almond eyes.


    Exotic encapsulated her in a word.


    However, it wasn¡¯t her beauty that captured my attention, or the fact that she was watching me keenly. It was knowing that she had materialized out of nowhere, and there was only one person I knew of who made it a habit of appearing unexpectedly.


    I sighed and shook my head slowly as I stared back at her, aware that I was alone with her in the restroom.


    She waited until everyone else was gone.


    Still watching her cautiously in the mirror, I was first to break the silence between us. ¡°Akane Straus, I presume.¡±


    The girl smiled faintly. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    I turned around and faced her with my arms at my sides. ¡°So that¡¯s another body you have.¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°Just how many avatars do you control?¡±


    Her subtle smile turned into a grin. ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡±


    ¡°You were driving the car, weren¡¯t you?¡± I asked her. ¡°That¡¯s why Erina climbed out of the passenger seat.¡±


    ¡°I was.¡±


    ¡°How did you find me?¡±


    ¡°I followed you onto the train. I followed you off the train. You were taking a long time in here, so I decided to check up on you.¡±


    Ghost didn¡¯t tell me I was being followed. Was it because he didn¡¯t know about this body of hers? No, more than likely she was using her thermoptic camouflage to hide herself.


    Taking a breath, I stated flatly, ¡°I¡¯m not going back. Not yet.¡±


    She nodded once, then shrugged a shoulder lightly. ¡°I figured you¡¯d say that.¡±


    ¡°Your move,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Huh?¡± She blinked in surprise.


    ¡°You¡¯re here to take me back, so it¡¯s your move. Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    For a long while, she stared at me with open confusion, before laughing softly. ¡°I¡¯m not here to take you back. I¡¯m just here to keep an eye on you.¡±


    Not the reply I was expecting, and it showed on my face as I asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I think we should talk.¡±


    I raised my fists at her. ¡°With these?¡±


    The brunette girl that was another of Akane Straus¡¯s mechanical avatars stepped closer to me. ¡°No, with these.¡± She pointed at her lips.


    This change in her approach to dealing with me made me nervous. ¡°What is it that you want? Tell me the truth.¡±


    Straus glanced away as she smoothly planted her hands on her hips, and eventually replied, ¡°To be normal.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking.¡±


    She wet her lips in a very human and girlish way that was surprisingly thoughtful as well. ¡°Fighting you head on is pointless. You won¡¯t change. You won¡¯t give an inch. You¡¯re stubborn like Erina to a fault. I figure this time I¡¯ll just zig-zag.¡±


    ¡°Okay. It¡¯s still your move.¡±


    She pouted in thought, before breaking into a solemn smile. ¡°I forfeit my move. The ball¡¯s back in your court. What will you do?¡±


    I tried to judge her intentions but I couldn¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t accustomed to dealing with her like this, so I was hampered by trying to figure out all the angles at once.


    What was she really up to?


    What did she want?


    In other words, what was her immediate objective?


    Confused and uncertain about her ulterior motives, I found my options limited by her passive approach.


    ¡°Did Erina put you up to this?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°No.¡±


    She answered without hesitation and it made me believe her, though I remained suspicious and on guard.


    Straus stepped around me and walked up to a wash basin. She stared at herself in the mirror for a while before saying, ¡°Erina and I shared some words.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°About you.¡± Straus gently turned her head left and right, and continued studying her reflection in the mirror. ¡°I think it¡¯s the first fight we¡¯ve had in a long while.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me you had a disagreement? Seriously? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t agree with how she¡¯s been treating you.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at her and snorted. ¡°Like you would care.¡±


    She looked at me. ¡°I have something I need to tell you.¡±


    I shook my head, and began walking away toward the exit. ¡°Not interested.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about why Erina shouted at you on the balcony.¡±


    I stopped walking but didn¡¯t turn around. It made it easier to hide the anger that flashed through me. ¡°I don¡¯t care why she shouted me.¡±


    ¡°At least let me tell you why¡ª¡±


    I half spun around. ¡°I told you I don¡¯t care¡ª!¡±


    The door to the restroom was pulled open, startling me.


    Two young women, both of them brunettes wearing an unhealthy amount of makeup and dressed for a fun night on the town staggered into the room. Neither of them smelt fresh, and one of them pushed me aside as she helped her more inebriated friend into the room.


    ¡°Scuse me! Scuse me! Make a hole. Coming through!¡±


    Straus gave them room as they made their way on rubbery legs to the nearest vacant stall.


    Then the least sober of the two promptly wretched her guts out into the throne.


    I stared at them in mild disgust before turning to leave the restroom.


    Straus approached me from behind. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you why, but not here. Will you come with me?¡±


    Again, I spun around to face her. ¡°Look, how many time to do I have to tell you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important,¡± she replied in a low, firm tone that matched her gaze.


    I contemplated walking out on her, but I was distracted by the nauseating sounds and smell coming from the nearest stall as the drunkards took turns throwing up into the toilet bowl.


    ¡°Okay, fine. Whatever. Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Not here. Will you come with me?¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother hiding my suspicions when I asked, ¡°Where to?¡±


    Stepping around me, Straus opened the door to the restroom leading to the anteroom. ¡°I know a little place nearby. They make great pancakes.¡±


    At the thought of pancakes, my stomach rumbled in response, but it was drowned out by the sounds of vomiting and heavy coughing.


    Unable to tolerate another moment in the restroom, I followed Straus out of the toilets and back into the station promenade.

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 2 - Part 2 version 2.

    Chapter 2.


    ¨C II ¨C


    As I followed Ghost, or at the very least his superimposed image, the bustling sidewalks grew busier the farther we walked and the closer we drew to Ring Zero¡¯s entertainment districts that resided due west of the horseshoe shaped harbor.


    Ghost wouldn¡¯t tell me our destination within the district, so I decided pressing him for an answer would be a waste of time, but I had another reason for keeping silent.


    No longer wet and uncomfortable, I wasn¡¯t trying to hide from the sidewalk traffic anymore.


    I had become one of the many in the crowd, and thus, I was able to soak in my surroundings.


    Standing at an intersection, surrounded by people waiting for the light to change, I brushed aside locks of blonde hair, and looked up at the city buildings.


    Even when she wasn¡¯t powered up, Mirai¡¯s eyes and senses were crystal clear, allowing me to perceive the environment with greater clarity than at any time during my existence as Ronin Kassius. Because of this, I was able observe and experience the city like never before.


    My olfactory organs were nearly inundated by the rich variety of smells they were capturing and cataloging. The smell of people, the smells from the shops, the smell of vehicles on the road, even the subtle smell of metal from the mag-levs racing overhead on elevated rail lines ¨C I could sense all of it, including the veiled scent of the ocean carried on the back of the breeze drafting in from the harbor a few hundred meters away to the east.


    On my bare skin, I could feel the cold air, and the warmth of the people around me. When their bodies brushed by me, unable or unwilling to avoid contact on the wide, populated sidewalk, I could feel the texture of their clothes and their skin.


    Conversations, shouts, laughter, footsteps, music, the hiss of electro-fusion drives from cars and mag-levs, the whirring of drones overhead, the high frequency hum of photronics lights, the rustling of clothes, all blended into a collage of sounds absorbed by my ears.


    There was a great deal for my eyes to feast upon as well.


    When no looking at the people around me, I gazed upwards at the giant pyramidal megascrapers of Ar Telica, rising a thousand feet high, lit by countless exterior lights rather than by light coming from their windows since the majority of the city¡¯s population was asleep, a fact belied by the number of people crowding the sidewalks, shops, and malls at this hour. Because of their slanted exteriors, the buildings avoided the canyon effect, leaning back to offer as much of the sky as they could. Thus while they loomed over me, I didn¡¯t feel oppressed by them. I doubted there were any engineering benefits, but perhaps this was one reason why the general architecture of the city-states was reminiscent of the Aztec pyramids.


    All of this combined to immerse me in the m¨¦lange of sights, sounds, smells, and textures of the city and its people.


    Yet this was only the proverbial cake.


    The icing was the emotional impact it had upon me.


    For me, this was a new experience that went beyond the physical.


    I had never walked these streets during the dark side of the morning.


    I had never lived in the city as I was living in it now.


    My life was a sheltered routine existence that was safe and secure, and adhered to a mandatory curfew for young people.


    From my dormitory balcony I had looked down at the city, but never looked up at it the way I could now.


    I could never have indulged in my surroundings to this extent.


    All of this was possible because Mirai was an entity that perceived her surroundings at a preternatural level. She was an existence that was naked and raw.


    I remembered reading how autistic people experienced the world to such a degree of clarity that the sensory overload overwhelmed them.


    Yet while it was true that I now lived in a world where the proverbial curtains had been drawn aside, the windows opened, and the scales removed from my eyes, Mirai¡¯s mind was coping.


    I wasn¡¯t hampered by the rich, vibrancy of Ar Telica¡¯s nightlife.


    I was absorbing and relishing it, and seeing the world like no other human could.


    And as I realized this¡­my euphoria evaporated and reality crushed me to the sidewalk.


    Mirai was an existence like no other¡­and because of this she was alone.


    I couldn¡¯t share what I was feeling with anyone else because they wouldn¡¯t understand it.


    Describing it with words would never suffice.


    They had to be like me to appreciate what I was experiencing.


    But that meant no longer being human, and knowing that I wasn¡¯t human added to the isolation that now fettered my state of heart and mind.


    The sights and sounds of the city grew muted, vague, and indistinct.


    What was once so clear was now dull, and I turned my attention away from the city above me, unable to bear the weight of the vista.


    The light turned green for pedestrians, and I was swept along across the street by the impatient crowd.


    Trailing quietly behind Ghost, I began to feel incorporeal, an existence that now lived in a separate reality from the rest of humanity, seeing things they couldn¡¯t see, feeling in ways they couldn¡¯t feel, able to do things they couldn¡¯t do, and like a vicious spiral it served to reinforce my uniqueness and isolation.


    I suddenly thought of another existence that was like mine.


    A fictional character in a novel written hundreds of years ago ¨C Frankenstein¡¯s monster.


    The lonely monster that had initially beseeched its creator for a mate to dispel its solitude; for a companion that could understand it.


    Would I become like the monster?


    I knew that I wasn¡¯t a loner, but the deeper question was would I crave companionship like the monster had?


    That made me wonder what kind of companionship I was after ¨C male or female ¨C and my feelings soured as a result. I liked girls but there were a couple of occasions after awakening as Mirai where I¡¯d caught myself looking at Mat, embarrassingly seeing him not as my friend but as a handsome young man. So while I was drawn in one direction, I was also being tugged in the other, resulting in a conflicted state of heart and mind.


    Wrapped in my thoughts, I didn¡¯t notice Ghost had stopped walking until I passed through him.


    A shiver ran through me and I turned around to look at him now standing behind me.


    Okay¡ªthat was creepy!


    ¡°Why did you stop?¡± I hissed at him while wrapping my arms tightly about me.


    ¡°Because, Princess, we have arrived.¡±


    Looking around at my surroundings, it took me a short while to gain my bearings as I found myself standing before a short squat, circular building with an immensely tall tower stretching far above me into the night sky. Because I had visited this place before with Mat, I recognized it as a civic center that served as the foundation for Ar Telica Tower. That was another reason for me to recognize this locale ¨C the Tower was the tallest structure in the city-state, rising some three and a half thousand feet above sea level. Serving as a tourist spot, it was unusually open at all hours. Entry into the building was free, though I would have to pay an admission to ride the fast mag-lev elevators up the Tower¡¯s various observation decks and restaurant levels.


    ¡°Ghost?¡±


    ¡°It will be fine, Princess. Follow me.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean, why are we here?¡± I sincerely was baffled by his decision to guide me to the Tower.


    ¡°Princess, you need a change in perspective.¡±


    I frowned inwardly, wondering how looking at the city from above was going to help me.


    That said, did Ghost know what was troubling me?


    I followed him up the long, wide steps to the building. Once inside, I saw a short queue of people waiting at the top of a stepped dais surrounding a white column more than twenty meters in diameter occupying the middle of the floor space. Running through the ceiling, the column served as part of the Tower¡¯s internal support structure, and contained the elevator shafts for the lift cars that travelled up and down the Tower¡¯s length. To access the elevator bank at the top of the dais, I would need to pass through the security scanning gates, and so I hesitated as I was unsure of how they would react to Mirai¡¯s body. There was also the matter of how I would pay for the trip up the tower.


    In a whisper, I asked, ¡°Ghost, am I going to set off alarms?¡±


    ¡°Princess, you may walk through. I have taken care of the security gates.¡±


    I shivered again, as Ghost calmly reminded me of the extent of his abilities.


    If he ever turned against us¡­we wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.


    I swallowed nervously before bringing up the matter of money. ¡°How am I going to pay?¡±


    ¡°You place your right hand on the scanning plate. The cost of admission will be deducted from your account.¡±


    ¡°My account? Ronin Kassius¡¯s bank account?¡±


    Ghost shook his head and looked amused. ¡°No, Princess. Isabel val Sanreal¡¯s account.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    I blinked quickly. ¡°She has money? I mean¡ªI have money?¡±


    ¡°Most assuredly. Considerable funds.¡±


    I noticed I sounded reluctant when I asked, ¡°Just how much is considerable?¡±


    Ghost hesitated. ¡°Enough to ensure you will not be short on change.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha. Funny. So how much money does she have?¡±


    ¡°Approximately four million dorans.¡±


    ¡°Four million¡­?¡± I swayed on my feet for several heartbeats before catching my balance. Pressing a palm to my forehead, I whispered uneasily, ¡°Did you say¡­four million?¡±


    In the corner of my left eye, I saw Ghost look at me with concern. ¡°Princess, why are you surprised? As a member of the Sanreal Family, you should expect your net value to be substantial.¡±


    With my palm still pressed to my forehead, I looked crookedly up at Ghost. ¡°Four million dorans, Ghost.¡±


    He started looking puzzled. ¡°Yes?¡±


    I lowered my voice even more. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? Four million dorans! I could buy a mansion with that much money.¡±


    Ghost made an ¡®ah¡¯ expression and clicked his fingers. ¡°Yes, indeed. A very wise investment.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I asked, ¡°Why do I have so much money?¡±


    ¡°A welcoming gift from the Sanreal Family to their long absent daughter.¡±


    ¡°I can use all that money now?¡±


    ¡°The terms and conditions stipulate that a stipend is available to you each month out of the four million in your account. Also, a portfolio has been established under your name. At present your investments total an impressive amount.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t just reluctant but scared to ask, ¡°How¡­how impressive?¡±


    ¡°Three hundred and sixty million dorans¡­give or take a few million.¡±


    It took a long while for the amount to register within my brain.


    ¡°¡­I¡­I need to sit down¡­.¡±


    Turning drunkenly, I looked for somewhere to sit until Ghost pointed to a row of vacant sofa seats near a display stand running a holovid projection tour of Ar Telica¡¯s Tower.


    Trudging over to it, I sat down on an empty seat and hunched over my lap with my head in my hands, distinctly aware of my heavy breasts pushing at the sports bra¡¯s material. However, even Mirai¡¯s boobs weren¡¯t enough to distract me from Ghost¡¯s devastating revelation.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Why what, Princess?¡±


    Exhaling heavily, I looked up at him. ¡°Why would they do that? Do they really have my long term interests in mind? Or is it all just a front?¡±


    ¡°Both. To support the veracity of Isabel val Sanreal¡¯s identity, the Sanreal Family has created her existence from the ground up. Financial security will add to her realism.¡±


    I shook my head slowly. ¡°Why? Why go that far? This body was meant for Clarisol, but why go that far for her?¡±


    Ghost fell silent with a faintly troubled frown.


    I continued looking up at him, until a thought crossed my mind. ¡°Ghost, where is Clarisol¡¯s Virtual Prison? Is it here in my reality or in hers?¡±


    ¡°Not long ago the construct maintaining her virtual space was brought over to this reality. Think of it as a concession on the Empress¡¯s part.¡± He frowned slightly before amending his reply. ¡°Perhaps it is more fitting to say, Clarisol¡¯s imprisonment was downgraded to a house arrest.¡±


    ¡°You mean it was worse than it is now?¡±


    If the bleak environment her mind was in now was equivalent to a home imprisonment, I didn¡¯t want to think of what her previous virtual prison was like.


    However, Ghost shook his head. ¡°No. She has been contained in that representation for ten years. But it is only recently that she was given access to material from the outside world. In other words, the conditions of her isolation were relaxed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s still cruel,¡± I muttered under my breath.


    Naturally, Ghost heard me. ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°Then why was the Empress so gracious?¡±


    Ghost folded his arms and assumed a pensive pose. ¡°I do not know. It puzzled House Novis as well. However, they were not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.¡±


    ¡°Ghost, what did her family have planned for her?¡±


    Ghost stiffened slightly.


    I found it strange that his projected image would do so, and for a heartbeat I wondered if it was an act on his part, rather than a reflex reaction that slipped past his control. ¡°Ghost?¡±


    ¡°I cannot say.¡±


    ¡°I doubt they¡¯d be able to keep it a secret from you.¡± Cocking my head slightly, I stared at him reproachfully. ¡°So that means you won¡¯t tell me.¡± After straightening my posture on the seat, I added, ¡°You told me you wouldn¡¯t lie to me, but that doesn¡¯t mean you will tell me everything.¡±


    ¡°It is a question of trust, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Trust is a two-way street.¡±


    Again he fell silent, and stood stiffly before me.


    I chose to sit back and softly murmured, ¡°I don¡¯t understand why she would be given the existence of Isabel val Sanreal if she already lives as Clarisol val Sanreal.¡±


    Ghost bowed his head for a moment, before sitting down on the sofa seat vacant to my right.


    To me it felt like a movie moment, where spies sit on the same bench in a park, acting all discreet while sharing state secrets as children play in the background and the unsuspecting populace walks by. Ghost certainly was projecting the air of a troubled spy as his image sat beside me.


    ¡°There is no guarantee the Empress would ever release Clarisol. Isabel is an existence that could offer her a way out, albeit for only a copy of her.¡±


    ¡°What about the Simulacra versions of her?¡±


    Ghost shook his head. ¡°They have finite lifespan.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t everyone?¡±


    Again, he shook his head. ¡°It is by design. One year. Twelve months.¡±


    I turned to look at him, cautious of how that action would be seen by others but quickly noticed the place was deserted, and the visitors waiting at the elevator bank had boarded the high-speed mag-lev lifts that would carry them up the Tower.


    I swallowed quietly and then softly asked, ¡°Because her Simulacra is a Master Grade body?¡±


    ¡°No. Because the Empress decreed it.¡±


    ¡°She what?¡±


    Ghost raised his head a little, and looked at the foyer¡¯s opposite end. ¡°Kateopia decreed that Clarisol¡¯s Simulacra that live in the physical world would expire after one year. Before then, they would need to dump their memories into the Clarisol living in the virtual space.¡± He looked down and sighed. ¡°Of course, the Simulacra did not know of this¡­until one of them discovered the truth. Unfortunately, she dumped her knowledge into Clarisol before she could be stopped. Because of this all the Simulacra made from Clarisol are imprinted with that knowledge. And some of them do not take it well.¡± He released an unexpected chuckle. ¡°That last version of her was by far the most unrestrained. I would go so far as to describe her as unreconcilable with the real version.¡±


    I turned away. Resting back, I looked up at the ceiling many meters above me.


    Was that why Clarisol acted the way she did? Was she unhinged by knowing that she would only live for a year? Did she choose to live her life literally to the fullest because it was so short?


    Even so, I won¡¯t forgive her for what she did to Angela and Felicia.


    Then I remembered the difference between the two Clarisols, and wondered if holding a grudge against her was worth it.


    The real version? Is it even possible to call her that?


    ¡°Ghost¡­I just don¡¯t get it.¡±


    In the corner of my eye, I watched him glance at me.


    Clearing my throat, I asked, ¡°If Kateopia loved Clarisol¡¯s mother that much, why treat her daughter like a mass murderer?¡±


    ¡°She is not punishing Clarisol. She is punishing House Novis.¡±


    ¡°Ghost, that¡¯s a contradiction.¡±


    ¡°I am aware of that.¡± Abruptly, he stood up and began pacing before me. ¡°It is a contradiction not lost on anyone.¡±


    ¡°So House Novis concocted the plan to use a fake existence to give at least a copy of Clarisol a chance at a new life.¡± I shook my head, demonstrating my confusion. ¡°Why not create an identity for her that was far and away from House Novis and the Sanreals?¡±


    ¡°They did create an existence that was far removed from them. They spent considerable time and resources creating the identity of Isabel Allegrando. She was to live safe and comfortable on a colony world. Far away from Teloria and from the bridge between our respective universes. But in the end it was all for naught.¡±


    ¡°Because the Empress found out about her?¡±


    ¡°Correct. She found out about Mirai. She learnt about Isabel and the plan to copy Clarisol into her.¡±


    I cocked my head at him. ¡°Where did the Angel Fibers fit into all this?¡±


    ¡°The Angel Fibers were to give her abilities she would need to survive. To live beyond the lifespan of a Simulacra. That is what your sister promised the Sanreals, and House Novis.¡±


    It seemed that the Angel Fibers were always involved in the question of mortality and immortality. Yet I found it extraordinary that Clarisol¡¯s family harbored such guilt over her imprisonment that they would go to such lengths to atone for the punishment she endured. In a way, wasn¡¯t their plan treason against the Empress?


    ¡°Ghost, who chose the name, Isabel, for Clarisol¡¯s new identity?¡±


    He gave the impression of taking a deep breath. ¡°Your sister chose the name Isabel.¡±


    Was it true then? Did my mother truly wish to name me Isabel if I was born a girl?


    I had a distinctly troubling thought follow on the heels of that question.


    Everything Erina had told me indicated she had no intention of throwing Mirai into the Gun Princess Royale. Everything I¡¯d been told by Ghost and Clarisol confirmed that premise. Mirai was a vessel ¨C a host for the Angel Fibers ¨C and thus too valuable to risk being killed or injured in the championship. Erina had made it quite clear that my predicament was of the Empress¡¯s making. So why create Mirai for the intention of giving Clarisol a chance at life? Why would Erina be willing to give up Mirai ¨C something and not someone that she considered so precious that she would face down an Empress?


    The thought of Erina relinquishing Mirai made no sense to me, not when Mirai could affect the lives of thousands of diseased people.


    But what if she wasn¡¯t playing the game the Sanreals thought she was? What if Erina never intended Mirai to be a vessel for Clarisol?


    I swallowed and couldn¡¯t help averting my gaze away from Ghost.


    What if Erina had always intended Mirai as a vessel for me? But why would she do that? Did that mean that Erina feared she could not save Ronin Kassius? Was she preparing for the possibility of failure? Or was it something else?


    With the plans laid down by Erina and the Sanreals exposed to the Empress, an instance of Clarisol could not take ownership of Mirai and flee to the outermost realms of human control space. Thus Mirai was stuck here on Teloria and now a participant in the Gun Princess Royale.


    However, that left her under Erina¡¯s watchful eye.


    I held back from biting my lower lip as I pondered the dangerous thought.


    Was that it? Was that the reason why everything fell apart?


    If Erina was plotting betrayal behind the backs of the Sanreal Family, she would need a dangerous degree of motivation, and if she wasn¡¯t preparing Mirai for either Clarisol or myself, then perhaps she intended to use Mirai as a vessel for Akane Straus.


    Either way, Erina was playing with fire.


    Bowing my head, I cast my gaze down at the carpet below my sandaled feet and suppressed a cold shiver.


    If Erina was playing with fire, this wasn¡¯t going to end well for her¡­or for me.


    Sensing Ghost watching me closely from a near distance, I realized I¡¯d been thinking for too long. My silence could betray my thoughts.


    ¡°Hey Ghost?¡±


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°If I had money all this time, why did you make me raid the charity bins?¡±


    ¡°Walking into a shop in your disreputable state would have raised questions. It might have led to unforeseen consequences later.¡±


    I see. If Isabel val Sanreal was recognized later by the shopkeeper, they might have written about the encounter on social media. Rumors and gossip would have been born out of it.


    That was what I thought, but I decided to play another card with Ghost. ¡°I could have talked my way out of it.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but accessing your account would have alerted your sister to your location.¡±


    I nodded inwardly, but outwardly I expressed surprise as I looked up at Ghost. ¡°They have tabs on my account?¡±


    ¡°They do.¡±


    ¡°Then paying for admission here would have alerted them as well.¡±


    Ghost was silent for a long, telling moment. ¡°My bad.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to be caught?¡± I asked him with a voice laced with suspicion.


    He folded his hands behind his back and assumed a sheepish expression. ¡°I had presumed that the view from above would have calmed you down. Perhaps, you would have been more agreeable to an open discussion with your sister.¡±


    ¡°Ghost, don¡¯t call that woman my sister.¡±


    He looked troubled for a heartbeat before bowing politely to me. ¡°As you wish, Princess.¡±


    I exhaled loudly as I raised my gaze at the foyer¡¯s high ceiling.


    ¡°Ghost, there¡¯s someplace I¡¯d like to go.¡±


    He waited expectantly for me, and after a few heartbeats, I exhaled softly this time and it could have been mistaken for a sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to go home....¡±


    My voice failed me unexpectedly, embarrassing me, so I pressed my lips tightly together as I continued looking up at the ceiling.


    Yet I wasn¡¯t just embarrassed.


    I was also struggling with the weight of my decision, knowing there would be pain while believing it was something that I needed to do. I didn¡¯t think of it as a rite of passage. It was just the necessary turning of a page in order to begin a new chapter. After all, back aboard the Sanreal Crest I had pretty much declared that I would live as Isabel val Sanreal, and fight in the Gun Princess Royale as Mirai.


    However, saying it and accepting it were not one and the same.


    I was holding back or rather being held down by my ties to Ronin Kassius.


    It was painful to acknowledge that truth, but I had already taken a step away from my previous existence ¨C I no longer considered Erina Kassius as my sister.


    However, ties remained waiting to be cut.


    I couldn¡¯t be certain if Ghost misunderstood what I meant, or was simply acting that way when he tipped his head ever so slightly to ask, ¡°You wish to return to the apartment?¡±


    I swallowed as discreetly as I could, and not trusting my voice, I replied with a succinct, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°In that case, Princess, where do you wish to go?¡±


    It should have been easy to say, yet the words wound themselves around my chest, making it hard to breathe.


    This is something I need to do. If I don¡¯t do this¡­I won¡¯t be able to move forward.


    My heart beat heavily as I stood up from the comfortable sofa seat, and looked into Ghost¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to go home, Ghost¡­back to my dormitory¡­.¡±


    I swallowed after my voice failed me again, unable to say the rest.


    ¡­to pay my respects to my life as Ronin Kassius.


    Ghost¡¯s eyes studied me in silence for a long while, before he broke into a weak smile. ¡°I understand, Princess.¡±


    This time I sighed for real, and was surprised by the degree of relief I felt. ¡°You do?¡±


    He gave me a warm nod, and yet I caught the hint of sadness in his smile as he stepped aside with a polite bow.


    ¡°Well then, Princess. Shall we be off?¡±

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 3 - Part 1.

    Chapter 3.


    ¨C I ¨C


    I had to walk nine city district blocks to arrive at the sixty storey apartment complex that served as a dormitory for students of Telos Academy.


    Equipped with apartments that ranged from single bedroom to three-bedroom layouts, the complex was large enough to house the entire academic student body that numbered around six thousand, but at present it was home to around half that quantity. Because of this, many students that should have been sharing an apartment with others found themselves effectively living alone in family sized dwellings. Others, like myself, found themselves in hotel sized rooms that were spacious but hardly awe inspiring. However, it wasn¡¯t just the students that lived there, but teaching faculty, administrative staff, and maintenance workers as well, though they were on separate floors.


    So why such a large building for just one school?


    Well, the truth is that Telos Academy was only half full itself, with numerous classrooms waiting to be opened as and when the student body swelled. The school had been designed for a maximum attendance of around twelve thousand students. Eventually, as Ar Telica continued to add Rings and expand its footprint, there would be more demand for the school, and so the apartment complex was purchased by the Telos Corporation and converted into a dormitory for students, and lodgings for the faculty.


    That¡¯s the story behind the dorm building I was now observing from a shadowed entrance far across the street.


    I was troubled but not by thoughts of breaking into the building early in the morning.


    Rather, I was bothered by the thoughts of deceit swirling around in my head after my conversation with Ghost.


    Just when I thought I understood what was going on around me, a new bombshell was dropped. Some questions were answered, but more surfaced.


    To be frank, my suspicions behind Erina¡¯s actions could be unfounded. There was probably a perfectly logical and understandable reason behind the way the situation had unfolded prior to my involvement. I was certain that if I kept digging, I¡¯d unearth the big picture, and even if it wasn¡¯t a pretty view, I still needed to see it. However, asking questions of Erina felt like the wrong choice. So could I ask? Could I pry more information out of Ghost and risk him suspecting Erina of deceit? What if there was no deceit? What if the answer was simple and standing before me?


    My questions kept circling back to the beginning.


    Eventually, I took a couple of deep breaths, and stopped the playback of thoughts looping in my head, and shelved them neatly aside.


    Time to see what¡¯s in front of me.


    I looked up at the apartment complex, counting the floors until I reached the thirty-fifth floor where my old dorm apartment was located on the south-east face of the building.


    The light to my room ¨C I mean, Ronin Kassius¡¯s room ¨C was off and the balcony window wall was dark.


    It wasn¡¯t something that inspired certain relief within me.


    The light being off didn¡¯t guarantee the room was unoccupied. If my room was deserted, I would be entering it as a stranger though I was intimately familiar with it. But if it was occupied, then the fact it was assigned to someone a mere day after my disappearance was disconcerting, as was the question of who was now in my room. Then again, the latter was purely a flight of fancy on my part, but not knowing was beginning to both unsettle and frustrate me.


    ¡°Hey, Ghost? I¡¯m kind of sticking out by standing out here.¡±


    I was in a dark area beside a towering megascraper, but street level security systems viewed the world in a wide visual spectrum so I doubted Mirai was hidden from view.


    ¡°Rest assured, Princess. I have commandeered the security grid surrounding you. You are quite secure where you are.¡±


    That chill ran through me again, the one that was stirred to life every time Ghost exerted his godly powers over technology for my benefit.


    When I considered what Clarisol and Ghost had told me about his war time achievements, a distinct fear settled around my heart, and I struggled to keep myself from shivering.


    He¡¯s technological god. And a techno demon too.


    However, every once in a while, a god encountered a wall they had trouble breaking down. In this case, it was a firewall that was hampering Ghost¡¯s efforts to secure entry for me into the building, and this firewall had been keeping him busy for the past two minutes.


    Swallowing hard, I cautiously asked, ¡°How much longer?¡±


    ¡°Another forty-three seconds, Princess. I will have broken through by then.¡±


    I started biting my lower lip and hastily forced myself to stop. ¡°Why is there so much security around my building?¡±


    ¡°A very good question. It was most unexpected. But a Category Nine Ancile firewall is like any other firewall. Porous.¡±


    ¡°But you said it was military grade.¡±


    ¡°Correct. Your military uses it protect its autonomous vehicles from outside interference.¡±


    ¡°You mean hacking.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean cracking.¡±


    Again, I started biting my lower lip, but this time I gave up trying to stop myself, briefly wondering if it was a subconscious habit of mine, or a habit of Mirai¡¯s. ¡°So why is there a firewall like that around my dorm building?¡±


    ¡°As I said before, a very good question.¡±


    I pondered for a moment. ¡°Ghost, when I was returned to my room as a Simulacrum, how did Erina get me inside without raising alarms?¡±


    ¡°I was not involved in that aspect of the operation. However, I presume they had access to the building¡¯s security systems. Then again, they may not have required it. Your passcode or handprint would have been sufficient to grant them entry into your apartment. Ah, there we have it. Open sesame¡ªoops.¡±


    I stiffened sharply. ¡°What do you mean, oops?¡±


    ¡°I mean that the breach is temporary. The firewall is rewriting itself. Hmm, how intriguing.¡±


    ¡°Ghost?¡±


    ¡°Princess, you will need to hurry into the building. You have fifteen seconds.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I blurted out.


    ¡°Princess, fly if you will. Thirteen seconds.¡±


    I growled as I hastily removed my sandals, in the process almost ripping them off my feet.


    ¡°Eight seconds, Princess.¡±


    I wanted to yell at Ghost to shut up, but instead I bolted out of my hiding spot, clutching my sandals by their straps with one hand.


    Thankfully, there was a gap in traffic that I exploited as I ran faster than an Olympic sprinter across the six-lane city street. But I was certain the people in the vehicles I raced past were shocked to see a blonde girl run barefoot and dangerously close to their cars as she dashed madly toward an apartment complex.


    I covered the distance from the sidewalk and to the landing outside the building¡¯s entrance in two bounding leaps, then stumbled through the open permaglass doors as my feet slipped. I landed on my knees inside the foyer, and slid to a stop while behind me the transparent doors closed with a soft swish.


    Recovering my breath took a few seconds, after which I climbed up to my feet and patted my sore knees under the material of my Capri pants.


    ¡°That hurt,¡± I grumbled, but I wasn¡¯t complaining about my stinging knees, the pain of which was fading quickly. Instead, it was Mirai¡¯s giant boobs that hurt the most as I cradled them in my arms.


    ¡°Princess, congratulations on setting on a new record for the one-hundred meter sprint, though the distance was actually one hundred and twelve meters.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? So what was my time?¡±


    ¡°Across the one hundred and twelve meters to the entrance? A mere seven point three seconds.¡±


    I stared at him nonplussed for a moment before asking, ¡°You mean, I covered the hundred meters in¡­around six and a half seconds?¡±


    Ghost nodded and then clapped enthusiastically. ¡°Fabuleux, Princess. Magnifique.¡±


    I felt his praise was coming off as clownish. ¡°Aren¡¯t all Simulacra above human spec?¡±


    Ghost wagged a finger, and answered me in a gently chiding tone. ¡°Princess, as strong as Simulacra are, none has demonstrated your fleetness of foot. Your sister should have named you, Atalanta rather than Mirai.¡± He clicked his fingers. ¡°Yes, of course. Why not have you re-registered in the Gun Princess Royale as the Princess Atalanta, the huntress of mythology that left all her suitors eating her dust.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help staring sullenly at Ghost¡¯s image standing beside me. ¡°Atalanta was never a princess.¡±


    ¡°Details, details.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not changing my mind. I¡¯m competing as Mirai. Case closed.¡± Quickly looking around me at the foyer¡¯s interior, I hastily asked, ¡°More importantly, should I be standing around here?¡±


    Ghost looked startled before he too gazed about with concern. ¡°Indeed, Princess. It is best if we continue this conversation elsewhere.¡±


    I started to glare at him. ¡°Are you telling me all that running was for nothing.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°No, the foyer security is temporarily distracted. So you should make haste.¡±


    I wanted to hit him, but since that wasn¡¯t possible, I decided to make my way swiftly across the foyer to the wide corridor leading into the building¡¯s ground floor where a bank of elevators awaited.


    Standing before a pair of closed elevator doors, I reached out for a button affixed to a panel and labeled with an upward pointing arrow, but I was forestalled by Ghost abruptly advising in an apologetic tone, ¡°Princess, I suggest taking the stairs.¡±


    I fixed a disgruntled stare upon him. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I am having difficulty disabling the elevator security system.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me to climb thirty-five floors of stairs?¡±


    ¡°Princess, it should be a breeze for you.¡±


    I really want to hit him.


    I looked down at the sandals I was carrying by their straps in my left hand, and then sighed heavily as I strapped my feet into them. I then trudged over to the foot of the wide stairwell leading all the way to the top floor of the apartment complex, one of six such stairwells within the hexagonal building.


    Looking upwards, I asked in a hushed voice, ¡°What about the stairwell cameras?¡±


    ¡°I can disguise you from those, but the system watching over the elevator cars is another matter.¡±


    The stairwell seemed to go on forever above me. ¡°Ghost, you promised not to lie to me.¡±


    ¡°I assure you, Princess, I am not deceiving you.¡±


    My shoulders rose and fell in surrender to what lay ahead, then I started climbing up the stairs. ¡°Why would the two be different?¡±


    ¡°To prevent tampering, no less. However, I do find the architecture of the internal security networks somewhat baffling.¡±


    ¡°Ah huh. And why is that?¡±


    ¡°It is as though the upgrade has yet to be completed. Patchwork is how I would describe it.¡±


    Arriving at the second floor, I turned at the landing and began climbing up the steps to the third floor. ¡°Maybe this is your fault.¡±


    ¡°Princess¡­?¡±


    ¡°Have you broken into this building before?¡±


    ¡°You have such a low opinion of me,¡± he complained.


    ¡°Hey, I was just asking,¡± I hissed back.


    ¡°In answer to your question, no. This is my first offence on this establishment.¡±


    At the landing on the third level, I stopped and peeked down the adjoining corridor. ¡°Okay, okay. So why upgrade the security systems now?¡±


    Ghost was quiet for a few moments before remarking, ¡°I can only suspect there is someone or something of great value to be found here.¡±


    I flinched inwardly as I understood what he implied. But what came out of my mouth was instead, ¡°Well, maybe they wanted to keep you out of here.¡± When I glanced at him, I noticed he looked troubled but I failed to put on the brakes. ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t trust you anymore.¡±


    His concerned expression deepened briefly before he shrugged it off. ¡°I did not earn the name, Revenant, for nothing.¡± Clapping his hands together, he continued on a jovial note. ¡°After all, I did succeed in securing your entry into the building.¡±


    I retorted with a harsh whisper, ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯d prefer not to have to sprint through traffic again!¡±


    ¡°You cut such a dashing figure.¡±


    ¡°Was that supposed to be a pun?¡± Ghost smiled sardonically at me while I ground my teeth together. ¡°Ghost, I need your support. Don¡¯t ruffle their feathers. If they take you away from me, I¡¯ll be really troubled.¡±


    He regarded me quizzically. ¡°Princess, need I remind you that your actions have led to this situation.¡±


    ¡°Wh¡ªwhat?¡± I almost tripped while climbing the stairs.


    ¡°Please, take responsibility for your behavior. If I am taken away, as you say, it will be because I have been supporting your erratic decisions.¡±


    I arrived at the fifth-floor landing and stopped.


    He¡¯s right. I put myself in this mess by jumping off the building. I can blame Erina all I want, but it was still my decision to make that jump.


    ¡°F¡ªfine. Whatever¡­.¡±


    Still, did he have to be so blunt about it?


    I resumed my upward journey. However, I sulked on the way so I bit my lower lip and climbed the remaining floors in silence. At the thirty fifth floor, I looked cautiously both ways down the corridor before sneaking into it from the confines of the stairwell landing.


    Like a thief, I hugged the walls as I crept along.


    ¡°Ghost,¡± I whispered, ¡°about the cameras¡ª?¡±


    ¡°All secure, but you need to hurry. I can only distract the system in short stretches and a few seconds at a time.¡±


    Clenching my jaw, I breathed in through my nose as I pussyfooted down the corridor, hesitating only for a heartbeat at the sixty-degree bend, before continuing down the next corridor until I eventually arrived at the door to my dormitory apartment.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± I whispered, and reached for the door panel, intent on entering the security passcode that would unlock the door.


    ¡°One moment, Princess,¡± Ghost asked of me, and true to his word, I only had to wait a second before the door unlocked.


    I frowned at him. ¡°What? Why did you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Please hurry inside, Princess.¡±


    I was still frowning when I pushed the door open, and snuck into my old apartment.


    Closing the door behind me, I rested my back against it for a short while as I my eyes adjusted quickly to the dim interior.


    ¡°Ghost, is it safe for me to move?¡±


    ¡°Oddly¡­yes. The security within the apartments is rudimentary. It has yet to be upgraded.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me enter the passcode?¡±


    ¡°Because that code had been disabled. We gained entry by applying the building administrator code instead.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that going to raise alarms?¡±


    ¡°That depends on how long you plan to remain here. Although, I did succeed in preventing the security system from sending a notification message when the passcode was employed.¡±


    Ghost walked down the corridor and into the living area, and after hesitating for a short while, I swallowed hard and then followed him.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have used the same passcode to get me into the building?¡±


    ¡°First I needed to obtain the passcode. To do that, I needed to breach the firewall.¡±


    Stopping at the entrance to the living area, I gazed over the interior as I absently replied, ¡°Oh¡­I hadn¡¯t thought of that¡­.¡±


    Walking to the silhouette of the bedside table, I tapped the lamplight and a moment later soft amber light spread throughout the living area.


    It felt like a lifetime ago that I was last here, yet it was only two days at best.


    The bed sheets had been changed, and the bed remade by the automated cleaning service that employed the ubiquitous bowling pin shaped droids seen across the city. No doubt the carpet had been vacuumed as well. The air inside the apartment smelt clean, with a scent of lilac coming from an aerosol dispenser sitting on a shelf beside the flat holovid projection screen.


    The contents on my shelves and book cases were unmoved from where I remembered them.


    I walked up to a shelf, and ran my fingers over my collection of Mercy Haddaway photo albums. Although I had her assorted holovid and digital releases, I¡¯d purchased her printed material as well. Pulling out an album, I leafed through it as I walked over and sat down on the edge of my bed. I continued paging through the big book, aware with every page turn of how closely Mirai resembled Mercy. When I reached the end of the album, I gently closed the book, and placed it beside me on the bed.


    Again, I slowly gazed about the interior of the apartment.


    Now that I was here, I began to wonder if there was a point to returning to the apartment at all. I had come here to establish a sense of closure with my past life, but as I sat on the bed, all I felt was a growing lethargy that mired my thoughts and weighed down my limbs.


    Dropping back onto the bed, I stared up at the ceiling


    I was tired, and a little hungry, but I also felt aimless.


    However, what troubled me was the lack of emotion I was feeling.


    The emotional impact I¡¯d felt certain would strike me when I entered the apartment failed to manifest.


    Instead, I was lying on my bed in my dorm apartment, and yet I felt nothing but a heavy set exhaustion.


    I¡¯d read how some people would describe a distinct lack of grief after losing a loved one.


    Was this what I was experiencing?


    Was I unable to grieve over losing my life as Ronin Kassius?


    Were my feelings all bottled up, or had they bled away unnoticed?


    Throwing an arm over my face, I closed my eyes, then called out to the apartment Monitor.


    ¡°Lights off.¡±


    There was no confirmation, so I propped myself up on my elbows and repeated the command. ¡°Lights off.¡±


    The apartment¡¯s Monitor continued to ignore me, and I felt a twinge of irritation toward it. With a soft growl, I crawled over the bed to the lamp on the bedside table that I had turned on a few minutes ago. After tapping its base, the lamp turned off, and I then rolled onto my back. Lying with my head on the pillows, and my hands over my midriff, I took a handful of deep slow breaths as I looked up at the darkened ceiling.


    ¡°Ghost¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing. I thought coming here was the right thing to do. I thought I¡¯d feel something. But I don¡¯t feel anything. It¡¯s like I¡¯m dead inside. I should be grieving or mourning over what I¡¯ve lost, but I¡¯m not, and that¡¯s just too weird. Too wrong.¡±


    I breathed in deeply and released the spent air slowly.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m broken.¡±


    Sometime after entering the apartment¡¯s living room, Ghost had reverted to being just a voice in my ears. In other words, he was no longer projecting himself into my vision, so I had no idea what kind of expression he was making in the ensuing silence. But as the silence dragged on, I began struggling to find words to express what I was feeling which wasn¡¯t much at all.


    ¡°After everything that¡¯s happened to me, maybe I¡¯m burnt out,¡± I whispered. ¡°Maybe I was done grieving about my past life without knowing it.¡±


    If that was true, and I¡¯d already come terms with the loss of my existence as Ronin Kassius, then perhaps coming here only served to make that clear to me.


    However, it didn¡¯t change the fact that everything about my return was anticlimactic, leading to a belated sense of frustration that grew gradually, eventually inducing a restlessness that spread through my body.


    Trying to shake it off, I rolled onto my side but was quickly irked by the hefty weight of my Mirai¡¯s boobs as they shifted beneath the tight sports bra.


    Groaning in annoyance, I rolled once more onto my back and closed my eyes.


    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t long before I was irritated by an unpleasant pressure in my nether regions. I¡¯d noticed it before while I was waiting out on the street for Ghost to break through the building¡¯s firewall, but it had receded during my sprint to the apartment complex, and the subsequent climb up the stairs to the thirty-fifth floor. However, in the still quiet of the room, while I was restlessly lying on my bed, it came back with a vengeance.


    I clamped down on it with unfamiliar muscles, but that only served to delay the inevitable, so with a loud huff, I swung my legs and sandaled feet off the bed and then sat up.


    ¡°Lights,¡± I grumbled but was ignored by the room¡¯s Monitor. ¡°Damn it. Ghost, can¡¯t you do something about it?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately not, Princess. You see, at present the apartment¡¯s Monitor is completely oblivious to your presence. And with good reason.¡±


    I started to grumble but it died in my throat. ¡°¡­oh¡­that¡¯s right¡­.¡±


    Right now, I¡¯m an intruder.


    Exhaling heavily, I pushed myself up and off the bed, swaying slightly for a beat before gaining my balance. ¡°Damn it¡­,¡± I complained as I pressed a hand to my lower midriff.


    ¡°Princess?¡±


    ¡°I need to pee.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I see. By all means.¡±


    I scowled at him, though I couldn¡¯t see him, then walked to the bathroom I was so intimately familiar with.


    Turning on one of the lights, I blinked once before Mirai¡¯s eyes adjusted, and then stepped up to the throne.


    Reaching down to flip up the lowered seat, I grumbled under my breath.


    ¡°Ghost, if you¡ª¡±


    I froze with my fingertips hooked under the edge of the plastic seat.


    ¡°¡ªpeek on me¡­.¡±


    My voice faded away as I stared down at my long slender arm and feminine hand touching the toilet seat.


    ¡°¡­oh God¡­.¡±


    At that moment, I felt as though I¡¯d stepped under a waterfall, drenched by the undeniable truth of my existence.


    All those emotions I¡¯d believed I¡¯d burnt away, flooded through me, and from deep within my chest, a weird strangled laughter bubbled up, making my body shudder.


    But the call of nature was too strong to ignore by now, and so I had no choice but to answer it by hastily dropping the necessary garments and then taking a seat on what was now a Queen¡¯s throne.


    Yet the laughter that gurgled in my chest and throat wouldn¡¯t stop, even as Mirai went through the natural, human process of emptying her bladder.


    It carried on after my tears began to fall, and it ended when sobs began to wrack my body.


    Hunched over with my large breasts pressing into my thighs, my arms wrapped around my belly, and my long blonde hair curtaining my face, I cried softly, desperate to keep the volume down though I knew the soundproof walls would prevent my neighbors from hearing my distress.


    I don¡¯t know how long I cried, but it felt like an hour had gone by when I finally regained a semblance of calm.


    It was a while longer before I ventured to clean myself up ¨C nervously and hesitantly feeling around a delicate, unfamiliar place.


    I had my eyes squeezed shut the whole time my trembling fingers felt their way around Mirai¡¯s womanhood, opening them only when I needed to dispose of the biodegradable paper wad.


    An equally long time went by before I found the strength to stand, pulling up my clothes with unsteady hands and shaking arms.


    My sobs threatened to perform an encore, but I clamped down on them, and then shuffled to the wide washbasin.


    Letting it fill with warm water, I washed my face carefully.


    Because my skin felt raw, I patted it rather than scrubbed it dry with a hand towel I pulled from a rail.


    When I found the courage to look at myself in the mirror, I saw a girl watching me, her beauty marred by the exhausted yet hollow expression she wore.


    Anyone who saw her would have been convinced she had just lost everything and every loved one she¡¯d ever known, and they wouldn¡¯t have been far from wrong.


    I had thought coming here to my old dorm apartment would be the catalyst that helped me come to terms with my new life. After all, I had come here with the intention of closing the door on Ronin Kassius while opening a new one that welcomed Mirai and Isabel.


    But it wasn¡¯t.


    It was the sole gesture of answering a call of nature that closed the proverbial door on my old life.


    In one fell swoop, Mirai¡¯s body had forced me to accept that I was now a girl¡­and there was no going back.

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 3 - Part 2.

    Chapter 3


    ¨C II ¨C


    I returned to my bed¡­no, to Ronin Kassius¡¯s bed¡­kicked off my sandals, and then slipped under the covers.


    After tapping the bedside lamp to turn it off, I lay in darkness, exhausted and hollow as I looked up at the indistinct ceiling.


    And sometime later, I fell asleep.


    When I woke up, slivers of morning light intruded into the room around the edges of the curtain drawn across the window wall that separated the enclosed balcony from the apartment.


    Without needing to look at the clock on the bedside table, I knew the time was seven fifteen in the morning. That was thanks to Mirai¡¯s wetware.


    I wonder if I can use it like a daily planner?


    Lying on my back, and this time regarding the grey ceiling above me, I realized that I¡¯d never thought much about Mirai¡¯s wetware beyond its capacity to interface with weaponry. I knew now that Ghost could use it to project himself into my senses, namely my hearing and vision, allowing him to interact with me on a more human. But what else could I do with it? That is, what other special talents did the wetware possess?


    And what hidden talents did I possess?


    Lifting an arm before me, I turned it over slowly and thought of the Angel Fibers running through my body.


    Can I do more than sprout wings?


    I dropped my arm down across my belly under the sheets, and noticed they were still neatly spread over me, indicating a distinct lack of tossing and turning.


    I guess Mirai is a heavy sleeper.


    Or maybe I was so tired that I literally slept like a log.


    On the other hand, considering the twin peaks on my chest, I doubted Mirai could sleep on anything but her back, so other positions were not an option for her.


    Shaking my head in annoyance at the aforementioned constraints imposed upon me by her huge bust, I then began to wonder what the day held in store for me.


    How long before Erina or the Cat Princess discovered I was here and broke down the door?


    But what would come after that?


    I was aware of what I was doing ¨C looking ahead so as not to dwell in the past. Was I running away from accepting the truth? No. I had for the most part acknowledged there was no going back to my life as Ronin Kassius. And yet, as I lay on Ronin¡¯s bed, in Ronin¡¯s apartment, a place that was decorated with purchased tributes to his ¨C and my ¨C goddess, I began to ponder life after Mirai.


    What if I asked Erina to make a male body for me?


    The possibility was enticing in subversive way, but as soon as I entertained it, I felt an unpleasant emptiness within me.


    It was hollow sensation that I understood well because there was a precedent for what I was contemplating.


    Clarisol val Sanreal.


    Even if Erina made a male body for me, only a copy of my mind would occupy it.


    I would still be stuck inside Mirai, and my copy would need to adjust to being male.


    Erina had said it wasn¡¯t possibly to superimpose my neural map onto a male brain after spending so much time adapting to Mirai¡¯s female brain, so there was the likelihood that my copy would suffer from gender dysphoria or perhaps behavioral disorders.


    And yet¡­


    I frowned to myself.


    ¡­why haven¡¯t I suffered from gender dysphoria? Sure, I was shocked, but why am I not jumping out of my skin?


    I had reacted strongly in the bathroom, but after the shock had subsided, why didn''t I feel like an alien in Mirai''s body?


    The faint sounds of movement out in the corridor beyond the apartment¡¯s door distracted me but didn¡¯t surprise me. This was the dormitory complex and there were always students who left early to head to the academy, whether for practice or other reasons. However, what did take me aback was the fact that I could hear them, something I had never experienced before from within my dorm apartment due to the soundproofing within the walls.


    Just how far above normal was Mirai¡¯s hearing?


    At the thought, I cocked my head while resting it on the pillow, and listened to the sounds around me.


    I could hear faint humming on different frequencies, and the sounds of a handful or more students traveling down the corridor, including their conversations. Below that, I could also perceive activity in the apartment on the opposite side of the wall behind my bed.


    Because I was so focused on the sounds around me, I sensed someone walk up to the door moments before they touched the door plate that triggered a soft sing-song chime consisting of seven notes.


    My immediate reaction was to freeze in bed.


    When the melody played through a second time, I turned my head to look at the door at the end of the hallway.


    There was a short period of silence before the melody played through a third occasion.


    By then I had run through the list of suspects who would have reason to be at the door.


    I crossed Mat off the list since he was currently under observation ¨C according to Erina.


    Then there was Shirohime. I crossed her off even quicker.


    Angela and Felicia were two suspects I considered but dismissed when I remembered only a day had passed since we¡¯d returned. I didn¡¯t believe they¡¯d be given new Simulacra bodies to move around on such short notice. On the other hand, if it was them in their human bodies at the door, this was one of the floors occupied by male students, so girls were very unlikely to visit this level unless they were visiting a boy they wished to accompany to school. Since it wasn¡¯t uncommon, and Angela and Felicia were former friends of Ronin¡¯s, perhaps it was a likely scenario.


    The Cat Princess was the next probable contender for an early morning visit. However, she would have to gain entrance into the complex via the ground floor entrance. But since the building was owned by the Telos Corporation, it was likely she would receive permission to do so after pulling a few strings. The question was whether she would be packing heat.


    Last but not least was Erina.


    Her venturing into the apartment complex at this hour could be explained as a relative visiting a younger family member, though the time of day was odd. However, that was only from an outsiders¡¯ point-of-view, who knew nothing of my unconventional escape from Erina¡¯s luxury apartment.


    Subconsciously, I pulled the covers up to my chin. ¡°¡­Ghost¡­?¡±


    ¡°Princess, if you are wondering who is at the door, I suggest you answer it.¡±


    His reply made me frown fleetingly, and I asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Because, it would be far easier and more efficient for you to simply answer it.¡±


    ¡°That is totally not true,¡± I snapped at him while keeping my voice down. However, from the way he phrased his replies, I had a strong suspicion that whoever was ringing the chime wouldn¡¯t go away until I answered the door. And that meant¡ª


    ¡°Ghost, does that mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°Correct, Princess. It is someone who already knows who you are.¡±


    I sighed heavily and threw an arm over my face. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just tell me it was her¡­.¡±


    The door chime rang again.


    The short melody was beginning to grate on my nerves.


    ¡°Damn her¡­.¡± Climbing out of the bed, I padded barefoot down the hallway to the apartment¡¯s door. Upon arrival, I tapped the console plate beside it, and looked at the image projected in a holovid bubble between me and the door.


    It displayed the corridor area outside my apartment.


    After listening to Ghost, I was convinced Erina had decided to take matters into her own hands rather than send Akane. Since the discord between her and I had escalated dramatically, she would take it upon herself to resolve the situation. After all, Erina was an Alpha, and undoubtedly believed there was no situation she couldn¡¯t handle through her superior intellect. Whether she felt responsible for causing the problem was another matter. Nonetheless, I fully expected to see her impatiently glowering visage in the holovid bubble.


    But instead¡­.


    ¡°¡­huh¡­why¡­?¡±


    While I stared in confusion at the projected image, the individual on the opposite side of the door triggered the chime melody yet again.


    Annoyed anew, hearing the melody bumped my thoughts back into motion and I looked down at the door plate.


    Seeing the red light displayed there, I knew the door was locked.


    ¡°Ghost¡­unlock it please¡­.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Princess.¡±


    I heard the lock mechanism click softly, then reached down and turned the knob to open the door.


    The girl with long auburn hair standing out in the corridor smiled languidly at me. ¡°About time. I was beginning to think you were ignoring me.¡±


    ¡°¡­what are you doing here¡­?¡±


    She held up a canvas sports bag. ¡°I come bearing gifts.¡±


    ¡°¡­no, really, why are you here?¡±


    The girl looked down the corridor, and I heard someone approaching. ¡°A girl in a boy¡¯s dorm room is a no-no.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± I started closing the door. ¡°You should go.¡±


    However, she stuck her foot in the doorway and used a free hand to force the door back into me until I pushed against her, finding my strength equal to hers.


    Damn it¡ªshe¡¯s definitely a mechanical.


    ¡°You¡¯re being predictable and boring,¡± the girl stated in a disinterested manner.


    ¡°Then leave.¡±


    ¡°No can do.¡±


    The sounds of someone drawing near grew louder.


    Yanking the door open, I reached out and pulled the girl into the apartment before quickly closing the door behind her.


    Then I pushed her against a hallway wall, using my weight and strength to keep her there.


    ¡°Which one are you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The wicked witch of the west,¡± she replied, smiling drily.


    ¡°Tabitha¡­.¡± Pushing her once more, I backed away to the opposite wall of the hallway. ¡°Or is it, Taura Hexaria?¡±


    ¡°Tabitha Hexen will do fine.¡±


    I shook my head in faint displeasure. ¡°How did you know I was here?¡±


    Tabitha turned and then swayed as she walked down the hallway into the living area. ¡°I like what you¡¯ve done with the place.¡± She sleepily regarded my collection of Mercy Haddaway merchandise filling every able space of the apartment. ¡°It¡¯s the Temple of Mercy.¡±


    I followed her into the living area, and repeated, ¡°How did you know I was here?¡±


    ¡°Early this morning, we noticed tampering with this building¡¯s security grid. Following the bread crumbs, we arrived here.¡± Tabitha turned to look at me over a shoulder. ¡°It was easy to guess the intruder was you.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Who is we?¡±


    She walked over to the bed and dropped the sports bag onto it. ¡°I¡¯ve been transferred to the Battle Commission¡¯s Cardinal Division. My job is to observe you.¡±


    ¡°Cardinal? Like a church cardinal?¡±


    Tabitha wandered around the room. ¡°No, nothing like that. Cardinal is simply the division¡¯s title.¡±


    ¡°So why are you watching me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a silly question.¡± She stopped and frowned at me. ¡°Obviously, because the Empress has taken an interest in you. Though the Battle Commission is mostly independent of the Empress¡¯s influence, she has graciously granted Cardinal additional authority to act in her name.¡±


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she just kidnap me then?¡±


    ¡°Because your sister told her that any attempt to do so would result in your death.¡±


    I frigid wind blew through me. ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°I meant to say destruction.¡±


    Another frigid gust raced through me, constricting my lungs, and robbing me of my voice. However, Ghost had chosen to materialize in my vision, and I threw him a tense glance that he ignored as he regarded Tabitha with a complicated expression.


    Unaware of Ghost¡¯s scrutiny, Tabitha studied me for a short while before holding her palms up and shrugging apathetically. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s what she said.¡± Lowering her hands, she added, ¡°The Empress decided it wasn¡¯t worth the risk. Without the data on your body, there was no way to tell if Erina Kassius was lying, although you were scanned during the translocation process between islands.¡±


    Suppressing a shiver, I swallowed hard before whispering, ¡°Ghost?¡±


    ¡°¡­this is news to me,¡± he replied in a low monotone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me,¡± I hissed under my breath and out of the side of my mouth.


    ¡°Princess, I am upholding my promise,¡± he answered without relaxing his expression.


    Crossing my arms stiffly, I hid my unease by staring hard at Tabitha. ¡°And? What did you find?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. No bomb. No capsules. Just the wetware in your head that we couldn¡¯t scan deeply.¡± Tabitha studied a life-sized poster of Mercy I had up on a wall. ¡°That was indeed surprising. The fact that Remnant tech is embedded in your head.¡±


    ¡°Why is that such a big deal?¡±


    ¡°Because Remnants are produced by Fabricators, and House Novis is not supposed to have one.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Aren¡¯t the Sarcophagi Remnant tech as well? How else is House Novis supposed to make them?¡±


    ¡°The Sarcophagi are produced and allocated under the authority of the Battle Commission. And they don¡¯t belong to the competing Houses. They are simply on loan to them.¡±


    I bit my lower lip as I proverbially joined the dots. ¡°Are you saying House Novis¡ªthe Sanreals¡ªbroke the rules?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying.¡± Tabitha listlessly pouted at the image of Mercy on the wall. ¡°Such big boobs¡­.¡± Abruptly she turned that pout on me. ¡°Speaking of boobs. I noticed you have quite the fulsome rack.¡±


    ¡°Does that really matter now?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I wonder which of you is bigger?¡± Tabitha mused softly, alternating her attention between Mercy¡¯s poster and I.


    ¡°Like I said, does it matter?¡±


    ¡°Of course it does,¡± she replied with surprising honesty but it was dampened by her drowsy voice. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re going to participate in the Gun Princess Royale solely as a competitor?¡± She shook her head and smiled weakly as though pitying me. ¡°You have no idea what your sponsor has planned for you.¡±


    I froze as a variety of dreadful possibilities paraded before my eyes.


    Get a grip! She¡¯s trying to unhinge you!


    Forcibly relaxing, I rubbed a palm over my face as I attempted to follow my own advice. ¡°Can you just tell me what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Tabitha pointed at the poster. ¡°Hey, can I have this one?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I immediately snapped.


    ¡°By the way, have you thought about dressing up like her?¡±


    ¡°Huh? No. No, I haven¡¯t.¡±


    Surprisingly, that was indeed the truth. But now that she¡¯d asked the question, I couldn¡¯t help wondering if I could pull off such a feat.


    Aggggh! What the Hell am I thinking?


    While chastising myself, I once again palmed my face, reminded myself to keep it together, then took a step closer to Tabitha. ¡°Can we stay focused?¡±


    ¡°Poster.¡± She pointed at it. ¡°Gimme.¡±


    ¡°Get your own. Ah¡ªactually, that one was given out only to the first one hundred attendees at her handshaking event last year.¡±


    That event was what started my nightmare as Princess Silver Blue. Giving in to temptation, I had accepted the Cosplay Club¡¯s terms in exchange for a ticket to meet Mercy at a handshaking event.


    Ah, but that¡¯s a story already told.


    Tabitha made a voice like that of a dirty old man. ¡°How much for the girl? I want to buy the girl.¡±


    ¡°Cut that out. You¡¯re sounding like a real creeper.¡±


    She held up a finger. ¡°The price of knowledge is one precious article from your collection.¡±


    ¡°Forget it,¡± I retorted.


    Tabitha folded her hands behind her back and regarded me with disappointment. ¡°So you really don¡¯t want to know?¡±


    ¡°The price is too high.¡±


    Besides, I could always ask Ghost to investigate for me.


    However, my certainty was chipped away by doubts when I noticed him wearing a distinctly troubled expression.


    ¡°Princess, perhaps you should make the trade,¡± he suggested cautiously.


    Wait¡ªdoes that mean there¡¯s something he doesn¡¯t know about?


    I tried not to gape at him in shock, and barely succeeded. However, I blurted out, ¡°Heh?¡±, and immediately attracted Tabitha¡¯s attention. ¡°I mean¡ªwhy do you want something from my collection?¡±


    ¡°To sell it and make money,¡± she replied perfunctorily.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Limited edition posters of Mercy go for a steep price.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not selling my Mercy poster. I even had it framed. That cost me money. So forget it. No way.¡±


    Tabitha frowned at me. ¡°Why are you so obsessed with this girl?¡±


    ¡°Because she¡¯s a goddess!¡±


    ¡°I think you have your definition of a goddess messed up.¡±


    I crossed my arms unhappily. ¡°Look. I¡¯m not giving you my poster.¡±


    ¡°House Novis is in deep shit.¡±


    I jerked back, surprised by her blunt admission. ¡°Ah¡­so what? Not my problem.¡±


    ¡°Actually, it is. You see, they had a Fabricator hidden away. The fact that none of the Fabricators are missing from the Imperial inventory means that they procured this Fabricator from elsewhere. Or they had an extra Fabricator no one else knew about, and didn¡¯t return it after the war. In other words, it wasn¡¯t stolen from the Empire. Regardless, the Empress is not amused. On top of that, it seems they were quite liberal with its use.¡±


    ¡°In what way?¡± I muttered.


    ¡°The design of your Sarcophagus.¡± Tabitha swayed drunkenly on her feet. ¡°After claiming Mirai was never intended for the Gun Princess Royale, they certainly went to some extreme lengths to provide you with a very non-standard Sarcophagus. It may look regular on the outside, but the inside is a different kettle of fish.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± I repeated. ¡°I¡¯m not a mechanical Princess. Wouldn¡¯t it have to be different to support me?¡±


    ¡°True. But there are things about its design that House Novis is keeping close to the chest.¡±


    ¡°Okay. So they¡¯re not playing ball with the Empress.¡±


    Tabitha shook her head and exhaled wearily. ¡°They¡¯re being sneaky, sneaky.¡±


    ¡°Like I¡¯ve said already, so what? The Sanreals gave me a non-regulation coffin. Big deal. Blame the Empress for pushing them that far. Aren¡¯t they just looking out for their investment?¡± I indicated myself with a fingertip. ¡°Me.¡±


    ¡°True. At least, that¡¯s what they¡¯re arguing.¡± She straightened and began pacing around the low coffee table that also served as a dinner table. ¡°It¡¯s all too complicated and boring for me.¡±


    I watched her circle the table as though she were shackled to a ball and chain. ¡°Are you responsible for the security system in this building?¡±


    ¡°Not me per se.¡±


    ¡°Then is the Battle Commission responsible?¡±


    ¡°Actually, no. The upgrade was conducted at the request of the building administration, and the building happens to be owned by the Telos Corporation. So it had nothing to do with us.¡±


    The Sanreals controlled the Telos Corporation. Did that mean they were behind the upgrade to the building¡¯s security?


    I held back a frown as I continued watching Tabitha trudge her way around the low table. ¡°Were you monitoring the building?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we were.¡±


    I flinched and glanced sharply at Ghost who was now staring at Tabitha with veiled suspicion. Feeling uneasy myself, I swallowed to give myself a moment before asking the girl, ¡°Just how far does the Commission¡¯s influence spread through Ar Telica?¡±


    ¡°Very far,¡± she replied with a smirk that looked painfully exhausting. ¡°Our Conquistador Class Awarenesses monitor all the city-states. We do it in a manner that doesn¡¯t interfere with the existing infrastructure. We watch the watchers. What they see, we see, because we¡¯re looking over their shoulders. But to be specific, we watch the interests of the competing institutions.¡±


    ¡°Meaning what?¡±


    ¡°Anything and anyone related to the Gun Princess Royale¡ªwe keep an eye on them.¡±


    ¡°Including me¡­.¡±


    Tabitha nodded and smiled as though on her last breath. ¡°Precisely. Though you proved quite elusive last night.¡±


    To me, it felt as though the temperature in the room had fallen.


    To think that these people from another universe could assume such a superior position over our society.


    Tabitha soldiered on. ¡°So when the Conquistador monitoring various interests within Ar Telica noticed glitches in this building¡¯s firewall, it began to pay close attention. After that, Cardinal was informed and they deployed someone on the ground to investigate.¡±


    She stopped walking when she circled back to me.


    Standing before me, the girl¡¯s deep brown eyes met mine, and I was in danger of falling into a stupor just by looking at them.


    ¡°That would be me¡­,¡± Tabitha concluded.


    I blinked sharply a couple of times before asking, ¡°Why you?¡±


    Tabitha looked subtly startled for a second, then her gaze swam around the apartment as she fell into thought. ¡°Well¡­because we¡¯re¡­friends?¡±


    ¡°You have to be kidding me¡­.¡±


    ¡°Sisters-in-arms, then?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself!¡± I snapped and felt myself come back to life.


    Tabitha shrugged her shoulders indifferently to my heated retort.


    I palmed my face a third time, and took a couple of deep breaths, before asking, ¡°You already knew it was me before I broke into the apartment. Correct?¡±


    ¡°No. We determined it was you after you broke into this apartment,¡± she explained dispassionately.


    ¡°But weren¡¯t you watching the interior of the building?¡±


    ¡°You could say the wool was pulled down over our eyes. So it wasn¡¯t possible to see who was interloping. But if you add one plus one, you get two. So it was easy to know who was in here.¡±


    In the corner of my eye, I watched Ghost¡¯s eyes narrow coldly at Tabitha.


    I had a very good idea why.


    Maestro versus Conquistador, I thought to myself. His pride has been wounded. Then I had another thought. I wonder who¡¯s more powerful.


    Shelving the question quickly, I slowly folded my arms under my breasts. ¡°Why are you here? Tell me the real reason.¡±


    ¡°Cardinal has a proposition for you.¡±


    ¡°It does?¡± I cocked my head as I looked down at Tabitha. ¡°Is it something the Empress put you up to?¡±


    Tabitha lifted a fingertip to her lips and whispered in a detached tone, ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to say.¡±


    Planting my hands on my hips, I regarded the girl with suspicion on my face. ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    Tabitha sighed. ¡°Nope. Not yet. Certainly not on an empty stomach.¡±


    I stared at her, dressed as she was in a Telos Academy uniform. ¡°What are you talking about? That body is a mechanical. So you don¡¯t eat.¡±


    Tabitha sighed again. ¡°This body is more than just mechanical. Consider it the latest tech from the Pantheon Group. It¡¯s special.¡±


    Again, I stared at her from head to toes. ¡°How special? Wait¡ªthe Pantheon Group? Isn¡¯t that a huge military conglomerate?¡±


    ¡°The Pantheon Group is owned by House Aventisse.¡±


    I gasped in shock. ¡°The Empress¡¯s family¡­.¡±


    Tabitha clapped half-hearted. ¡°Bingo, Princess. As such, the Battle Commission occasionally gets equipment from the black technology divisions within the Pantheon Group. Even your military doesn¡¯t have the tech we do. More to the point, we have tech they don¡¯t know about.¡± Dressed in her uniform, Tabitha assumed a pose that faithfully copied that of Mercy in my framed wall poster, sans bikini. However, she looked so utterly bored it completely ruined the effect. ¡°What do you think? Impressive, ne?¡±


    How can she ask that while making such a face?


    Nonetheless, I looked her over yet again. ¡°Nice legs, but your boobs are too small.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well. The designers ignored my enhancement requests. But in answer to your question, I can enjoy food in this body, although it¡¯s somewhat vicarious.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the same type of body you used back in the match between the Gun Queen and I?¡±


    ¡°This is the covert operations model. Significantly more lifelike. And it doesn¡¯t set off the security scanners when I pass through checkpoints.¡± She smiled lazily as she stepped up to me. ¡°Squeeze my boobs.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I darted back a step. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know how real they feel? You can compare them to the pair you have.¡±


    Since I wasn¡¯t a girl ¨C merely a boy inside the body of a girl ¨C I should not have reflexively crossed my arms protectively over my chest. But that¡¯s exactly what I did, and having realized that, I dropped my arms in a hurry. ¡°Knock it off. I¡¯m not doing something like that. Mechanical or not, you¡¯re still a girl. Show some modesty.¡±


    ¡°Geh. How dull,¡± she drawled like a windup toy on its last legs.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I snapped.


    Tabitha held up a finger. ¡°Anyway, as I was saying. I can enjoy a good meal. So let¡¯s have breakfast.¡±


    I stared at her, not bothering to hide my unease. ¡°Fine¡­but I have no money,¡± I lied.


    ¡°Not a problem. I¡¯ll charge it as a business expense to Cardinal.¡± Tabitha pointed at the canvas sports bag she¡¯d deposited on my bed. ¡°But first, you should change.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I glanced at the bag. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because there¡¯s a uniform in there.¡±


    Now I edged away from the bag as though it contained a bomb. ¡°A uniform.¡±


    ¡°A Telos Academy uniform.¡±


    I retreated another step from the bag and bed. ¡°Thanks, but no thanks.¡±


    ¡°If you put it on, I¡¯ll let in on a secret or two over breakfast.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not wearing a uniform.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to eventually. I understand that you¡¯ve been enrolled at Telos Academy and will be starting on Monday.¡±


    I flinched at being reminded of my impending fate.


    She knows about that? Just how much do they know about me?


    Tabitha pressed in a mercilessly exhausted manner. ¡°Therefore, you might as well give the uniform a test run.¡±


    ¡°Not a chance.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    A faint spark of life flickered in the girl¡¯s eyes, and I suddenly felt truly uneasy. However, I continued to protest. ¡°There is no way I¡¯m wearing a girl¡¯s uniform. Besides, I¡¯ve been there and done it already.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes. During your stint cosplaying as the female Ronin Kassius.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t cosplaying¡ªokay, maybe I was.¡±


    Tabitha sighed and then slumped as though she¡¯d expended a month¡¯s worth of energy. ¡°I knew it would come to this.¡±


    She slipped a hand into a dress pocket and retrieved a white slip of paper with black printing that suspiciously resembled a concert ticket.


    ¡°Maybe this will change your mind,¡± she declared wearily and held up the ticket for me to see. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡±


    ¡°A concert ticket?¡±


    ¡°Dinner with Mercy Haddaway as part of a charity promotion she¡¯s organized.¡±


    ¡°Geh!¡±


    I stumbled back and collided with a bookshelf replete with Mercy Haddaway merchandise. ¡°No. No way. You¡¯re lying¡­.¡±


    Tabitha stalked me, and waved the ticket sluggishly before my eyes. ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about, don¡¯t you.¡±


    She didn¡¯t express it like a question because she could already see the answer written on my face.


    I did indeed know what that ticket was all about. How could I not? After all, I was Mercy¡¯s self ascribed number one fan.


    The story behind that ticket was that people who donated X amount to a charity of Mercy Haddaway¡¯s choice would earn the privilege of a romantic dinner for two with the goddess.


    There were only five such dinner events on offer, and the five highest donations would win.


    When I read about it on her blog page, I felt the gap between her and me widen to span the star system. The dream of eating dinner with the woman of my dreams was simply that ¨C a dream. And yet here was Tabitha tempting me with a ticket I never believed I would see in my entire life. It was so close to my face that I stared at it cross-eyed.


    ¡°You are getting sleepy. Sleepy,¡± she droned slothfully.


    ¡°Stop¡ªstop that!¡±


    ¡°Very sleepy. Your eyes are getting heavy¡ª¡±


    ¡°How¡ªhow did you get that ticket?¡±


    ¡°Oh, about that.¡± Tabitha stopped moving the ticket about. ¡°Cardinal¡¯s Maestro Awareness ran simulations on how best to coerce you into cooperating with us. It decided that Mercy Haddaway was the answer to many problems. So, using the funds allocated to the division for special circumstances, we made a sizeable donation to Mercy¡¯s favorite charity and scored ourselves a ticket in the name of Isabel val Sanreal.¡± She resumed waving the slip of printed paper in her hand. ¡°This ticket.¡±


    They made the donation in my name? Ah, so they knew my fate in advance. Yeah, of course they did.


    I was troubled by that realization, but it wasn¡¯t enough to draw my attention away from the ticket. Seeing double, I struggled to swallow before muttering, ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡±


    ¡°I have it on good authority that Mercy will be wearing a slinky red number designed by Dolce Gambatta. Guaranteed to expose her soft, luscious curves.¡±


    Hearing Tabitha describe Mercy¡¯s figure as such while sounding half asleep was a crime I shouldn¡¯t have tolerated.


    Yet rather than express outrage, I shook my head and pressed back into the bookshelf. ¡°No¡ªno way. That¡¯s¡ªthat¡¯s too much!¡±


    Tabitha pressed home her advantage. ¡°Think about it. Dinner for two with the girl of your dreams.¡±


    I had trouble swallowing and almost choked. ¡°Dinner¡­for two¡­.¡±


    Tabitha drew back the ticket a few inches from my face. ¡°And all you have to do is wear the uniform¡­and hear us out.¡±


    For a racing heartbeat, my attention jumped to the bag lying on my bed before immediately returning to the ticket.


    Then I made my fateful decision.


    Faster than a cobra could strike, my right arm slashed the air as my hand reached up to steal the ticket from Tabitha.


    Fortunately, I moved faster than she could register.


    Unfortunately, the ticket tore in two when I snatched it from her fingertips.


    That morning, a loud, feminine scream was unexpectedly heard piercing the soundproofed walls of a boy¡¯s apartment on the thirty-fifth floor of a towering residential complex with lovely views of Ar Telica city.

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 4 - Part I & II.

    Chapter 4.


    ¨C I ¨C


    After I calmed down, Tabitha informed me that the ticket was only a copy, and could be reprinted at any time. What was important was the fact that my donation under the name of Isabel val Sanreal had been registered and accepted.


    Apparently, it wasn¡¯t an issue for a girl to be having dinner with Mercy Haddaway.


    At the least, Mercy didn¡¯t appear to have a problem with it.


    Nonetheless, I was left somewhat disoriented and thus before I knew it I had showered and put on the Telos Academy female uniform provided by Tabitha ¨C including the black, lacy underwear she included.


    Oh and before you ask, I dressed myself in the bathroom and I kept the door locked. I had enough presence of mind to keep Tabitha from peeking.


    However, it wasn¡¯t until I regarded myself in the full-length mirror mounted on the inside of a hallway closet door that the magnitude of being dressed as a girl in uniform finally struck me.


    ¡°What the Hell¡­?¡±


    Perhaps now is an appropriate time to mention the design of Telos Academy¡¯s uniform for girls.


    The summer uniform, which is what I was wearing now, comes in two flavors.


    The first is a one-piece dress, dark brown, almost black, that is designed to give the appearance of a combined skirt and blouse, with the tail ends of the blouse flowing over the fake skirt¡¯s waistline. The dress¡¯s hemline ends at the knee, and the blouse bears a distinct ¡®sailor girl¡¯ appearance with its white trimmed collar and lapels. The sleeves come in two variants at either short or three-quarter length, and bear the Academy¡¯s emblem printed in white either on the cuffs or the shoulders.


    The second flavor of the uniform consists of a separate skirt and blouse, that combine to resemble the one-piece dress in both length and appearance. In other words, the blouse retains the sailor girl look and different sleeve lengths, but is distinct from the skirt. Because of this, it gave the more adventurous girls of the academy the opportunity to flaunt their midriffs, though girls caught wearing a blouse too small for their size faced detention.


    In both versions of the uniform the skirt has two zippered pockets, and the blouse is complemented by a short necktie that comes in three colors: white for first years, yellow for second years, and red for third year seniors.


    As for the shoes, rather than being dark, boring, and squarish, I found them to be rather stylish and comfortable due to their blend of a deck shoe and a sports sneaker that could be worn with and without socks.


    Dressed in the two-piece, long sleeve version of the uniform, I stared at myself in the mirror with a sinking feeling in my gut as I noticed that though the blouse was a perfect fit for my shoulders and arms, Mirai¡¯s abundant chest pushed it out, thus making it appear shorter than it really was and threatening to expose a sliver of my narrow waist.


    ¡°What the Hell¡­?¡± I repeated while tugged down on the blouse, before glaring at Tabitha. ¡°This is too short.¡±


    ¡°Oh contraire, mon¡¯amie.¡± Tabitha gave me a dreary thumbs up. ¡°I approve.¡±


    ¡°You approve? Are you serious? I¡¯m not an exhibitionist.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with showing off a little skin. Besides, you have nothing to be ashamed off. Most girls would kill to look as good as you do.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Most girls will want to kill me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a Gun Princess. They¡¯re no match for you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± I glanced at my reflection. ¡°Other than the blouse, I¡¯ll admit everything else fits fine.¡±


    ¡°Including your bra?¡± she inquired with bored sincerity.


    I flushed hotly when I remembered the racy appearance of my underwear. ¡°Y¡ªyeah, that too.¡± An unpleasant thought jumped up and caught my attention. ¡°How did you know my size?¡±


    ¡°We scanned your body when you were translocated. Remember?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­oh. That¡¯s right. You did mention that¡­.¡±


    ¡°I know all your dimensions.¡±


    ¡°Well isn¡¯t that just wonderful!¡± I lashed out.


    Tabitha folded her arms, blithely ignoring my exclamation. ¡°Barefoot, you are one hundred and seventy-four centimeters tall. Your weight is sixty-eight kilograms.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Did you say sixty-eight?¡±


    ¡°Your three sizes are, ninety, fifty-four, eighty.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡ªhow can I weigh sixty-eight kilograms? There¡¯s no way I¡¯m that heavy. At least¡±¡ªI regarded Mirai¡¯s slender body thoughtfully¡ª¡°I certainly don¡¯t feel heavy.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    I bit a corner of my lower lip. ¡°I feel as light as a feather¡­.¡±


    Tabitha was quiet for a short while before venturing, ¡°That¡¯s to be expected. You¡¯re a Simulacrum. Your body is extremely strong, so it¡¯s no wonder you feel weightless. As for your skeleton, it¡¯s strong, heavy, yet flexible. How else would you survive so many hits without breaking?¡±


    ¡°I thought that was because of the Angel Fibers.¡±


    ¡°Undoubtedly, they add to your durability.¡±


    Tabitha¡¯s matter-of-fact reply temporarily distracted me from the issue about my weight when I noticed she said durable rather than indestructible.


    As I regarded my appearance in the mirror, I asked Tabitha, ¡°How strong do you figure I am?¡±


    ¡°From our observations, you¡¯re easily six or seven times stronger than a girl your size. As for your stamina¡±¡ªTabitha snorted softly¡ª¡°it really is incomparable. You¡¯re not a machine, but you¡¯re no regular Simulacrum either. You¡¯re quite clearly well above the specs of a Master Grade.¡±


    Rather than feeling amazed at Tabitha¡¯s description of my physical abilities, I felt a cold chill run through my body, and it left me with goosebumps all over my skin.


    Restraining the urge to rub my arms, I pressed on with a statement I felt was a fact.


    ¡°You say that I¡¯m that strong, but I couldn¡¯t close the door on you.¡±


    ¡°That was because I had my foot in the doorway,¡± Tabitha reminded me. ¡°This body may be mechanical, but if you¡¯d pushed me I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stand my ground.¡±


    ¡°So you believe I can stand toe-to-toe with a Gun Princess.¡±


    ¡°Gun Princesses are built differently to this body I¡¯m operating. They¡¯re a lot stronger, and heavier too. Depending on her internal design, a Gun Princess equivalent to your size can weigh between ninety and a hundred kilos.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s still light for a machine, right?¡±


    ¡°You consider that light?¡±


    I shrugged a shoulder. ¡°Considering how strong you make them out to be, I think they¡¯re rather light.¡±


    ¡°Make them too heavy, and they lose their mobility.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t certain, but I had the suspicion someone had mentioned that to me before. However, unable to remember when and where, I once more ran my gaze over my body reflected in the mirror. While doing so, my mind belatedly remembered what Tabitha had said about my dimensions, and I regarded my chest with sudden mixed feelings.


    ¡°Bust ninety.¡± I breathed deeply and released it slowly, but failed to expel my troubled emotions. ¡°One centimeter bigger than Mercy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you beat her in that category,¡± Tabitha nodded sagely. ¡°You¡¯re also two centimeters taller than her.¡±


    I realized I was starting to feel embarrassed comparing myself to my goddess, and my heart began to thump loudly in my chest. Quickly closing the closet door with the mirror fitted to it, I then leaned against the closet, and waited a short while for my heart to relax. But when it refused to comply, I chose to distract myself by focusing on the next problem.


    Straightening where I stood, I faced Tabitha who had resumed wearing a droopy expression.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m dressed. Now what?¡± I asked, grateful my voice was steady and not influenced by my pounding heart.


    ¡°Now breakfast,¡± she replied without hesitation.


    Her reply failed to ease my heart in the least. If anything, it thump louder. That was because I knew what she meant ¨C leaving the confines of the apartment and heading out into the world dressed as a high school girl attending Telos Academy.


    Tabitha handed me the sports bag. ¡°I put your other clothes inside.¡±


    By other clothes, she was referring to the attire I¡¯d pilfered from the charity donation bins.


    I took the bag, slung the straps over my right shoulder, then hesitated for a handful of seconds before walking to the middle of the apartment¡¯s living area. I gave the place I¡¯d called home for three years a long, lasting look, while Tabitha waited silently at the entrance to the hallway.


    Turning one last time in a full circle, I took a couple of deep breaths.


    Was it Shakespeare that said parting is such sweet sorrow?


    If so, I found myself disagreeing.


    There was nothing sweet about the hollow, empty feeling in my chest that pressed upon my lungs and back, making it uncomfortable to breathe.


    I understood part of the nature of my distress.


    This apartment had indeed been home to me for three years, and yet there was not one memento of myself or my family in evidence. The bookshelves and walls were replete with memorabilia dedicated to Mercy Haddaway, but not a single photo of I, my sister, or my parents was anywhere to be found.


    Why was that?


    Because I had chosen to turn my back on them, just as they had abandoned me.


    I wasn¡¯t an orphan, yet I had preferred to think of myself as one.


    The end result was a dorm apartment that held no memories or lingering attachment to my family. But it also held no attachment to Ronin Kassius either. As Tabitha had pointed out upon arrival, it was a temple dedicated to Mercy Haddaway.


    When I acknowledged this, my ambivalence toward staying or leaving shifted slightly in favor of a swift exit, and so I made my way to the hallway where Tabitha waited.


    As I walked past the girl on my way to the apartment¡¯s door at the end of the hallway, Tabitha raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°You¡¯re not going to take something? A keepsake?¡±


    I stopped and shrugged my shoulders. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here that belongs to me.¡±


    ¡°True. There¡¯s nothing here that belongs to Mirai or Isabel val Sanreal. However¡ª¡±


    I threw her a scowl over a shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s nothing here that belongs to Mirai or Isabel, and that¡¯s who I am now.¡±


    The lethargy Tabitha was displaying faded away and she spoke in a firm tone. ¡°It¡¯s true that your body is not that of Ronin Kassius. But you are the holder, the bearer, of his memories. Don¡¯t dismiss them so easily.¡±


    I turned away and faced the door. ¡°I¡¯m not going to forget who I was. But I need to accept the way things are now.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Tabitha sighed, a first for her, and moments later I heard her walk into the bathroom. She came out a few seconds later, and handed me something that I quickly recognized as my toothbrush. I started to laugh but caught myself when I looked at her serious, uncompromising expression as she continued to hold out the toothbrush. Unexpectedly, I had the impression she would take it for herself if I chose not to accept it, and that didn¡¯t sit well with me.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll take¡­,¡± I grumbled softly.


    Watching me intently, Tabitha¡¯s eyes narrowed ever so slightly when I hesitated for a heartbeat just before plucking the toothbrush from her palm. Though I fumbled a little when opening the unfamiliar skirt¡¯s left zipper, I was able to slip the toothbrush inside, and then tug the zipper back up without having to drop the sports bag to the floor.


    Looking at Tabitha, I gave her a curt nod and then shrugged my shoulders, wanting to shake off the mood and the moment. ¡°Lead the way,¡± I muttered.


    At my invitation, Tabitha opened the door at the far end of the hallway, and exited out into the corridor.


    I followed her out of the apartment, missing a step when I heard the door close and lock behind me.


    A sense of finality washed through me then, squeezing my heart, and I held tightly onto the straps of the sports bag as I walked down the wide corridor. It took every ounce of willpower I possessed to restrain me from looking behind me at the closed door, and it wasn¡¯t until I¡¯d rounded a bend and arrived at the elevator bank at the southeast corner of the building that I finally began to breathe a little easier as my troubled feelings began to settle like sediment at the bottom of a pond.


    However, I soon had something else to keep my mind occupied as a new problem reared its unpleasant head.


    ¨C II ¨C


    Originally, female students of Telos Academy had been assigned to the north side of the dormitory building. To be specific, they were allotted apartments in the northwest, north, and northeast sides of the complex. The male students were thus distributed to the southwest, south, and southeast sections of the megascraper.


    However, and I don¡¯t know why this happened, it was decided a few years ago that girls and boys would be allocated to separate floors, rather than segregating them to the north and south sides of the immense building.


    Naturally, this resulted in a widespread reallocation of the dormitory apartments, and the disruptive move was conducted over the span of end-of-year summer break.


    I was spared having to experience this period of upheaval because I had yet to transfer to the academy, but I¡¯ve heard stories about how difficult the transition was with thousands of girls and guys lugging boxes and belongs up and down the building. Undoubtedly, they were all supervised by academy staff, and mover bots had been called in to assist the students, but even with six wide stairwells, twelve people elevators, and four freight elevators in service, it proved to be a monumental undertaking fraught with arguing and bickering between harried, flustered, and frustrated students.


    However, as consequence of this significant change to the distribution of students within the building, girls and boys found themselves sharing both stairwells and elevators as they travelled up and down the enormous megascraper. Yet, it was uncommon for two female students to be encountered waiting for an elevator on a floor reserved for male students.


    Thus, Tabitha and I attracted curious glances from the guys who arrived to wait at the elevator on the southeast side of the building. However, while they chatted softly to each other, none of them made an attempt to speak to us, though that wasn¡¯t to say they weren¡¯t staring at us with interest, especially since my dress skirt appeared to a little shorter than regulation.


    I had no doubt that Tabitha was responsible for that.


    When staring at myself in the mirror, I had noticed the skirt was tad shorter, but then tossed it into the ¡®my imagination¡¯ basket when I compared it to Tabitha¡¯s dress.


    However, now that I was standing by the elevator doors, I realized I¡¯d been duped.


    Tabitha had hitched up her skirt, and then dropped it once we left the dorm apartment.


    I truly felt like punching her but that would serve no purpose since she was operating a mechanical body. To be truly effective, I would need to unleash my anger upon her real body. On the other hand, venting upon her mechanical form wasn¡¯t such a bad thing as I could pound her to my satisfaction. But instead, I clenched my hands tightly and endured the attention I was drawing, all of which was making me as self-conscious as during my stint cosplaying ¨C I mean cross-playing ¨C as Princess Silver Blue over a year ago.


    However, back then I could always escape the identity of Silver Blue.


    That wasn¡¯t an option for me anymore.


    I was stuck as Mirai or Isabel, drawing attention like honey to a bear, and it wasn¡¯t my imagination running rampant due to my insecurities and self-consciousness. I really was garnering interest, more so than Tabitha, and feeling the gazes from the handful of guys around us crawl over my body, I neared breaking point when the lift suddenly announced its arrival.


    As the doors opened, I was presented with a new problem.


    The lift had passengers, and if everyone waiting on this floor boarded it, the situation would be a crowded one. Compounded with the prospect of riding an elevator loaded with students, nearly all of whom happened to be male ¨C with the exception of Tabitha ¨C it was more than I could handle.


    Whirling on the spot, I fled down the corridor, cutting a beeline for the wide stairwell.


    There were more male students ahead, something to be expected since it was now a little before eight a.m. and the student body would be making the morning journey to Telos Academy.


    Again, the presence of a girl on a male dominated floor raised a number of eyebrows ¨C what with my flustered appearance ¨C but I ducked my head and barreled past the guys who¡¯d paused to stare at me. Hurrying down the steps, at times pushing my way between students, their faces an indistinct blur, I don¡¯t remember how many floors I descended before I belatedly noticed I was surrounded by girls. I quickly realized I had arrived at the building levels allocated to female students was soon swallowed into their midst.


    Girls can be quite receptive to their environment, and it wasn¡¯t long before a number of them noticed my state of distress, and indeed I was distressed.


    I couldn¡¯t understand it.


    I had disguised myself as a female student before.


    I had walked the city streets during the early morning hours.


    And I had endured combat as a Gun Princess clad in a black and purple bodysuit that emphasized Mirai¡¯s curves.


    Yet not once had I experienced the degree of anxiety that I felt now, and I struggled to understand it.


    What was wrong with me?


    Was this an early sign of agoraphobia? Was it a side effect of mapping a male mind into a female brain? Or was something else at play?


    While lying in bed, I had wondered why I didn¡¯t feel like I was wearing the wrong skin, so was this an indication that the gender dysphoria I had expected to suffer was manifesting under a different guise?


    Or was it because I subconsciously feared that I would be seen right through?


    Was it because I was terrified they would see me as I guy with the appearance of a girl?


    Would they see me as a freak?


    As my fears and insecurities tumbled through my head, I almost took a tumble myself when my right foot missed a step, causing my left foot to slip behind me. But I was saved by the girls around me, who reacted quickly and spared me a nasty fall by grabbing onto my arms.


    ¡°Hey? You okay?¡±


    ¡°Watch your step.¡±


    ¡°You go down, we all go down.¡±


    They had a point. The stairs were wide, but they were crowded and growing more so by the minute as a few thousand students descended the building as they embarked on their journey to Telos Academy. If I fell down the steps here, I¡¯d be certain to take a few girls with me.


    Steadying myself on my two feet, I nodded once more, and quietly thanked the girls for their support. Then I noticed one of the girls, a willowy blonde with deep blue eyes, frown at me, then peer at me intently.


    Abruptly, her eyes widened sharply and she exclaimed, ¡°Hah!¡±


    The girls around her stared at her in confusion.


    ¡°Hey, Sierra. What¡¯s up with you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± The willowy blonde snapped her fingers and pointed at me. ¡°I know you. You¡¯re my brother¡¯s favorite bikini girl!¡±


    I gasped loudly and jerked back in shock, before hastily rejecting her declaration. ¡°No, no, no! Definitely not!¡± I shook my head and waved my hands. ¡°I¡¯ve never worn a bikini in my life!¡±


    That was indeed the truth.


    A bra and panties, yes, but a bikini. No, sir.


    However, my denial fell on deaf ears.


    ¡°Of course you have,¡± the girl overruled me. ¡°You¡¯re that chick in his posters.¡±


    The girls around her traded looks before turning to face me.


    A brunette with a short bob nodded thoughtfully as she studied my appearance. ¡°You know, I think she¡¯s right. It is her.¡±


    Sierra was nodding eagerly now. ¡°Of course I am. That jerk¡¯s room is full of her stuff. Remember, I showed you what his room is like.¡±


    The girls surrounding her began to nod.


    I waved my hands at them. ¡°No, no. I¡¯m definitely not her! I just look like her¡ªI mean, I resemble her! I just resemble her!¡±


    Sierra ignored my attempt to repudiate her, and threw her friends a glance. ¡°That idiot spent his summer working, then spent a chunk of that money on her holovid collection.¡±


    The brunette with the bob asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t he line up for a couple of hours to meet her when she was promoting something?¡±


    ¡°Oh, last year¡¯s handshake event.¡±


    I froze for a moment thinking, Was it that handshake event?


    Another girl started to giggle madly. ¡°Sierra, your brother will wet his pants knowing she¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s call him.¡± A fourth girl with dark blonde hair and amber eyes pulled out her slim phone from a skirt pocket.


    ¡°You have his number,¡± the brunette inquired with a visible scowl. ¡°Why do you have his number?¡±


    ¡°Oh, ah, well,¡± the girl with amber eyes fumbled for a reply. ¡°Well, he¡ªhe gave it to me.¡±


    ¡°He gave it to you?¡±


    ¡°Why would he give you his number?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Karen, is there something you¡¯re not telling us?¡±


    Under the combined pressure from her friends, the girl began to flee while making the call. ¡°No¡ªthere¡¯s nothing going on. Nothing to tell.¡±


    ¡°Why are you running away?¡± one of her companions asked.


    Sierra clapped her hands. ¡°Girls, focus please.¡± Quickly stepping closer to me on the stairs, she studied me keenly. ¡°You¡¯re Mercy. Mercy Haddaway.¡±


    I raised my hands higher. ¡°I keep telling you I¡¯m not¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mercy!¡± A bored voice called out loudly from above me. ¡°There you are. Why did you run away?¡±


    I jerked sharply and then hastily looked around.


    Mercy Haddaway is here? Why is she here¡ª?


    Then the proverbial penny dropped.


    Wait¡ªthat voice! Damn her!


    I haltingly turned to look up the stairs behind me to see Tabitha standing on the overhead landing, wearing a languid fa?ade. Yet behind it, I could see a faint smile curling the ends of her mouth.


    ¡°Mercy, what did I tell you about running away?¡± she droned. ¡°I warned you about attracting too much attention.¡±


    The girls on the steps weren¡¯t the only ones that had stopped.


    It was fair to say that all traffic on the stairs had come to a standstill, and dozens of faces now turned to look at me.


    ¡°Sheesh,¡± Tabitha sighed lethargically. ¡°Deciding to play high school even at your age. What were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, my age?¡± I snapped unhappily. ¡°And stop calling me Mercy¡ªhuh? What?¡±


    The sounds of phone cameras shuttering away ripped my attention away from the woman pouring gasoline into the proverbial fire.


    In dismay, I stared at the students ¨C mostly guys ¨C taking snaps of me.


    ¡°¡­that¡¯s her¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­shit. That¡¯s Mercy, right¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­never thought I¡¯d see her in person¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­why¡¯s she wearing a uniform¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­she¡¯s going to our school¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­but I thought she was older than us¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­who cares. I got no problem with older women¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­damn. Check out her rack¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­she¡¯s bigger in real life¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­what a slut. Look at her skirt¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­that¡¯s way shorter than allowed¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­someone¡¯s going to get in trouble today¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­I want her legs¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­shut up, Christine¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­I want her breasts¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­shut up, Megan¡­.¡±


    Everywhere I looked, students from Telos Academy were either taking photos or talking about me¡ªno, about Mercy ¨C and being the center of attention brought back traumatic memories from a year ago.


    It was the Princess Silver Blue experience all over again.


    Except this time I was being mistaken for Mercy Haddaway.


    ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m not her. I¡¯m not, Mercy. I¡¯m not¡­I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m¡­.¡±


    The commotion drowned out my denial. It didn¡¯t help that my voice had failed me and fallen to a whisper.


    The straps of the sports bag I¡¯d been carrying slipped off my shoulders and the bag hit the ground as I stumbled back against the guardrail in the middle of the stairwell.


    ¡°¡­please¡­stop it¡­I¡¯m not her¡­.¡±


    The girl, Sierra, had been staring at the students gathering on the stairs, but sensing my retreat, a look of concern crossed her face when she noticed my mounting distress.


    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m not her¡­stop it¡­.¡±


    From within me, the urge to flee welled up.


    But just before it reached critical mass, Sierra lunged toward me without warning, grabbed my right hand, and pulled me along as she descended the steps at a near run, her school carry-bag bouncing at her hip.


    ¡°Hurry!¡± she yelled.


    Overwhelmed by the situation, I presented no resistance as I hurried down the steps with her.


    After descending a few floors, Sierra exited the stairwell with me in tow, and turned sharply down a wide corridor.


    ¡°This way,¡± she insisted, her grip firm on my hand.


    Addled, it took me a while to realize this was a first for me ¨C being pulled along by a girl by the hand.


    If this had happened to me while I was Ronin Kassius, I might have died happily.


    It didn¡¯t hurt that Sierra was actually quite pretty.


    At the least, my male mind thought of her in such a way.


    Half walking, half running, Sierra led me to a T-intersection. Turning into the branching corridor, I saw a set of wide translucent doors at the far end, and recognized what lay beyond them as a bridgeway connecting this apartment complex to its southern neighbor. This I knew because of Mirai¡¯s bird-like ability to sense magnetic north, thus I was able to tell our direction of travel as though I had a compass in my head.


    Her hand is soft.


    I glanced down at it as we passed through the entrance into the bridgeway, its perma-glass doors silently parting aside.


    It feels warm.


    Because I was looking at Sierra¡¯s hand, I only glimpsed the view outside of the bridgeway, and again that was only because of Mirai¡¯s abnormally wide field-of-vision. Yet, the scenery of towering buildings failed to draw away my attention, distracted as I was by Sierra and her hand wrapped around mine.


    It wasn¡¯t until we¡¯d traversed the bridgeway and entered the adjoining building that my composure began to recover.


    Hesitantly, but then forcefully, I rapidly slowed to a halt.


    ¡°Please¡ªplease, stop,¡± I called out to Sierra.


    Unprepared for the strength I demonstrated, the girl¡¯s feet slipped on the smooth floor. However, she caught her balance quickly, supported by the hold she had on my hand.


    ¡°Woh¡ªthat was fast,¡± she muttered then regarded me curiously. ¡°You¡¯re pretty strong.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± I apologized for almost causing her to fall, yet felt uncomfortable when she called me ¡®strong¡¯.


    You have no idea what I can do, I mused with troubled feelings.


    Sierra released my hand, and dropped her weight onto a hip. Folding her arms, she regarded me studiously, and I grew quickly uncomfortable under her intense gaze.


    ¡°What¡­?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°You can tell me the truth. You are Mercy Haddaway, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    I exhaled loudly and my body wilted. ¡°Look. I¡¯m not Mercy.¡±


    ¡°Oh really.¡±


    ¡°Why would Mercy be dressed in a school uniform? Why would she even be in this building? And she¡¯s too old to be attending high school.¡±


    True. Despite her teenage looks, Mercy was twenty-three years old.


    I attributed her youthful appearance as the product of exceptional genes.


    Sierra nodded subtly. ¡°Okay. I get that. But you look like her.¡±


    ¡°I am well aware of that,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°So if you¡¯re not Mercy, who are you?¡±


    I blinked sharply for a second then felt my composure ¨C what little of it there was ¨C washed away by a wave of misery frothed by disquiet.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­a really good question¡­,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Sierra cocked her head at me. ¡°Do you have a name?¡±


    I blinked sharply again. ¡°A name?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a name.¡± Sierra frowned at me. ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± she muttered, half to herself and half to me.


    I snorted softly, and glanced away. Where do I even begin?


    But as I averted my attention, my gaze glimpsed my reflection in the polished fa?ade of a nearby wall. Giving myself another long look, I noticed the harried state of my appearance, and the distressed aura I was radiating.


    I shook my head slowly.


    This isn¡¯t good. I can¡¯t keep doing this. I can¡¯t fall into a funk like this.


    I turned away from my reflection, closed my eyes, and took a couple of deep breaths.


    Keep it together. And stop being so afraid. I don¡¯t have to be so afraid. After what I¡¯ve gone through already, this should be a piece of cake.


    Opening my eyes, I met Sierra¡¯s gaze. ¡°I¡¯m not Mercy Haddaway.¡±


    Sierra¡¯s frown grew crooked. ¡°Okay¡­so who are you?¡±


    Who am I?


    I held back a sigh, or rather, dispelled it under my breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m Isabel.¡±


    I offered Sierra my right hand in greeting.


    ¡°Isabel val Sanreal.¡±

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 4 - Part III

    Chapter 4.


    ¨C III ¨C


    Before Sierra could accept my greeting, I heard a song begin to play from nearby.


    I recognized it after a dozen or so bars as a catchy pop tune sung by a trendsetting young chick by the name of Ami Amuro.


    Before you ask, yes, I was introduced to her by the girls in my class last year.


    Remember, they never really saw me as a boy, so I was included in many girl discussions.


    And no, I do not own Ami¡¯s posters or music. Her songs were catchy, but they weren¡¯t my cup-of-tea.


    In any event, Sierra looked startled for a heartbeat before pulling her phone out of a skirt pocket. After reading whatever was displayed on it, she gave me a quick smile, muttered, ¡°Sorry. Gimme a sec¡±, then walked away a handful of steps to answer the call.


    Deciding to give her the privacy she needed, I took a look at my surroundings, then slowly wandered deeper into the building.


    I¡¯d lived in the apartment complex for three and a bit years, yet I¡¯d never set foot in any of its neighbors. Thus, it was my first time inside the megascraper to the south of the dorm pyramid. The building was hexagonal ¨C no surprises there ¨C and open in the middle with an atrium that extended from the ground floor to the highest level. Balconies overlooked the open space of the atrium at each floor, and after peering up and down the center of the building, I guessed the complex had some fifty floors to its credit. Not the tallest megascraper in the city, but taller than a few.


    Leaning on the balcony guardrail that circumnavigated the hexagonal atrium, I looked around at the commercial shops located on the current floor, and regarded those visible to me on the two floors above and below me. I could see restaurants, caf¨¦s, a handful of fast food outlets, a few mini-marts, and an assortment of clothing boutiques and photronic goods retailers. The rest of the floors appeared to be home to businesses, and I presumed the top levels held luxurious residential suites. It seemed that only the commercial premises were located on these three floors because of the bridgeways on this level that connected the building to its neighbors.


    Wondering what floor I was on, I looked around to see Level 20 indicated above the entrance to the bridgeway that Sierra and I had used to enter this building.


    That surprised me, as I didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d descended so many floors while in a daze.


    But it was more shocking to know that Sierra hadn¡¯t broken a sweat on the mad dash down the stairs.


    I cocked my head slightly as my mind was tickled by a memory.


    Come to think of it, isn¡¯t she¡ª


    ¡°Princess, might I have a moment of your time?¡±


    Ghost had reverted to interacting with me in voice-only mode. I had no idea why. Perhaps he felt it would be less distracting for me. Whenever his image was superimposed into my vision, I had a natural tendency to look at him when he spoke to me. Not good when I was in the presence of other people who probably suspected there was something wrong with me as my eyes kept looking away from them. However, while there were other people coming and going from the caf¨¦s and shops on this level, there was no one else in my immediate vicinity.


    ¡°What?¡± I whispered, keeping my attention on the vista across the open expanse in the middle of the building.


    ¡°Might I show you something?¡±


    ¡°Show me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You may find this a little distracting. Please bear with it, Princess.¡±


    ¡°What are you¡ªah?¡±


    I gasped when multiple holovid windows popped up in my vision. For all intents and purposes, it was as though they were floating before me, but instead they were being projected into my eyes or rather into Mirai¡¯s brain where it processed images.


    ¡°Wow¡­.¡±


    ¡°I believe the term is¡­cool.¡±


    I blinked a few times, giving myself a moment to grow accustomed to the sight of holovid windows that moved in conjunction with my line of sight.


    I swallowed quickly and asked, ¡°So what am I seeing¡±¡ªthen the penny dropped¡ª¡±¡­oh¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed. Oh is a most appropriate verbal reaction¡­.¡±


    I pressed my lips together, feeling my stomach sink as I looked at each window and read what they were displaying.


    An unexpected Mercy Haddaway sighting was making a splash on social media.


    Rather, as her approximate Doppelganger, I was making a splash on social media.


    Each of the holovids was showing me comment after comment that spread from those who saw me in the stairwell to their online friends who then shared the news. The more degrees of separation from the source, the further from the truth the retelling deviated. For example, someone wrote they¡¯d heard I was traipsing up and down the building wearing only a bikini and high heels.


    ¡°What the Hell?¡±


    Right now there was a hunt being organized to find Mercy Haddaway and collect her academy uniform as a memento.


    ¡°What the frekking Hell?¡±


    ¡°I agree, Princess. You have made quite an impression on the impressionable students of Telos Academy.¡±


    I grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s because they¡¯re a bunch of retards.¡±


    Ghost was silent for a moment. ¡°Princess, allow me to ask you this. How would you react had you sighted Mercy Haddaway no more than ten feet away, clad in a school uniform?¡±


    My grimace froze on my face. ¡°Well¡­I guess¡­I¡¯d¡­take lots of photos?¡±


    ¡°¡­is that all¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t have glomped her!¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    ¡°Hey¡ªdon¡¯t mix me in with this mob!¡± I pointed at the holovids though they weren¡¯t floating around me, but the net effect was more or less the same from my point of view. ¡°Organizing a hunting party? What the Hell is up with that? What am I? A rare exotic beast?¡±


    ¡°Princess, do you not mean a rare exotic beauty?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah. That as well¡­.¡±


    ¡°There is something else I must show you.¡±


    ¡°What? There¡¯s more good news?¡±


    One holovid window pushed the others aside, moving front and center, then quickly enlarged to fill half my vision.


    I saw that it was a gossip column, the kind that reported on society¡¯s high life in Ar Telica and around the world. The article on display had a photo of a girl that looked remarkably like Mercy, and remarkably like me, alighting from a VTOL and wearing a dark safety jacket with fluorescent strips.


    I read the caption above the photo.


    SANREAL HEIRESS ARRIVES IN AR TELICA.


    I read the caption below the photo.


    ISABEL VAL SANREAL, YOUNGEST HEIRESS TO THE SANREAL FORTUNE, ARRIVES IN AR TELICA TO BEGIN A NEW LIFE.


    ¡°¡­great¡­,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°There is more, Princess.¡±


    Another holovid pushed aside the window and took center stage in my vision.


    Another photo of me on the landing platform but from a different angle.


    The caption above the image read, FROM RAGS TO RICHES ¨C ISABEL VAL SANREAL LANDS ON TELORIA.


    ¡°Is this a setup?¡± I asked softly, my voice lost in the low din of my surroundings.


    Yet Ghost heard me and replied, ¡°No, Princess. Your identity has been established. With this, your existence as a member of the Sanreal Family is being promoted. In addition, it will serve to distinguish you from Mercy Haddaway while drawing comparisons to her.¡±


    I wet my lips slowly and murmured, ¡°They should never have made Mirai in Mercy¡¯s image.¡±


    Whatever Ghost was thinking, he kept to himself.


    I wet my lips again as I read the article. Then I noticed something odd.


    ¡°All these photos were supplied by the Sanreals, right? I mean, they don¡¯t show me wearing torn clothing.¡±


    Back aboard the VTOL, the Cat Princess and I had scuffled, leading to my top being ripped. A member of the ground crew had handed me his jacket, which was now in the sports bag I¡¯d left behind on the stairs of the dorm building. The photos accompanying the articles had been captured after I¡¯d slipped into the jacket.


    ¡°I would assume as much,¡± Ghost stated. ¡°Your state of undress would have made for bad publicity.¡±


    Remember how I¡¯d been hiding my chest with my arms, I blushed hotly.


    ¡°Thanks for reminding me,¡± I grumbled.


    I was a male consciousness mapped into a female body, but that didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t possess a sense of shame or embarrassment.


    At a subsequent thought, I asked Ghost, ¡°Won¡¯t the ground crew remember that I wasn¡¯t saintly in appearance?¡±


    ¡°Even if they do, none of them were busy taking snaps of you as you disembarked from the VTOL. Furthermore, I believe they would know better than to risk releasing images of you in a compromising appearance. The Sanreals do have an army of lawyers to threaten people into silence.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­.¡± I cocked my head at the images in the articles. ¡°So then these photos were taken by?¡±


    ¡°Undoubtedly by photographers hired by the Sanreals.¡±


    I shook my head as I rubbed a temple. ¡°Okay. So what now?¡±


    ¡°A very good question, Princess¡ªah, you have company.¡±


    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± a girl¡¯s voice asked from behind me.


    I stiffened in surprise, and then spun around to see Sierra standing a couple of feet away. At the same time, the holovid windows in my vision vanished, no longer obstructing my view of the world, and I saw Sierra looking at me with a perplexed expression.


    I waved a hand quickly. ¡°Nobody. Nobody at all.¡±


    Sierra¡¯s confused expression grew visibly suspicious of me. ¡°Ah huh.¡±


    Behind her, I saw a group of girls hurrying toward us, triggering within me the urge to flee. But then I noticed the brunette with the stylish bob, and recognized her as one of the girls on the stairwell. They arrived in short order, and stopped in disarray behind and around Sierra.


    The brunette with short hair warned Sierra, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t run off like that.¡±


    ¡°Hey, who are you? My mother?¡± Sierra retorted, looking slightly miffed.


    ¡°You know what your doctor said,¡± the brunette replied.


    Sierra stiffened visibly, then waved a hand lightly at the brunette. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Maria. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Not fine enough to return to the¡ª¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m fine,¡± the willowy blonde stressed then turned away from the shorter girl. ¡°I¡¯m not pushing myself at all¡­.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    My eyes widened as I remembered who this girl was, but I pressed my lips together and held my silence, waiting until the moment the tension between the two girls had eased and I could intercede.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I need to go,¡± I announced firmly.


    ¡°Go? Go where?¡± the brunette inquired.


    ¡°None of your business,¡± I answered her with an abrupt edge to my voice.


    ¡°Nice attitude,¡± the brunette snarked.


    I felt anger well up in me, and after clamping a lid on it, I strode up to the shorter girl and glared down at her. It actually felt nice to be looking down at girl rather than upwards. There was also the fact that Mirai had a much, much bigger chest than the brunette with a bob.


    ¡°Are you giving me lip?¡± I asked harshly. ¡°After the shit you people pulled and announced to the world that I was Mercy Haddaway¡ªwho I am not¡ªI¡¯m now the number one morning topic on the CyWeb. And now you¡¯re going to give me more shit?¡±


    ¡°Hey, take it down¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± I growled at her. ¡°I don¡¯t owe you an explanation. I don¡¯t owe you anything. And you¡±¡ªI pointed at her meagre chest¡ª¡°don¡¯t talk back to me.¡±


    Sierra held her up hands placatingly and tried to step between the shorter Maria and I. ¡°Okay, okay. Look that was my fault. I mistook you for Mercy Haddaway. No need to fight. Maria, stop interrogating people. That¡¯s a really annoying habit you have.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interrogating. I was simply asking a question.¡± The brunette continued meeting my glare, and I had no intention of letting up on it.


    In the corner of my eye, Sierra sighed. ¡°Yeah, well. You can be pretty cutting when you want to be.¡±


    ¡°Why are you taking her side?¡± Maria snapped at Sierra, and in my peripheral vision I noticed the other girls nod in agreement.


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking her side,¡± Sierra protested calmly. It made me wonder if she was accustomed to being accused as such or she was innately with a calm persona. Maybe she knew it was better to deal with the fiesta Maria this way, and not meet anger with anger.


    However, seeing how Sierra was handling the situation made me consider that I wasn¡¯t approaching the encounter in the best possible way. I also didn¡¯t feel that a confrontation with the fiery brunette was worth my time or effort. In other words, it wasn¡¯t in my best interests to be drawn into a protracted argument with her.


    I quietly turned and began walking away.


    I had better things to do with my time, though if you asked me ¡®what?¡¯ I wouldn¡¯t be able to give you a good answer, although¡ª


    Breakfast does sound like a good idea.


    ¡°Hey, Isabel, wait,¡± Sierra called out to my back.


    I slowed to a stop and looked over a shoulder at an anxious Sierra a few feet behind me. ¡°What now? You want me to pose for photos? Want to plaster them on your MyBook page?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. Though my brother wouldn¡¯t mind a photo or two.¡±


    ¡°You do realize I could get arrested for impersonating Mercy even though I¡¯m not trying to impersonate her.¡±


    Maria snorted. ¡°I guess it sucks to be you.¡±


    I frowned at her. ¡°You have no idea how right you are.¡±


    She gave me a crooked smile. ¡°I was being sarcastic.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t. It really does suck to be me.¡± I turned and began walking away¡ªagain.


    ¡°Jeez, what an attitude,¡± Maria quipped.


    Attitude? You want attitude? I¡¯ll give you attitude!


    I may have thought that, but it didn¡¯t stop me from leaving her behind.


    ¡°Isabel,¡± Sierra called out. ¡°Wait¡ªat least let me apologize.¡±


    Once again, I slowed to a stop. After expelling a sigh ¨C mostly at myself since I really had no reason to halt and listen to the girl other than it felt rude not to do so ¨C I half turned and stared at her over my left shoulder. ¡°Apologize? How?¡±


    Sierra glanced away before hastily replying, ¡°How about breakfast?¡±


    At the thought of food, I felt my stomach twinge. ¡°¡­maybe¡­.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she eagerly clapped at my non-committal answer as though she¡¯d been thrown a lifeline. ¡°Then let¡¯s go for breakfast.¡± She turned to the girls around her. ¡°How does that sound?¡±


    A slender girl with ash blonde hair and long toned limbs meekly raised a hand. ¡°Ah, Sierra. We have to check in at the club before homeroom.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we don¡¯t have practice in the morning, but the seniors want us all there today,¡± added a slim redhead with pale skin and shoulder length hair. ¡°Something about promoting the club and picking up new recruits to fill up the ranks. Ah¡ª¡± The girl suddenly blanched before hastily averting her attention.


    I noticed Sierra gape a little then break into an awkward smile. ¡°Oh, yeah. That¡¯s right. I heard the recruitment campaign is next week.¡± Her smile grew sheepish as she ran a hand through her long blonde hair. ¡°Sorry. Forgot. My bad.¡±


    I realized I was frowning and cleared it away from my forehead, but I was noticed by Maria who had been watching me with a veiled glare.


    Ignoring her, I regarded Sierra carefully.


    So it is her¡ªthe Sprint Queen.


    Feeling another frown on the cusp of breaking out, I bit my lower lip instead and wondered if the girl had forgotten her companions had club activities or if there was another motive at play.


    Doesn¡¯t matter. Not my problem.


    I may have thought as much, yet I noticed the girl was wearing a short white tie like I was, indicating she was a first-year high schooler. Yet her companions ¨C including the somewhat hostile Maria ¨C wore yellow ties, signifying they were second year students.


    I guess she repeated a year. I didn¡¯t think her injuries were that bad.


    My gaze was drawn down to her legs.


    Maybe I was wrong.


    While the other girls¡¯ legs were bare, Sierra was wearing sheer dark stockings.


    Not my problem, I muttered inwardly.


    And yet, though I had the opportunity to leave, I remained standing where I was and watched Sierra who in turn watched her friends ¨C sans Maria ¨C excuse themselves and bid her adieu.


    I looked at Maria and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have a club to go to?¡±


    She folded her arms across her meagre chest and smiled thinly. ¡°I¡¯m a proud member of the Going Home Club.¡±


    ¡°Admirable.¡± I felt an unpleasant kinship with this girl.


    Maria narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°Are you mocking me?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I was member of the same club too. Three years running. Never missed a day. Cross my heart and hope to die.¡±


    Not entirely true. While I never attended a day of club, I didn¡¯t always go home directly from school. But the point was that I never attended a day of club activities.


    Wait¡ªdoes cross-playing as Silver Blue count as a club activity?


    I wasn¡¯t a member of the Cosplay Club, so perhaps I was in the clear.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re really mocking me,¡± Maria narrowed her eyes further.


    ¡°If I¡¯m mocking you, then I¡¯m mocking myself as well.¡±


    Sierra cautiously asked, ¡°Does this mean you¡¯re getting along?¡±


    Both Maria and I glanced at the girl before resuming to stare at each other.


    After a while I stepped up to the brunette with the bob cut.


    ¡°I¡¯m Isabel.¡± I offered her my hand. ¡°Isabel val Sanreal.¡±


    Maria¡¯s eyes widened slightly but I couldn¡¯t tell if she was reacting to my greeting or to my name.


    However, after a few seconds of silent contemplation, she reached out and shook my hand.


    ¡°Maria Palermo del Castillo.¡±


    I realized I was starting to grin.


    ¡°What?¡± she snapped. ¡°Have a problem with my name?¡±


    ¡°No. Not at all. I think it sounds kinda cool.¡±


    ¡°Heh?¡± Maria¡¯s handshake grew limp for a moment, before she hastily withdrew her hand and arm. ¡°Well¡­if you think so¡­.¡±


    ¡°Bravo, Lady Isabel. Bravo. How magnanimous of you.¡±


    My innards clenched at the sound of that lackluster voice.


    ¡°You¡­,¡± I grumbled as I watched Tabitha approach us from the direction of the bridgeway.


    The mechanical girl wore an exhausted look as she glanced at Maria before asking me, ¡°Did you make new friends?¡±


    This earned her a darkly suspicious glower from Maria. The girl looked ready to retort but held herself back when she glanced at me, perhaps noticing the acutely unhappy look I was giving Tabitha who trudged toward me.


    ¡°You left this behind, Lady Isabel,¡± Tabitha said, tossing me the sports bag containing my pilfered belongings.


    I caught it by the straps, my hand and arm blurring in the process, something that visibly shocked Sierra and Maria. However, I chose to ignore their reactions and instead focus on the troublesome mechanical girl. ¡°I¡¯m not going to thank you.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to.¡±


    ¡°So now you¡¯re calling me Isabel? You¡¯re not going to call me Mercy again?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That was then. This is now.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯m a social media hit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯ll blow over.¡± Tabitha shrugged. ¡°Eventually.¡±


    I clenched my jaw, and the urge to turn her into scrap metal made me tremble for a moment or two.


    Tabitha held up her phone for me to see. ¡°Besides, Isabel val Sanreal makes for more interesting news.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that,¡± I muttered as my attention was drawn to the news article displayed on her phone. ¡°I¡¯ve already seen it.¡±


    ¡°You have?¡± Tabitha looked mildly surprised. But given her understated nature, I heard warning bells ring in my head when I noticed she was showing any surprise at all.


    Knowing that I¡¯d slipped up, I decided not to make excuses for it. ¡°So the world knows about me now. Big deal.¡±


    ¡°Well, some people may find this of interest.¡± Tabitha shrugged again and then turned to show the silent Sierra, and the irritated Maria, the article on her phone. ¡°Ladies. Take a bow. You are in the honored presence of Lady Isabel val Sanreal¡ª¡±


    Eyes wide, I reached out for Tabitha¡¯s phone. ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°¡ªone of the richest girls on the planet.¡±


    I snatched the device from her hand. Actually, I should have punched her instead. Either way, the damage was done.


    Then again, they would have learned about me eventually.


    After staring at me for a short while with a blend of confusion and surprise on their faces, Sierra and Maria cautiously retrieved their phones and began thumbing through their respective screens.


    Tabitha smiled like it was a chore. ¡°That¡¯s Isabel spelled I-S-A-B-E-L.¡±


    I sighed and pondered just how far Tabitha would fly if I punched her now.


    Would I break a hand?


    ¡°Princess. A moment please.¡±


    Startled, I feared my reaction had been noticed but both girls were intently working their phones, and Tabitha was stifling a yawn.


    ¡°What¡­?¡± I whispered out the side of my mouth.


    ¡°Please hold onto that phone for a while longer.¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother asking why. I would do that later. But then I wondered if Ghost was covertly hacking into Tabitha¡¯s phone.


    What could he possibly find in there?


    In the meantime, Sierra looked up from her phone and stared at me intently with disbelief before asking, ¡°You¡­are you really¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Of course she is,¡± Tabitha answered in my stead before I could decide whether to punch her or not. ¡°It¡¯s only natural that a beauty like her would be the daughter heir of one of the richest families in the colonized systems.¡±


    Maria¡¯s head bobbed slowly as she alternated between looking up at me and down at her phone. ¡°No way. This is a joke, right?¡±


    Tabitha smiled drearily at me. ¡°Don¡¯t you find her reaction priceless?¡±


    ¡°I find you annoying,¡± I growled at her. ¡°Did you have to go this far?¡±


    ¡°Call it a test of character,¡± Tabitha replied, then she raised a finger weakly. ¡°Think of it as sign of things to come.¡±


    I felt my innards tighten as I realized what she was implying.


    How will the student body react to me come Monday morning?


    But there was another side to the coin.


    How will I react to them¡­come Monday morning?


    As the worrying thoughts crossed my mind, I noticed Sierra was looking at me with a complicated expression. When our eyes met, the girl swallowed then hesitantly stepped closer to me.


    ¡°Is this really you?¡± she asked, and held her phone out for me to see its screen.


    I briefly considered lying to her, until I noticed the faintly troubled look on Sierra¡¯s face. It was subtle ¨C something in the way her eyes met mine ¨C but it made me reconsider lying. I also realized that lying to her was akin to lying to myself. I¡¯d be running away from my decision to accept my role as Isabel val Sanreal.


    Swallowing quietly, I gave Sierra a faint nod. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me.¡±


    The girl blinked slowly a number of times. ¡°Are you¡­rich?¡±


    Her question made me wince. It was fleeting, but I was certain Sierra noticed it because she was looking at me intently with that veiled discomfit I¡¯d noticed moments ago. Honestly, the light in her eyes troubled me and because of it I was unsure of how to respond. I had the impression she was reluctant for an answer yet wanted one all the same.


    Does my identity as Isabel bother her? Or is it something else?


    Eventually, I nodded again and replied, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m rich.¡±


    At least for now, I added inwardly.


    With my situation being a fluid one, who could tell what tomorrow would bring.


    Sierra remained silent for a long while, her gaze sweeping all over my face before muttering half to herself, ¡°You really do look like Mercy Haddaway.¡± However, after giving her phone¡¯s display another look, she sounded remorseful. ¡°But I guess you were telling the truth¡­.¡±


    Surprisingly, I found myself scowling at her faintly. ¡°I¡¯ve been telling you the truth the whole time.¡±


    Maria was both glaring and staring at her phone in disbelief, but it didn¡¯t stop her from snarking, ¡°So you¡¯ve gone from rags to riches.¡±


    If Sierra had said it, I was certain I would have winced again. But Maria made it sound like a taunt, so I chose to answer her with a flat stare. ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it.¡±


    The ghost of a smirk played over her lips as she then asked, ¡°So why is a rich girl like you going to our school?¡±


    I folded my arms under my voluptuous chest. ¡°Because the Sanreals decided to enroll me there,¡± I answered her bluntly.


    ¡°The Sanreals?¡± Maria asked, and her eyebrows rose slightly.


    I swallowed and felt a twinge in my gut. Maria made me feel as though I¡¯d slipped up somehow. Was it because I didn¡¯t refer to the Sanreals as ¡®my family¡¯?


    Swallowing again, I eased up on my brusque tone when I admitted, ¡°I don¡¯t know why they decided to enroll me at Telos Academy. I didn¡¯t ask either.¡±


    Maria did have a reason for asking.


    Since I was supposed to be a rich heiress ¨C though Clarisol was actually first in line to the family fortune ¨C the Sanreals should have enrolled me at the truly prestigious all girls¡¯ school, Saint Something Or Other, located in a district of Ring One. That¡¯s where all the affluent Princesses of society studied. Telos Academy was no small fry when it came to reputation, but anyone who was anyone enrolled their daughters at Saint Something Or Other. The same went for the boys. They had their own private academy in Ring One near the girls¡¯ academy.


    Tabitha clapped softly and said, ¡°Well then, I do recall breakfast being mentioned.¡±


    Sierra glanced at her as though she¡¯d forgotten about Tabitha, but then frowned ever so faintly when she faced me. ¡°Oh yeah. Breakfast. Sounds good.¡±


    I was convinced that I wasn¡¯t imagining things.


    Sierra was indeed uncomfortable around me, and although I didn¡¯t know why, I was certain it would make for an awkward breakfast.


    Waving a hand about, I chose to decline the offer. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t hold you to it. Forget all about it.¡±


    Sierra stiffened before laughing lightly. ¡°No. No. I made the offer for breakfast. I¡¯m not¡ªI¡¯m not taking it back now.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the problem?¡± I asked bluntly, surprising myself as well as the girl.


    Sierra¡¯s smile froze but it was only for a heartbeat, then she was calm once again.


    In fact, I sensed that some of her uneasiness ¨C dare I say wariness ¨C had been dispelled as she almost casually asked, ¡°Then what kind of breakfast do rich girls eat?¡±


    I gaped at her. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Tabitha started to chuckle but coming from her while looking utterly disinterested made it downright creepy, something that wasn¡¯t lost on either Sierra or Maria who quickly shared disturbed looks before edging away from her. In contrast, Tabitha¡¯s laughter rubbed me the wrong way, and I quickly dragged her away by an arm.


    ¡°Excuse me for a minute,¡± I threw over a shoulder at Sierra and Maria.


    Once we were some ten feet away from the two girls, I released Tabitha¡¯s arm but then used my free hand to grab her by the blouse that was part of her dress. Yanking her close to me until our noses bumped, I asked her with a snarl, ¡°What are you plotting?¡±


    ¡°Who? Me?¡±


    ¡°I thought you wanted to talk to me about a proposition from Cardinal?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I still do. But don¡¯t you want to make good on your new friends?¡±


    ¡°Then stop creeping them out,¡± I hissed at her.


    Tabitha smiled at me from under her lidded eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. You¡¯re so amusing.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯re not my friends,¡± I corrected her.


    ¡°Friendship redoubleth joys and cutteth griefs in half.¡±


    I blinked in confusion. ¡°Meaning what?¡±


    ¡°Think of it this way, Isabel. You can do with more friends in this world. Especially since you¡¯re going to be attending school as a girl now. Guys can get away with being loners. Girls not so much.¡±


    I stiffened and hissed, ¡°I can deal with it.¡±


    Tabitha¡¯s eyes grew even more lidded. ¡°To quote someone famous from your universe, ¡®the worst solitude is having no real friends¡¯.¡±


    I thought of Felicia and Angela, and my chest tightened unpleasantly.


    Friends. Did I need them? Or rather, could I trust anyone as a friend ever again?


    Mat¡¯s face crossed my mind, distracting me such that I barely noticed Tabitha reach up and pat my shoulders.


    ¡°Shall we be going, Lady Isabel?¡±


    The unpleasant pressure in my chest, one born of uncertainty, suspicion and distrust of Tabitha and almost everyone else I¡¯d come to know in life, flared briefly before gradually ebbing away.


    However, although the pressure had faded it didn¡¯t mean that I chose to trust the girl.


    The problem was that I didn¡¯t know what it meant.


    Was I being worn down by Tabitha? Dragged along at her pace, manipulated and coerced ¨C had she outmaneuvered me without my realizing it? Had she found a chink in my armor that I wasn¡¯t aware of?


    I released my grip on her blouse. Realizing I still had her phone in my other hand, I pressed it against her chest as I pushed her back a step.


    After taking a deep breath, I warned the mechanical girl, ¡°One of these days, Tabitha, karma is going to bite off your ass.¡±


    Tabitha took back her phone, dropped it into a skirt pocket, then lethargically straightened her dress and white tie.


    ¡°Oh dear. That does sound painful.¡±

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 5 - Part I

    Chapter 5.


    ¨C I ¨C


    It was convenient to find ourselves in an area of the building replete with caf¨¦s, restaurants, and so forth.


    We had five floors worth of shops from which to choose a suitable venue, and Sierra took her merry time deciding on her choice.


    That meant wandering around for a while past the various food outlets.


    With a veiled sullen look, I followed behind Sierra and Maria, and was kept company by Tabitha who was looking about with disinterest.


    ¡°What are you playing at?¡± I asked her, keeping my voice low yet certain she could hear me.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you interested in knowing where this will lead?¡±


    ¡°Even if I am, what¡¯s it to you?¡±


    Tabitha glanced at me sidelong. ¡°Do you believe everything is a conspiracy?¡±


    I¡¯d been watching her in the corner of my eye, but now I turned my head and faced her. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I believe that?¡±


    ¡°Then isn¡¯t it better to make friends who are unrelated to your circumstances? In other words, friends less likely to be involved in a conspiracy.¡±


    Again, I thought of Angela and Felicia, and again I felt my chest tighten.


    Turning away from Tabitha, I replied curtly, ¡°I told you before, I don¡¯t need friends.¡±


    I was somewhat relieved when Tabitha opted to accept my words with silence because I had nothing more to say to her. At the very least, I had run out of words and didn¡¯t feel like verbally sparring with her. But she had set my thoughts in motion, and despite asserting that I would be fine on my own, I sensed the lie beneath my words.


    Truthfully, a lonely school life made for an unpleasant school life.


    I¡¯d been fortunate as Ronin Kassius by having Mat around, and Felicia and Angela too, before their treachery. But as Isabel, I was certain I wouldn¡¯t depend on the latter two for company, and I had no idea when Mat would be returning school. I only had Erina¡¯s words to go by, and since I couldn¡¯t bring myself to trust her ever again, I had no way of knowing what condition he was in. All I could do was hope for the best, although that meant accepting that Erina had spoken the truth about Mat being alive and recovering. That brought me back to the problem of trusting her, making any attempt to deal with her feel as though I was experiencing a paradox.


    ¡°A penny for your thoughts,¡± Tabitha whispered conspiratorially with her customary disinterested visage.


    I scowled at her. ¡°How about an arm and a leg?¡±


    She waved her left arm then skipped on her left leg. ¡°You mean these two?¡±


    ¡°No, your real ones.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. The price is rather steep.¡±


    ¡°Think of it as the going rate when factoring inflation and bad karma.¡±


    ¡°Can you imagine anyone naming their child Karma?¡±


    My scowl was kicked aside by a perplexed frown. ¡°Where the Hell did that come from?¡±


    ¡°From out of left field.¡± She tapped her left temple. ¡°So, can you?¡±


    ¡°Can I what?¡±


    ¡°Imagine naming your child Karma.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even dream of it. Wait¡ªI don¡¯t even know if I can have children. Wait¡ªwhy am I even thinking about children!¡±


    Tabitha looked bored yet pensive. ¡°If you tell him bad Karma, it¡¯ll sound like Bad Karma.¡± She gestured with a finger at an imaginary child. ¡°Bad Karma. Good Karma. Bad Karma. Karma play nice. Karma don¡¯t flip the girls¡¯ skirts.¡±


    ¡°You are strange.¡±


    Tabitha¡¯s eye widened. ¡°Oh. I have a better one. How about calling your cat Help?¡±


    I was gaping at her by now so I quietly closed my mouth.


    Tabitha droned on. ¡°Imagine calling your cat down from a tree. Help. Help. Help.¡± She paused and looked at me. ¡°What would the neighbors think?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯d probably call for help.¡±


    ¡°Precisely.¡± She raised a finger. ¡°And if they found the cat wandering around, they might read the name on its necklace and think the cat was calling for help, or sent to find help.¡±


    ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t it be better to call a dog Help?¡±


    Tabitha nodded in agreement. ¡°Have you seen that ancient cartoon of the white St. Bernard that works as a mountain rescue dog?¡±


    ¡°No¡­can¡¯t say that I have¡­.¡±


    ¡°Well, it has this little whisky keg around its neck. So when it sights someone in distress, it rushes out into the snow and delivers a glass of whisky to the victim.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because the alcohol kickstarts them back to life.¡±


    I realized I was frowning at the logic behind that. ¡°Would that really work?¡±


    ¡°Alcohol keeps the cold away.¡±


    I noticed I was cocking my head in thought.


    Seriously, would that really work?


    However, what I asked was, ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°Are dogs more reliable than cats?¡± Tabitha asked in return.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied honestly.


    ¡°So which of the two is better to name Help?¡±


    ¡°None of the above.¡±


    ¡°Which of the two can you depend on for help?¡±


    I bit my lower lip. ¡°The dog?¡±


    ¡°Do you know that cats think of us as big mother cats?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weird¡­.¡±


    ¡°You see, cats have never been domesticated. Cats are creatures of convenience. They give the illusion of agreeing with us when we tell ¡®don¡¯t do that¡¯, but in truth, they are following the path of least resistance.¡±


    ¡°By not putting up a resistance?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. So they give the illusion of obedience but only while it¡¯s convenient for them.¡±


    ¡°Are you implying cats aren¡¯t loyal to their owners?¡±


    ¡°These aren¡¯t my words, but I have read that cats see us as roommates rather than owners. We are big cats that happen to share the living space with them.¡±


    I paused in thought before asking, ¡°Why are we talking about cats?¡±


    Tabitha was quiet for a moment before remarking, ¡°Perhaps you should make like a cat.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Follow the path of least resistance,¡± she added. ¡°Make like a cat and bend in the wind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s make like a reed and bend in the wind.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying cats don¡¯t bend in the wind?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. They¡¯d either roll into a ball, or lie flat on the ground.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever visited a cat caf¨¦?¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t have a cat, so why would I?¡±


    ¡°You should get a cat. Learn from your cat.¡±


    I stopped walking. ¡°I don¡¯t want a cat.¡±


    Tabitha stopped beside me. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Have you met Akane Straus?¡±


    ¡°Yes. No. Maybe.¡± Tabitha¡¯s eyes rolled slowly as she searched her memories. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Her Gun Princess avatar has cat ears.¡±


    ¡°And a tail?¡±


    ¡°No. Oddly, no.¡± I made a mental note to ask Straus about the lack of a tail, then remembered she¡¯d already explained it was inconvenient to have one. Shaking my head quickly, I pressed on. ¡°Forget about the tail. The point is that having a cat would remind me of her, and I do not get along with her.¡±


    ¡°So she would spoil your relationship with your cat.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± I turned away and resumed walking, having fallen behind Sierra and Maria. Hurrying to catch up, I noticed they¡¯d stopped to window shop at a boutique that was preparing to open early for business. Perhaps because the girls were rivetted to the window, the shop owner opened up early for them. I watched Sierra and Maria disappear inside.


    ¡°What about breakfast?¡± I wondered to myself.


    ¡°She¡¯s an odd one,¡± Tabitha said.


    I stopped and faced her. ¡°Who? Sierra?¡±


    ¡°No. Straus. Her medical file is kept under lock and key. Other than the basic diagnostic of her condition, we know little about the treatments she¡¯s endured to halt her muscular degeneration.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I don¡¯t know why but I was feeling defensive in the face of Tabitha¡¯s prying. ¡°So what?¡±


    Standing beside me, Tabitha answered, ¡°Our suspicion is that she is Prototype One.¡±


    I swallowed involuntarily as I remembered what Akane Straus had said to me on the penthouse balcony.


    You are my hope.


    I swallowed again and then hardened my voice when I asked, ¡°Whose suspicion? Yours or Cardinal¡¯s?¡±


    Tabitha stood still and silently regarded the clothes boutique with a flat gaze before turning toward me. I suspected she wasn¡¯t going to answer me, and I was right.


    ¡°Shall we join them?¡± she inquired with a lazy wave in the direction of the boutique.


    I gave the boutique a faintly sour look but a moment later a young man¡¯s voice addressed us from behind.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t.¡±


    There was no mistaking it as a warning. The blunt tone with which it was delivered immediately set me on edge, and I hastily spun around to see a tall teenage boy with sandy blonde hair striding smoothly toward us. Dressed in the Telos Academy summer uniform for boys, he wore a white necktie marking him as a first-year high schooler. From the way his uniform hung on his body, and the strong arms that stretched out from his shirt sleeves, it was easy to see he had an athletic body. If anything, I¡¯d call it a swimmer¡¯s build.


    Who is this guy? I thought in a hurry, shifting to a defensive stance on reflex before I realized what I was doing.


    Surprisingly, I noticed Tabitha¡¯s bored expression had become one of guarded confusion as she eyed the newcomer who came to a stop a few feet away from us.


    With arms akimbo, the young man swept his gaze over me from head to toes, then did the same to Tabitha.


    ¡°Taura Hexaria,¡± he said, breaking the silence with no discernible hesitation, his voice as blunt as before.


    ¡°I prefer, Tabitha Hexen,¡± she countered.


    ¡°Also known as The Witch of Mischief,¡± the young man added. ¡°The one who wrecked the Walpurgis Festival.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Tabitha closed her mouth and regarded him with added caution for a while before asking, ¡°You play?¡±


    ¡°When I have free time,¡± he replied.


    Play what, I asked myself.


    ¡°Oh, what class?¡± Tabitha inquired.


    ¡°Archer. Type Odysseus.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I play as¡ª¡±


    ¡°Witch. Type Hecate. I know. And your sister plays as a Witch, Type Medea.¡±


    Tabitha pressed her lips into a thin line and for the first time I saw a cold light in her eyes. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Someone who¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t interfere with a member of the Sanreal Family.¡± The sandy haired boy crossed his arms and stood with feet shoulder width apart. ¡°You can go back to Cardinal¡­empty handed.¡±


    I stared hard at Tabitha. ¡°What is he talking about?¡±


    Tabitha ignored me, her attention focused on the high school boy staring at her with steely calm. ¡°The Sanreal Family sent you?¡±


    ¡°On this occasion, I represent their interests.¡±


    ¡°And so you rudely butted in,¡± she remarked dryly with a faint snort, then turned toward me. ¡°Cardinal has a proposition for you. Do you want to know what it is?¡±


    I noticed the boy shift his stance as though on the verge of dashing forward, but he held himself back when he saw me throw a stony look his way.


    I didn¡¯t know who he was, but his claim that he was acting on the Sanreal Family¡¯s behalf didn¡¯t endear him to me. Neither did the fact he hadn¡¯t properly introduced himself. Thus, I gave Tabitha a nod while holding him back with nothing more than my stern visage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    ¡°Join Cardinal¡¯s team in the Gun Princess Royale.¡±


    I frowned immediately and turned to stare at her. ¡°Why would I do that?¡±


    ¡°Cardinal has interests and you could serve them well.¡±


    ¡°As a Gun Princess.¡±


    ¡°Correct. Winning affords you more than just money and prestige. Winning can earn you privileges within the scope of the Empire.¡±


    ¡°I can do the same with the Sanreal Family, can¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°If you compete for us, Cardinal can smooth things over between the Empress and House Novis.¡±


    The sandy haired boy unfolded his arms and took a step closer. ¡°House Novis doesn¡¯t need your help.¡±


    Tabitha eyed him askance. ¡°House Novis would do well to enlist our support. You¡¯re a stone¡¯s throw from losing your prized Fabricator. Right now, House Novis is weighing the benefits of keeping it as opposed to keeping Mirai. This has compromised Erina Kassius¡¯s research, putting her in a tight situation.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t hand her over to the Empress. She¡¯s too valuable.¡±


    ¡°Are you so certain?¡± Tabitha questioned. ¡°A Fabricator isn¡¯t the only thing they stand to lose.¡±


    Although I didn¡¯t enjoy being spoken of like a commodity to be traded or bartered with, I was gaining a picture of where I stood with the Empress and House Novis.


    ¡°And if I agree?¡± I interceded, mildly surprised at how calm I sounded despite being annoyed.


    Tabitha shifted her attention onto me. ¡°Cardinal has a few cards it can play with the Empress. We can assuage her displeasure at House Novis possessing its own Fabricator.¡±


    ¡°Is it really that important?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Fabricators are prized Remnant technology.¡± Tabitha smiled thinly. ¡°Trust me. It is.¡±


    The teenage boy folded his arms again. ¡°That Fabricator was gifted to House Novis by the Emperor before his passing. Kateopia has no say over it. And acting like she didn¡¯t know about it is a lie. She knew it was given to House Novis by her father.¡±


    ¡°What the Empire giveth, the Empire taketh,¡± Tabitha quipped. ¡°Cardinal can help you keep it¡­amongst other things.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to discuss the Fabricator. It¡¯s not my problem,¡± he declared. ¡°Keeping your claws off Mirai is my problem.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help glowering at him as my annoyance spiked. ¡°How about you keep your claws off me, and tell me who you are. Start with a name.¡±


    His gaze shifted onto me for a heartbeat before he ignored me and spoke to Tabitha. ¡°House Novis doesn¡¯t need Cardinal meddling in its business or troubles. And it doesn¡¯t need you filling her head with ideas. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    I inhaled loudly as I clenched my jaw and continued glaring at the teenage boy. ¡°Tabitha, I don¡¯t have to give you an answer right away, do I?¡±


    ¡°Give us an answer by Friday. That¡¯s the deadline.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, throwing her a puzzled look.


    ¡°Because Friday is the cutoff date for all final entrants into the Gun Princess Royale Minor League,¡± she explained.


    The unknown boy stepped closer to me. ¡°You¡¯re a member of Team Novis¡ª¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t agreed to be a member of anything,¡± I heatedly snapped.


    ¡°You told Erina you would compete as Mirai. You gave her your word,¡± the fair-haired youth retorted. ¡°Or do you make empty promises as and when it suits you?¡±


    I drew my lips back, fully intending to give him a piece of my mind, but then I saw the hole in his argument.


    ¡°I said I would compete as Mirai. I never said I would represent House Novis or the Sanreals.¡±


    I watched him grow rigid before anger spread across his face. ¡°And what about your identity as Isabel val Sanreal?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I can still play the part.¡±


    Tabitha tilted her head slightly as she regarded me. ¡°Then are you ready to give me your answer now?¡±


    I faced her again. ¡°Let me ask you something. The Empress isn¡¯t one to keep her promises. I get the impression she doesn¡¯t care much for her father¡¯s legacy of goodwill either. And she rewrites the rules when they don¡¯t suit her. Sounds like a despot. So what makes you think Cardinal has any leeway with her?¡± I turned toward her and planted my hands on my hips. ¡°From what I¡¯ve gathered, the only reason I¡¯m here and not in her hands is because my sister threatened her with my life and for some reason I¡¯m valuable to her as well as to House Novis.¡±


    ¡°If Cardinal says it can, then it can,¡± Tabitha replied easily.


    ¡°Why? Does Cardinal have the key to her closet full of skeletons?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter what Cardinal has over her?¡±


    ¡°And what does Cardinal hope to get out of me? Planning to study me like a lab rat?¡±


    ¡°They want you to win the Gun Princess Royale.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Tabitha didn¡¯t answer me right away. In fact, she was silent for a long while during which she glanced at the unknown teenage boy several times.


    Eventually, she exhaled loudly as she bowed her head.


    ¡°There is a prophecy¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± I yelled. Flourishing my hands and arms into the air, I staggered in a full circle before facing the girl again. ¡°Seriously? A prophecy? Are you shitting me?¡±


    Tabitha was strangely silent, and it abruptly made me uneasy. Adding to said unease was the fact that the teenage boy was staring apprehensively at Tabitha.


    Slowly I lowered my arms down to my flanks and assumed a cautious posture.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯re not shitting me¡­?¡±


    ¡°No. I made that up.¡±


    I lunged forward and grabbed her by the throat. ¡°I am going to kill you!¡±


    As I throttled the mechanical girl, Tabitha spoke with an eerie calm unbefitting a girl being strangled. ¡°The winning Princess who is crowned Gun Empress is granted one wish.¡±


    I stopped shaking the girl back and forth. ¡°What wish?¡±


    ¡°Ask of the Empress one wish that is within her reason and power to grant. That is the rule of the Gun Princess Royale¡ªa rule set in stone. Even Kateopia cannot violate it.¡±


    I eased my grip on her cold neck. ¡°But she gets to decide whether or not to grant it.¡±


    ¡°If within her power¡ªher authority¡ªshe must grant it. If she fails to do so, the Gun Princess Royale falls apart.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? What then? Darkness falls and it rains cats and dogs?¡±


    ¡°More likely missiles and bullets.¡±


    I felt a chill run through me. Hoping to hide it, I frowned at the girl. ¡°What if I win and then ask to be Empress?¡±


    Tabitha shook her head. ¡°The wish has to be reasonable.¡±


    I wet my lips slowly before asking, ¡°Am I the only one who gets a wish?¡±


    ¡°No. You earn a wish for your sponsor as well. For the House you represent.¡±


    My hands fell away from Tabitha¡¯s neck as I understood why House Novis wanted me to win.


    ¡°A pardon from the Empress,¡± I whispered.


    And yet¡­.


    ¡°What makes them so sure they¡¯ll get it?¡± I stepped back from Tabitha and turned my head to look at the teenage boy angrily staring at the mechanical girl. ¡°Even if by some miracle I win the Gun Princess Royale¡ªwhat guarantee do they have¡ª?¡±


    ¡°None,¡± he stated in a hard tone. ¡°But that¡¯s not my problem. Neither is you winning the Gun Princess Royale. My problem is keeping you with House Novis.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I strode up to him and met his gaze from inches away. Because he was an inch or so taller than I, that meant looking up at him. But only a little.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    His gaze searched my face for a short while before he softly asked, ¡°Would it explain if I said you¡¯re my hope?¡±


    It was like a cold wind blew through me the moment the words left his lips and registered in my mind.


    The sandy haired youth observed me quietly for a second, then spared a glance at Tabitha standing nearby. ¡°Would it also help,¡± he asked me, ¡°if I told you she¡¯s not being honest with you?¡±


    I retreated a step from the tall boy. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Hey, what do we have here?¡± Sierra¡¯s surprised voice pierced my thoughts yet failed to draw my attention away from the teenage boy. ¡°Who might you be?¡± she asked, sounding oddly amused. ¡°I should tell you, that¡¯s not Mercy Haddaway.¡±


    Without warning, the teenage boy reached out and took a hold of my left hand. ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± he stated brusquely then hurriedly tugged me along behind him as he turned and fled with me in tow.


    ¡°Hey¡ª!¡± Sierra cried out behind us. ¡°What are you doing? Why are you running away?¡±


    He didn¡¯t reply, instead picking up the pace as he ran with me toward a stairwell.


    ¡°What about breakfast?¡± Sierra¡¯s voice grew faint as we left her behind.


    For a moment, part of me harbored the belief that Sierra would run after us, but with Maria around the latter was likely to dissuade her from giving chase. Yet I still threw a look over my right shoulder as the boy and I arrived at the stairwell.


    But it wasn¡¯t Sierra¡¯s eyes that I met ¨C it was Tabitha¡¯s, and the knowing smile on her face wasn¡¯t lost on me.


    You can run but you can¡¯t hide.


    Or maybe it was more along the lines of:


    You can¡¯t run from me forever.


    As I thought this, I felt something perceptible ¨C tangible ¨C come down between Tabitha and I, leaving me with a bitter feeling in my heart as I was spirited away.


    Speaking of running, I guess you¡¯re wondering why I didn¡¯t protest and pull free of the teenage boy¡¯s hand.


    The truth was that everything had happened so suddenly, and while bothered by the shift in my relationship with Tabitha, I was also trying to wrap my mind around his unexpected revelation.


    Thus I found myself in a state of confusion, running behind him down the stairs with my hand firmly in his grip.


    Then another distracting thought served to muddle me up some more.


    Large. His hand is large. Why are boys¡¯ hands so large?


    Although I may have thought that, I knew that thinking of him in male pronouns was wrong, but I couldn¡¯t help myself from falling into the trap.


    It¡¯s not cold, but it¡¯s not warm like hers.


    Another marked difference between his hand and Sierra¡¯s.


    Another marked difference between his hand and Ronin¡¯s.


    There was nothing manly about me¡­was there¡­.


    Lost in troubled thoughts, we continued down the stairwell for a long while. But when I glimpsed a plaque with ¡°Level 10¡± imprinted on it, my thoughts suddenly lined up nice and neatly behind one important question.


    ¡°Hey, where are we going?¡± I asked him loudly.


    ¡°To where we can talk in private,¡± he threw back over a shoulder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± At the next landing, I dug my heels in and jerked my hand out of his grip. ¡°This is far enough!¡±


    The teenage boy had been pulled to a harsh stop when I yanked my hand free. After catching his balance, he watched me with a complicated expression before stepping up to me.


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± he stated in a low, grim voice complemented by a serious light in his eyes.


    I placed my hands behind my back as I looked up at him. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s do that. You can start by giving me a name. What do I call you? I can¡¯t very well call you, Cat Princess, now can I? You don¡¯t look like a Princess anymore.¡±


    His face grew blank and unreadable, but a short while later he huffed to himself, and then broke into a confused smile as he gave himself a quick look. ¡°You have a point¡­,¡± he muttered softly.


    ¡°Well? Do you have a name?¡± I questioned him bluntly. But after folding my arms under my breasts, I added with a smirk, ¡°Or should I give you a name?¡±


    Surprisingly, he glanced at my boobs before leaning toward me and replying with a smirk of his own. ¡°Actually, I do have a name. So don¡¯t bother.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    ¡°Severin,¡± he announced.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°My name. Call me, Severin.¡± He grinned as he favored me with an informal bow. ¡°Severin Straus, at your service.¡±


    I pressed my lips together, feeling a rush of anger flow through me.


    Ronin Kassius had swung punches before but they rarely if ever landed.


    Mirai on the other hand was gifted with abnormally keen hand-to-eye co-ordination.


    The right cross I delivered to the boy¡¯s jaw knocked him backwards, down the stairs, and out of sight.


    After wincing at the intense pain that briefly incapacitated my right hand before being mended by Mirai¡¯s preternatural healing ability, I walked to the edge of the stairs and glared down at Severin Straus sprawled on the mid-level landing.


    He met my glare as he sat up. ¡°What the Hell was that for?¡±


    With both hands clenched at my sides, I shouted angrily, ¡°Two reasons!¡±


    I held up a finger.


    ¡°One! You were rude to Sierra!¡±


    I held up a second finger.


    ¡°And two! You tricked me¡ªyou bitch!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Slowly rising to his feet, Straus looked visibly taken aback.


    As I was on a roll, I added for good measure, ¡°And you¡¯re a pervert!¡±


    At this Straus bristled visibly for a beat. ¡°I¡¯m not a pervert. This is a disguise. Okay? It¡¯s just a disguise to get around.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this.¡± I shook my head slowly and repeated, ¡°I can¡¯t believe this.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so hard to believe?¡±


    ¡°That you¡¯re a girl using a male avatar!¡± I stomped a foot. ¡°You¡¯re like those guys that play MMO¡¯s as sexy female characters.¡±


    Straus flinched, and suddenly I recalled what he ¨C I mean she ¨C had told Tabitha.


    Pointing a finger accusingly at him ¨C I mean her ¨C I grated out, ¡°You¡¯re the opposite side of the coin. You¡¯re a girl playing as a male character.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re making a big deal out of nothing,¡± Straus protested.


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± I aimed lower with my finger. ¡°Is that thing anatomically correct?¡±


    Surprisingly, Straus started to blush. ¡°Aren¡¯t you ashamed for asking?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t answer a question with a question. Well? Is it?¡±


    ¡°I have a constitutional right to remain silent.¡±


    ¡°Pervert!¡±


    ¡°Okay¡ªokay! It¡¯s anatomically correct.¡±


    ¡°Double pervert!¡±


    ¡°Will you stop calling me that?¡± He started climbing the stairs back up to me.


    I retreated from him. ¡°Stay away from me.¡±


    ¡°Stop acting like an abused girlfriend,¡± he warned me. ¡°And keep your voice down. People will get the wrong idea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying it for your own good,¡± I retorted and waved a fist at him.


    Straus arrived at the landing, inhaled deeply, then allowed his shoulders to slump. ¡°Would you calm down and listen to me?¡±


    ¡°I have been listening to you.¡±


    ¡°Great. Then I don¡¯t need to say it again, do I?¡±


    ¡°Say what?¡±


    ¡°That we need to talk.¡±


    Noticing a handful of office ladies glancing at us as they walked by on the balcony beyond the stairwell landing, Straus grew quiet and I too waited for them to move on. I did catch their conversation and their comment about young couples not knowing their place, but otherwise they ignored us.


    Feeling a tad relieved, I crossed my arms under my bosom and stared sourly at Straus. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°Have you calmed down?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m calm enough to hear you out.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He looked exasperated as he planted his hands on his hips.


    I chose not to mention it, but even though I knew it was a woman operating that body, it was surprising to see the avatar behave just like a teenage boy, from its mannerisms all the way down to the way it walked.


    Damn creepy. Damn pervert. Just how much practice has she had getting around in that body?


    Straus raked his fingers through his long sandy hair. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I was jolted out of my observations. ¡°Why are you asking?¡±


    ¡°Because I heard that girl yell out ¡®what about breakfast¡¯ as we were running away.¡±


    ¡°You mean Sierra.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Sierra. Well? Are you hungry?¡±


    I was indeed hungry, so I replied with a curt nod and grumbled. ¡°Are you buying?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m offering, aren¡¯t I?¡± He pointed at himself. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m the guy here so I should be paying.¡±


    I snorted under my breath. ¡°In case you missed the news flash, it¡¯s the age of gender equality.¡±


    ¡°Good chivalry never dies young.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with the twisted quotes?¡±


    ¡°Fine. Then you buy breakfast.¡±


    I lowered my arms swiftly down to my sides. ¡°Hey, what happened to chivalry just now?¡±


    Straus clenched his jaw, a gesture that unsettled me because I knew his body wasn¡¯t human. It reminded me of Tabitha¡¯s body, and so I briefly pondered if it was made along the same lines, that is, a mechanical body designed with stealth and infiltration in mind.


    Venting a loud breath, Straus shook his head then turned his back to me. Walking back to the stairs, he descended them in silence until stopping halfway to the mid-level landing. Looking up at me over a shoulder, he asked, ¡°What are you waiting for? Did you twist an ankle? Want me to carry you down?¡±


    ¡°You want to get punched again?¡± I warned as I strode toward him, my surly look back on my face.


    ¡°I pity the guy that falls for you,¡± Straus muttered as he ¨C that is she ¨C resumed walking down the stairs.


    ¡°And I pity the girl that falls for you¡ªyou fraud.¡±


    He shoved his hands into his trouser pockets. ¡°Better to live a lie than to not live at all.¡±


    I can¡¯t explain why hearing him twist the famous quote angered me so much, but before I¡¯d realized it I¡¯d caught up to Straus and then kicked him in the middle of the back, launching him down the stairs face first.


    ¡°Stop twisting other people¡¯s words,¡± I snapped as I watched him roll to a stop at the next landing. But as he slowly picked himself up and regained his bearings, I couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°And it¡¯s better to have loved and lost than to have not loved at all. Get it right.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until later that I learnt I hadn¡¯t quoted the quote correctly myself, but that¡¯s a moot point for now.


    Once again shoving his hands into his trouser pockets, the mechanical avatar calling itself Severin Straus rolled his shoulders, cracked his neck, then shot me a heated look from the landing below me.


    It was truly unnerving to see a machine glare at me so well.


    ¡°Like I said before¡­I pity the guy that falls for you.¡±

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 5 - Part II

    Chapter 5.


    ¨C II ¨C


    Trailing behind Straus, I followed her ¨C him ¨C whatever ¨C out of the massive commercial and residential building via a bridgeway some five floors above street level.


    Continuing southward, we crossed into an adjacent megascraper then descended via five sets of escalators to the ground floor, eventually exiting out onto a sidewalk running parallel to a six -lane street packed with morning commuter traffic.


    After reluctantly asking Straus where we were going, he muttered something about a pancake shop and pointed across the street at an establishment with its name, The Hardboiled Caf¨¦, written in an austere font on its storefront windows.


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    With a name like that I wondered what kind of caf¨¦ it would be on the inside. However, since it was only a stone¡¯s throw away, I knew I wouldn¡¯t have to wait long to find out.


    Arriving at a set of lights, I waited to cross the busy street along with a few dozen other people. Before long the sidewalk became overly crowded and I was propelled into Straus by a businessman ¨C a salaryman ¨C who didn¡¯t even bother to apologize when he shoved me aside.


    I snorted as I sourly thought, Girls really have it tough.


    Just because they couldn¡¯t defend themselves, that wasn¡¯t a reason to walk over them. Then again, I¡¯d recently discovered that some girls could defend themselves quite well, though two of them were Simulacra and one was a martial arts prodigy.


    I found myself clenching a fist as I glared sourly at the salaryman who¡¯d pushed me aside.


    However, my sourness spiked when Straus moved to shield me from the people around me, including the aforementioned salaryman cruising for a bruising.


    ¡°What are you glaring at?¡± Straus whispered loudly.


    ¡°I was glaring at him, but now I¡¯m glaring at you,¡± I growled back.


    ¡°Care to explain why?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain when you explain what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°What does it look like I¡¯m doing?¡± he retorted.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re getting in my way.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sparing you from getting arrested for beating someone up.¡±


    ¡°If I beat someone up it¡¯s because they had it coming.¡±


    Straus inhaled long and loudly and raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Okay. You want to get bumped, be my guest. You want to get arrested, don¡¯t claim I didn¡¯t warn you.¡±


    I sneered up at him. ¡°No, I¡¯d prefer you get run over.¡±


    Straus lowered his hands. ¡°That¡¯s a really cruel thing to say.¡±


    ¡°It would be if you were human but you¡¯re a fake.¡± I sighed bitterly. ¡°These days I seem to be surrounded by fakes. Hey, even I¡¯m a fake¡ªoomph!¡±


    Straus clamped a large boyish hand over my mouth, shutting me up in the blink of an eye.


    Then he leaned hastily leaned down toward me, and heatedly whispered, ¡°Could you not announce it to the world?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the shock of having my mouth palmed that left me speechless.


    Nor was it his hand plastered over my mouth that stifled my retort in my throat.


    No. It was finding myself face to face, in close proximity, with a very human looking boy that was actually a remote controlled mechanical avatar.


    It was just too much for me to bear, and a soft, pitiful whine piped up from my throat.


    Straus blinked and looked faintly startled. ¡°Hey, are you all right¡ª?¡±


    I snapped.


    I know it sounds strange, having spent time in the presence of Simulacra, a Gun Princess, and fought off a Gun Queen, but for some reason that I can¡¯t pin down, I couldn¡¯t bear Straus¡¯s presence. Something about knowing that the teenage boy inches away from me wasn¡¯t real set my hairs on end and made my skin crawl.


    Picture coming face to face with the nature of your worst phobia, and then double ¨C no, triple ¨C the resulting anxiety.


    I snapped.


    With my right hand clenched into a fist, I unleashed a piledriving punch that caught Straus under his chin.


    But seeing Straus fly back several feet and then land supine on the sidewalk pavement, I realized in horror just how hard I¡¯d hit him.


    Had he been a human teenage boy, there was no doubt my punch would have broken his neck and killed him.


    That realization had me trembling like a leaf and I looked down at my discolored right hand balled into a bruised fist.


    It burned in agony for a handful of seconds before the Angel Fibers and my ultra-grade Simulacrum body mended the damage I¡¯d incurred.


    As the burning sensation faded to a dull throbbing, I flexed the fingers of my hand, both amazed and frightened by how quickly it had healed.


    By then Straus was sitting up unsteadily.


    Not knowing what it was like to operate a mechanical avatar, I assumed that I¡¯d knocked the avatar¡¯s senses or sensors into disarray, because Straus looked addled as he clutched his jaw.


    Yet regardless of how hard I¡¯d hit him, Straus was a machine and I was made of flesh and blood. Thus, I didn¡¯t believe he¡¯d suffered any damage.


    But the two salarymen in suits that came to his assistance didn¡¯t know any better. They helped him up, and Straus thanked them.


    When one of them suggested going to the hospital, Straus shook his head and assuaged the man¡¯s concerns with a grin.


    The other man suggested he call the authorities, but again Straus brushed it aside with a grin.


    Then he spoke something in a low voice while looking sheepish, and the two men backed off.


    One of them slapped Straus¡¯s back, and muttered something about treating his girlfriend better.


    It was then that I noticed the mixed looks I was garnering from the pedestrians surrounding us. Expressions of shock and disbelief, as well as many reproachful glares were directed at me.


    More than a few people were muttering deriding remarks, and I heard phone cameras click away, but none of them approached me.


    More than a few warning bells had been rung in their minds after watching me knock Straus to the ground with a single punch. Perhaps they subconsciously recognized me as a predator, a lioness amongst antelopes, a shark amongst minnows, a hawk amongst pigeons.


    They watched me, they muttered, but they kept their distance.


    And though I was quite aware of them, I chose to ignore them and focus on regaining control over my scattered emotions.


    Straus bowed politely to the two salarymen, then walked quickly toward me.


    Keeping his voice low, he didn¡¯t lean down at me as he spoke in a hushed, guttural tone. ¡°Do you know how close you came to being arrested? What the Hell is wrong with you?¡±


    I sucked in air and reflexively clenched my hands as I hissed back, ¡°You freak me out!¡±


    Straus¡¯s eyes widened before narrowing. ¡°You didn¡¯t have a problem with me before.¡±


    She ¨C I mean he ¨C no, I mean she ¨C was right.


    I didn¡¯t have a problem with her when she was operating her Cat Princess avatar.


    But I was having a severe emotional reaction to her pretty boy avatar.


    And yes, it was a pretty boy looking intently at me. Except it wasn¡¯t a real pretty boy.


    So was this some kind of twisted fear of machines that looked like human males?


    Was I experiencing an andro-mechano-phobia?


    Abruptly I gasped both inwardly and outwardly as I realized a new problem.


    What the Hell had I been thinking? Did I really think of this machine boy as a pretty boy? Was this also part of my phobic reaction to him?


    I swallowed hard and then took a couple of deep, controlled breaths, as I struggled to rationalize my adverse emotional reaction to Severin Straus who was staring at me impatiently.


    ¡°Well?¡± he ground out through clenched teeth. ¡°Why do you have a problem with me now?¡±


    My breaths were growing slower and shorter, and I could feel my heart gradually easing up. When I felt steady enough to give him an answer, I retorted in a low whisper, ¡°You really wanna know why?¡±


    ¡°A straight answer would be appreciated.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you weren¡¯t giving cross-play a whole new meaning.¡±


    Straus grew still for a long moment before exhaling loudly, just a like a real teenage boy expressing simmering frustration. However, before he could say anything, the pedestrian light behind me began to play a chime and I recognized it for the ¡®walk¡¯ melody.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Straus growled and stepped out onto the street along with a hundred other pedestrians.


    The people that had been avoiding me now swept me along with them, so I didn¡¯t have much of a choice but to follow Straus across the street.


    Arriving at the opposite sidewalk, I took a couple of seconds to regain my bearings as the crowd rushed by me. Being a good twenty centimeters taller than I was accustomed to, I was able spot the sign for the Hardboiled Caf¨¦ above the heads of the sidewalk traffic. But I¡¯d lost sight of Straus, so I decided to walk up to the caf¨¦¡¯s entrance. I was almost at the door when I saw Straus standing by the entrance looking anxiously for me. At sight of me, he first looked relieved then annoyed.


    Shaking his head, he yanked the caf¨¦¡¯s door open, and stepped inside.


    ¡°Thanks for waiting for me,¡± I muttered acidly as I hurried to door before it closed shut. ¡°Asshole couldn¡¯t even hold the door open for me.¡±


    If she was going to pass herself off as a guy, then she should adhere to the basic rules of social interaction, one of which was holding the door open for a girl.


    I made it a mental note to etch that into her psyche¡­then realized with a stark chill that I was expecting Straus to treat me like a girl.


    That brought me to a sharp standstill within the entrance to the Hardboiled Caf¨¦.


    When the heavy door closed behind me, it bumped my backside, propelling me deeper into the establishment and jolting my various trains of thoughts back into motion.


    However, the question remained unanswered ¨C did I want Straus to treat me like a girl?


    It was true that men held the door open for other men out of politeness as well, but it was something of an expected common courtesy that men treat the fairer sex with respect.


    Maybe Straus hadn¡¯t treated me like a girl because I was a girl. In other words, being a girl herself, Straus had felt she didn¡¯t need to afford me any special courtesy and had treated me like an equal. She could also have been pissed at being punched in public. But as a consequence, and perhaps due to my misreading the situation, I was forced to face the broader question of whether or not I wanted people to treat me like a girl.


    And I had no answer for it.


    On the one hand the notion repulsed me. I had lived for years fearing that one day I would turn into a girl, and now I found myself living as one ¨C albeit as a girl that possessed extraordinary abilities.


    But I understood that whether or not I was treated as a girl wasn¡¯t entirely up to me, because leaving Straus aside, if people saw me as a girl then they would naturally treat me as one.


    So the question was then what should I expect from them?


    I¡¯d read about how girls and women often complained of getting the short end of the stick, so should I expect the same?


    Standing in the small foyer, Straus grumbled at me, ¡°Took you long enough.¡±


    I stopped and stared at him.


    Was being treated fairly, equally, with common decency and respect too much to ask for?


    I decided to reply to Straus in a manner that I felt was justified under present circumstances.


    ¡°Up yours,¡± I swore at him and gave him the finger.


    Then I wondered, Is that even possible for him?


    A second later, I made two important observations.


    One was that being preoccupied with Straus, and questioning how I expected people to treat me, had pushed my andro-mechano-phobia into a back seat.


    That was good.


    What wasn¡¯t so good was that I was still giving Straus the finger when a young waitress ¨C a pretty, brunette with shoulder length hair ¨C came to greet us.


    The girl looked at Straus, at me, then my finger, before asking with a troubled smile, ¡°Um¡­table for two?¡±


    Feeling distinctly ashamed, I lowered my finger and then hid my hands behind my back.


    Straus made a show of exhaling loudly before replying, ¡°Yes, please. Table for two¡­.¡±


    Bastard, don¡¯t sound so disappointed. This is your fault!


    Nonetheless, I realized that this time I¡¯d slipped up.


    Thus, I trailed silently behind him as the girl guided us deeper into the caf¨¦ to a booth without a window view.


    I sat down somewhat absently, taking the bench seat opposite Straus.


    When the girl took our order, Straus took the lead and ordered for the both of us. At that, I threw him an icy glare that he pointedly ignored as he sat back with an arm draped casually over his seat¡¯s backrest, and confidently dictated our breakfast order to the young waitress.


    Watching him through narrowed eyes, I wondered once again how Straus had been practicing passing herself off as a teenage boy.


    And then I was incensed by how natural and cool he looked, and I realized with a pang that the Ronin Kassius part of me envied him.


    Straus looked the way I would have wanted to appear to a girl.


    Cool, calm, collected, with an air of unbridled confidence.


    Even though my envy was misplaced, my emotions swirled painfully within my chest because I knew that I would never be seen that way by a girl.


    There was no going back for me, and knowing that made my heart twist unpleasantly in my chest.


    Yet I remained in my seat, and allowed the envy within me to burn away.


    I had decided back in Ronin¡¯s dorm apartment that I needed to start accepting who I was now, and part of that was not to run away from a situation like this.


    But no sooner had I resolved to face my feelings when I glanced up and noticed the girl blushing pink as she jotted down the breakfast order.


    My mouth had fallen open and when I closed it shut with an audible clack, the pretty waitress glanced at me, and blanched.


    It took me a moment to realize why ¨C I was glaring at her.


    I wasn¡¯t staring at her fiercely because I was being territorial.


    I was glaring at her because I couldn¡¯t believe how easily she¡¯d been charmed by Straus¡¯s pretty boy avatar.


    Afraid to look at me, she smiled sheepishly at Straus, jotted down the last of the order and hurried away.


    Watching her retreat to the kitchen, I realized Straus had been expecting her to dart a glance over her shoulder, because he delivered a perfectly time wave with his hand draped over the back of his seat.


    At sight of that, my temper spiked and I kicked one of his shins hard under the table.


    To my surprise, Straus winced hard as though experiencing the kick for real.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he complained.


    ¡°I could ask you the same question,¡± I snapped at him.


    ¡°I was having a little fun.¡±


    My mouth dropped open. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m serious.¡±


    I shook my head at him. ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable.¡±


    Straus looked equally annoyed at me. ¡°You¡¯re one to talk.¡±


    ¡°Heh? What the Hell do you mean by that?¡±


    He raised his eyebrows at me. ¡°What? You didn¡¯t notice the way men were looking at you out on the street?¡±


    ¡°What? You mean after I decked you?¡±


    Straus blinked in apparent disbelief at my response, then frowned at me. ¡°No, before that.¡±


    ¡°Then I have no idea what you mean.¡±


    Again, he blinked at me as though perplexed by me. ¡°How oblivious are you?¡±


    I winced and retorted, ¡°I¡¯m not oblivious. I was just having trouble dealing with you so I had other things on my mind.¡±


    ¡°Then you didn¡¯t notice how she felt challenged by you?¡±


    Startled by his question, I drew back. ¡°What are you talking about? Weren¡¯t you asking me about how men were looking at me?¡±


    ¡°I was. Now I¡¯m asking about her reaction to you.¡±


    I bit my lower lip for a moment, then admitted, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Then take a look,¡± Straus suggested.


    I pressed me lips unhappily into a thin line, and then looked over in the direction of the counter separating the eating area from the kitchen.


    Perhaps it was coincidence, but the young waitress happened to be staring in our direction, and our eyes met. The girl paled in a heartbeat then ducked her head quickly. Conveniently for her, a couple of salarymen happened to enter the caf¨¦ moments later, and she hurried off to welcome them.


    Although she had caught me glaring at her earlier, I was still confused by her frightened reaction, and faced Straus. ¡°What¡¯s her problem?¡±


    Straus¡¯s eyes widened before he shook his head slowly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you one thing,¡± he said in a low voice. ¡°You may be new to being a girl, but you sure know how to scare away the competition.¡±


    My feelings went from confused to sour in an instant. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure.¡±


    ¡°And why is she the competition?¡±


    Straus snorted softly. ¡°You can be surprisingly obtuse.¡±


    ¡°Just answer the damn question.¡±


    This time he sighed. ¡°To you, she¡¯s not. But from her point of view, you definitely are the competition.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°And why the Hell would she see me that way?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve been coming here a few times, striking up a little friendly conversation with her in the mornings.¡±


    The absurdity of what he¡¯d just told me made my vision swim, and I slumped in my seat. ¡°Oh my gods, you¡¯ve been hitting on her¡­.¡±


    ¡°I prefer to call it testing the boundaries.¡±


    ¡°¡­of what¡­.¡±


    ¡°Of how convincing I can operate this avatar.¡±


    I didn¡¯t sit up as I stared at him vacantly for a while. ¡°Why?¡±


    Straus shrugged a shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t tell me. I don¡¯t think I can handle it on an empty stomach.¡±


    A chuckle escaped from him, briefly triggering my andro-mechano-phobia ¨C yes, I was convinced by now that I suffered from said phobia ¨C and thus seeking a distraction, I turned my attention to the interior of the caf¨¦.


    Fortunately, it genuinely caught my interest and I found myself intently staring at the various images of men and women captured in time in numerous photos, posters, and murals plastered throughout the innards of the caf¨¦. I belatedly realized many of the photos depicted movie scenes in which most of the men wore trench coats while the women were attired in long form fitting dresses that emphasized their feminine charm.


    Some of the women were depicted as smoking from long cigarette holders while reclining on sofas. I found it puzzling to see those pictures in a commercial establishment such as this caf¨¦ because smoking died out as a widespread public habit a long time ago, thought it was still something of a private pastime.


    However, I felt I understood the caf¨¦¡¯s theme.


    ¡°Hardboiled¡­I get it now.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Straus asked in a faintly snide tone, as he slouched back in his seat, his arm annoying draped over its back.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t think hardboiled eggs had anything to do with it,¡± I replied equally snidely.


    ¡°And here I thought you only had Mercy on your mind.¡±


    ¡°If I had nothing but Mercy up here¡±¡ªI tapped my forehead¡ª¡°I wouldn¡¯t have scored tenth place in my grade last year.¡±


    ¡°And yet you only qualified for the Delta Tier.¡±


    I pressed my lips together as I exhaled loudly through my nose. ¡°That¡¯s because my brain isn¡¯t malleable enough.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve got a rock in there instead of clay.¡±


    I ground my teeth together and started to flip Straus the bird. But remembering my earlier faux pas, I restrained myself to a harshly whispered, ¡°Frek you.¡±


    Straus snorted. ¡°No thanks. You¡¯re not my type.¡±


    I flinched but not because I felt insulted. Rather, I was startled. ¡°Your type? What? You have a type?¡±


    Straus huffed under his breath. ¡°Every girl has her type.¡±


    I stared blankly at him for a second. ¡°Every girl has her guy type? Or every girl has her girl type?¡±


    Straus cocked his head at me in slowly spreading confusion. ¡°What exactly are you asking?¡±


    After mulling the question for a moment, and sparing the pretty waitress a glance, I decided to just come out with it. ¡°Are you a lesbian?¡±


    Straus¡¯s mouth fell open and stayed open for a long while. ¡°Why the Hell would you ask something like that?¡±


    ¡°Because I noticed you gave my boobs a good look back at the stairwell.¡± I jutted my chin at the waitress busy greeting another batch of patrons. ¡°And you were watching her ass as she walked away.¡±


    That last bit was a lie, something I spouted on a whim, probably because I wanted to get a reaction out of Straus and I wasn¡¯t disappointed.


    Straus slapped a hand loudly on the table and hissed, ¡°I am not a lesbian.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you? Bisexual?¡±


    Straus clamped his mouth shut for a long moment before sitting back and crossing his arms. ¡°No. I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Are you a virgin?¡± I asked bluntly.


    Straus looked shocked then regarded me with a simmering glare. ¡°Mind your own business.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that for a Yes.¡±


    For a moment, I thought Straus might actually strike me. It was odd that a machine could express such a frightful expression, but I can recognize true anger when I see it, and Straus looked unmistakably angry before turning away to look into the caf¨¦ rather than at me.


    Hmm¡­I struck a nerve.


    I thought back to the Akane Straus that had emerged from the Sarcophagus that inexplicably materialized above the apartment¡¯s spacious balcony.


    The young woman I saw back then could barely push herself up off the ground.


    I acknowledge that my way of thinking may offend some people, but I couldn¡¯t imagine her enjoying a physical relationship with anyone if she was afflicted with such a debilitating disease.


    Then again, I knew very little about Akane Straus so perhaps the disease didn¡¯t hamper her life until recently.


    But a relationship isn¡¯t a solo experience.


    It requires two to tango and two to make it work.


    This is where my low opinion of people darkened my outlook on Akane Straus¡¯s chances of finding love. Whether it¡¯s part of my nature, or a trait carved into me by life¡¯s experiences, I have difficulty seeing the good in people ¨C both men and women. Recent events and my present circumstances have done nothing in the way of changing it. So when I thought of Akane finding Mister Right, someone who would accept her and love her for who she was regardless of her disability, I equated it to finding a needle in a haystack.


    It wasn¡¯t impossible, but it would be extremely challenging.


    Of course, the proverb falls apart if you introduce a superconducting magnet or metal detector to find the needle, but surely you understand my point.


    I¡¯m not saying there wasn¡¯t someone out there for her.


    I¡¯m simply saying finding that someone would be difficult.


    ¡°When did it start?¡±


    The words left my lips before I could stop them.


    Straus looked faintly puzzled, shedding some of the anger she¡¯d been silently radiating.


    ¡°Your muscular dystrophy¡­when did it start?¡± I asked her, my voice and feelings subdued by that memory of her on the balcony. ¡°Was it long ago¡­?¡±


    ¡°My last year of high school,¡± Straus replied in a flat tone that was surprising because he regarded me with uncertainty and very little anger, as though he was trying to figure out why I was asking. ¡°Nine years ago.¡±


    Nine years, I thought to myself. ¡°Did you know Erina back then?¡±


    Straus¡¯s uncertainty grew but then he exhaled loudly, and sat back a little deeper in the booth¡¯s high-backed seat. ¡°She and I attended Telos Academy. We weren¡¯t classmates, but we were in the same year. She was the star student, and I was the star of the Track-and-Field team. As friends, we were an odd couple.¡±


    I frowned inwardly. If they were friends in high school, I was tempted to ask if Straus knew of me back then.


    Did she know Erina had a younger brother?


    But then I felt it didn¡¯t matter. In a way, it was something of a redundant question.


    So I discarded it and asked instead, ¡°You were a Track-and-Field star?¡±


    ¡°My times in the inter-state competitions were good enough to earn me silver¡ªtwice. But in my third year¡­well¡­shit happens¡­.¡±


    Straus turned away. His tone had been flat, but there was a bitter look on his face.


    ¡°You dropped out of Track-and-Field in your third year?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nope. I tried to the bitter end but I failed to qualify for the inter-state championships. I¡¯d lost my edge. I wasn¡¯t the Sprint Queen of Telos Academy any longer.¡± His lips twisted in resentment. ¡°When life deals you lemons, you can¡¯t always make lemonade¡­no matter how much you try.¡±


    I waited for a little while, to see if he would continue on his own. When he didn¡¯t, I asked, ¡°So what did you do?¡±


    He looked at me. ¡°You really want to know?¡±


    I nodded.


    Straus exhaled again. ¡°I went into a treatment program and underwent therapy. The docs told me I had ten years at best.¡± I watched him clench his jaw for a telling moment. ¡°That was hard to take.¡± Straus laughed stiffly. ¡°But Erina took it harder still. She was already doing research into motor neuron disease disorders and a whole lot of other shit, including Prometheus¡¯s Curse. She just added my problem to the long list she had. Eventually, she whittled down her list to just two problems ¨C yours and mine.¡±


    Straus faced me.


    ¡°By then she was working for the Telos Corporation. By then they¡¯d pulled her into their dark depths. And that was because of him.¡±


    ¡°Him¡­?¡± I tipped my head at Straus. ¡°Who is him?¡±


    ¡°Simon val Sanreal. The lord and master of the Telos Corporation. Eldest son of House Novis and their representative in this universe under the guise of the Sanreal Family. And he¡¯s your sister¡¯s fianc¨¦.¡±


    I blinked slowly as I digested this tidbit of information. ¡°Her fianc¨¦?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, little girl. Your sister is engaged to one of the richest, most eligible bachelors in the known galaxy.¡±


    ¡°So she went for the money,¡± I muttered sourly. ¡°That¡¯s just like her¡­.¡±


    ¡°Actually, you ignorant twit, your sister was relentlessly pursued by Simon Sanreal for almost two years before she finally caved in and accepted his marriage proposal.¡±


    I expressed a puzzled frown at Straus. ¡°She was being chased around?¡±


    Straus looked annoyed at me. ¡°Are you paying attention or not?¡±


    I bristled a little. ¡°I am paying attention. But you¡¯re telling it thick and fast.¡±


    ¡°Then start keeping up.¡±


    I started to snap out a retort, but then held myself back at the last heartbeat. ¡°Fine. Care to explain in a little more detail?¡±


    ¡°Simon Sanreal expressed a surprising amount of interest in your sister. For some reason she just happened to be his type.¡± Straus folded his arms across his chest. ¡°Still with me so far, little girl?¡±


    I¡¯d ignored her the first time she called me that, but this time I bristled. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± I warned her.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t call me kitten,¡± Straus snapped. ¡°Agreed?¡±


    I really felt like throwing something at him, but instead I just gnashed my teeth a little. ¡°Is that all? Nothing more to add.¡± I planted my hands on the table. ¡°Because if not, I¡¯m out of here.¡±


    ¡°Like I said already, he pursued her romantically for almost two years before she caved in and agreed to marry him. By then she¡¯d already been working at the Telos Corporation for four years, and was a member of one of their black research division for two years. And that was his doing. At first, he was interested in just her ¨C probably saw her as a worthy challenge ¨C but then he grew interested in her research as well. It wasn¡¯t long afterwards that Erina was transferred into a clandestine division conducting sensitive research.¡±


    I arched an eyebrow at him. ¡°Sensitive? You mean¡­the Angel Fibers.¡±


    Straus snorted as he nodded. ¡°He pulled her into the dark side of science.¡±


    The dark side of science? Is that an understatement or an overstatement?


    But that begged the question: how should Project Mirai be viewed?


    From what I knew of how research was performed and monitored, there were a lot of checkboxes to tick. By that I mean that there were rules and regulations on how it should be ethically, safely, and morally carried out. When taken into context with everything that had happened to me, I had trouble imagining that Project Mirai would have ever received government approval. It was undoubtedly made possible because Erina¡¯s black research division wasn¡¯t conducting itself in a sanctioned manner.


    In other words, quite a few checkboxes had been skipped over or left unticked because to Erina the ends justified the means.


    And now Project Mirai was sitting in a caf¨¦ waiting for breakfast to be delivered.


    Project Mirai was also guilty of illegally entering a school boy¡¯s apartment.


    Project Mirai had committed the crime of stealing clothes from charity donation bins.


    Project Mirai had caused a scene by punching a boy to the ground.


    Indeed, Project Mirai was building up quite the rap sheet.


    When I thought of Project Mirai that way, I was reminded of those holovid movies where the protagonist is the product of illicit research and escapes from a secret lab and finds themselves in a town or city of unsuspecting humans. Before long the bad guys would come after the escaped research project, and it wasn¡¯t always a happy ending.


    I looked down at my right hand and saw no sign of the bruising earned after knocking Straus to the ground.


    Like in those holovid movies, I was in a city of blissfully unaware humans, so was I headed for bad ending too?


    My thoughts and fears must have been written on my face because Straus was looking at me intently.


    I cleared my throat and tried to relax my facial features before asking, ¡°How do you know all this? I mean how long have you been a part of this?¡±


    At first Straus looked ready to fire back an answer, but he stopped and seemed to give his reply a little more thought. ¡°How long have I been involved¡­?¡±


    I gave him a nod.


    ¡°Do you mean to ask, how long have I been a part of Project Mirai?¡±


    I wet my lips quickly. ¡°How long have you known about the Angel Fibers? About Mirai? About the other universe?¡±


    ¡°Ever since Erina pulled me into her world. Ever since she began working for their black division.¡±


    I was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I became her test subject. She used their biomedical research labs to try all sorts of various things to keep me alive. But things didn¡¯t look up for me until your sister shoved the Angel Fibers she¡¯d cultivated into me. Yeah, she came close to killing me¡ªthe closest anyone has come¡ªbut it stopped my muscular dystrophy. It didn¡¯t make it any better, but it didn¡¯t make it any worse, and best of all I was still alive.¡± Straus leaned toward me over the edge of the table. ¡°Do you know what that meant to me? Knowing that I wasn¡¯t getting any worse? Knowing that I wasn¡¯t going to die?¡±


    I shook my head slowly. I wasn¡¯t going to lie to her.


    Straus sat back. ¡°Erina and I have had our share of differences over the years, but I owe her. She saved my life. And she opened a new world to me. The world of the Gun Princess Royale avatars.¡± He pointed at himself. ¡°Without them, without this technology, I¡¯d be an invalid in a wheelchair living a confined life.¡±


    ¡°But you still are,¡± I pointed out.


    Straus shrugged a shoulder and nodded, taking my comment in stride. ¡°I¡¯m aware of that. I¡¯m not denying it. But without one of these, I wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy this freedom.¡±


    I bit my lower as I considered her point-of-view. Then I chose to probe her a little more. ¡°So you were Prototype One for the Angel Fibers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Abruptly, Straus narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°Hey, where did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°From Tabitha. She said there¡¯s not much on you. All your records are under strict lock and key¡ªor something to that effect.¡±


    Straus humphed in contempt. ¡°Nosy little bitch¡­.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t going to disagree with her. However, what I said instead was, ¡°So you¡¯re the same age as Erina. Twenty-seven?¡±


    I¡¯d been doing the math in my head. Erina was eleven years older than me, and the big reason our parents left her in charge when they abandoned us for the sake of their research. She graduated from high school and commenced third tier education at age nineteen. Her studies were funded by the Telos Corporation. In other words, she¡¯d earned herself a scholarship from them, and they pulled her into the fold when she graduated five years later after studying a range of sciences that only an Alpha had the mental propensity to accomplish. And to top it off, she completed her four-year doctorate in three.


    She really is special, I grudgingly acknowledged.


    Yet I felt no pride in being related to her.


    No, that wasn¡¯t right. Let me rephrase that.


    I felt no pride having been to related to her when I was Ronin Kassius.


    I exhaled long yet softly.


    So she was twenty-four when she started working for them.


    I swallowed quietly.


    Or was she working for them before then? Was the scholarship all part of it? Did they see something in her while she was still a high school student?


    ¡°If you keep frowning like that you¡¯ll get wrinkles,¡± Straus said.


    Lost in thought, I¡¯d been staring down at the table. Now I looked up at him nonplussed. ¡°What wrinkles?¡±


    Straus regarded me thoughtfully for a long moment. ¡°You need to talk to your sister.¡±


    I leaned back as though avoiding a slap to the face. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You and Erina need to talk to each other.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t talk to her,¡± I snapped and almost banged my right hand on the table.


    But the waitress had returned with our breakfast order on a tray she wielded deftly on one upturned palm, so I restrained myself and sat quietly as she placed cups and plates on the table before us.


    When she departed, I resumed from where I¡¯d left off. ¡°I can¡¯t talk to that woman.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because I can¡¯t stand the sight of her. I can¡¯t¡ªI just can¡¯t tolerate the way she talks to me. I can¡¯t stand how she treats me. I¡¯m not a thing. I¡¯m a person. But that¡¯s not how she sees me.¡±


    Straus took a deep breath and glanced away.


    I took a deep breath of my own. ¡°You know that I¡¯m right. You know how she treats me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve noticed.¡±


    ¡°So how can you expect me to compromise with her.¡±


    With a glare, he once again leaned over the table toward me. ¡°Because it¡¯s for your own good. You need to stop facing your sister head on. There are other ways for you to deal with her.¡±


    ¡°You mean that passive aggressive nonsense.¡± I snorted and shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do passive aggressive.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Straus bowed his head and closed his eyes. ¡°I told you before you¡¯re my hope.¡±


    I frowned at him. ¡°Yeah. Stop reminding me. It makes me feel really uncomfortable.¡±


    Opening his eyes, he looked up at me. ¡°Well right now, you¡¯re not acting like my hope. Right now you¡¯re the obstacle to achieving my dream of living a normal life.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making me responsible?¡± I replied with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance. ¡°How conceited¡ª¡±


    Straus cut me off by banging a fist on the table, making the cups and plates bounce. ¡°You are not the only one having problems with Erina.¡±


    I only noticed my mouth had fallen open when I needed to swallow.


    Straus was making a visible effort to remain calm. ¡°You¡¯re making it difficult for everyone.¡±


    I pressed my lips together unhappily. ¡°That¡¯s a selfish thing to say.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Don¡¯t you understand? With you and Erina butting heads every time you¡¯re in the same room, you make it hard for everyone else to manage the both of you.¡±


    My eyebrows rose in surprise. ¡°Manage?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Manage?¡± I repeated coldly this time.


    ¡°Is there something wrong with you ears?¡±


    I folded my arms under my breasts. ¡°I don¡¯t need to be managed.¡±


    ¡°You and Erina are behaving like a pair of Divas.¡±


    I gaped speechlessly at Straus.


    As he continued to lean forward over the table, he tapped his fingers slowly on the table. ¡°I know that every time you succeed in pushing Erina¡¯s buttons and launching her into the stratosphere you think you¡¯ve won against her.¡± He shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re not winning at all. All you¡¯re doing is making life harder for her and for yourself. And when you do that you make life harder for everyone around you.¡±


    I sucked in air noisily, and tightened my folded arms. ¡°Well, that¡¯s just too bad.¡±


    ¡°You and your sister are cut from the same cloth. You¡¯re both recalcitrant and egocentric. And right now both of you can¡¯t see past your own noses.¡±


    I glared at him. ¡°You just don¡¯t get it, do you?¡±


    Straus lowered his voice. ¡°I get it perfectly. I get that you hate what happened to you, but you¡¯ve got it wrong. You¡¯re blaming her when you should be blaming Kateopia.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I blame Kateopia. Rest assured. I definitely blame her.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re wrong about one more thing.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not Ronin Kassius. You¡¯re Mirai. You were never Ronin Kassius.¡±


    Her words were like a knife driven into my chest and they hurt. But it was a hurt that I¡¯d already experienced and had cried over. It was a hurt I was slowly coming to terms with on my own.


    ¡°I know that,¡± I grated at him. ¡°I know that all I am is the keeper of his memories. But I¡¯m dealing with it. I¡¯m dealing with knowing that my mind is male but my body is female. I¡¯m dealing with knowing that there is no going back. So I don¡¯t need you reminding me of what I am.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re dealing with it, then cut yourself and your sister some slack.¡±


    This time I banged the table and made the plates and cups bounce. ¡°Never!¡±


    ¡°Why are you being so stubborn? Can¡¯t you see that it makes your life harder¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Because I can¡¯t accept how she treats me! Even if I was never Ronin Kassius but just a copy of his mind, I¡¯m still me. I have feelings, memories, thoughts. I am not a machine.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Do you? Do you really?¡±


    ¡°I know what you are,¡± Straus insisted.


    I dropped my voice to a hiss. ¡°Then do you know how hard this is for me?¡± I paused and held his gaze refusing to let him look away. ¡°Do you? Do you know why I¡¯ve managed to stay sane after everything that¡¯s happened to me? It¡¯s because I¡¯ve been too busy trying to stay alive. But now? Now I¡¯ve got some downtime and it¡¯s catching up to me.¡±


    ¡°You were calm on the boat.¡±


    ¡°Because I was exhausted. I was so completely overwhelmed by what I was told that my mind was still catching up back then.¡±


    Straus didn¡¯t appear to believe me and I didn¡¯t care.


    I pushed on. ¡°Erina could have found another way. But she didn¡¯t because her research is more important to her than anything else. And the proof is that she was willing to face an Empress and not back down an inch.¡±


    ¡°Because that research isn¡¯t just important to her. It¡¯s important to humanity.¡±


    I leaned over the table toward Straus. ¡°You see, that¡¯s where your wrong. I get that it¡¯s important and that it has the potential¡ªthe potential¡ªto save lives. That doesn¡¯t mean that it can or it will. But when Erina looks at me, she¡¯s not seeing humanity¡¯s salvation.¡± I shook my head firmly. ¡°No, no, no. To Erina, I¡¯m not humanity¡¯s savior.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you?¡±


    ¡°In her eyes, I¡¯m humanity¡¯s future.¡±


    In a very human way, Straus¡¯s eyes narrowed ever so slightly and a frown faintly creased his brow as he regarded me in silence.


    I watched him too, aware that I was looking at a machine and not a handsome teenage boy, but somehow I felt as though I¡¯d moved past my troubles reconciling the illusion with reality. So I was able to meet his gaze as though I was meeting that of a real boy, and not feel unsettled all the way to my bones as my andro-mechano-phobia slumbered in the back seat.


    Straus slowly sat back. ¡°If I say that I agree with you¡­will you listen to my advice?¡±


    My eyebrows rose sharply revealing my surprise. ¡°You¡­agree with me?¡±


    Straus appeared deeply troubled and bowed his head, breaking eye contact with me. ¡°It¡¯s just a gut a feeling I have¡­a feeling that Erina is looking for something more in you.¡± He looked up at me. ¡°A feeling that she has something else planned for you and the Angel Fibers. Something other than what she has told the Sanreals.¡±


    ¡°¡­like what¡­?¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself. Like becoming humanity¡¯s future.¡±


    I felt cold ¨C so very, very cold ¨C and broke into a shiver that made my hands tremble so I pulled them out of sight under the table.


    ¡°Isabel?¡±


    The concern I heard in his voice made me flinch, but it helped me regain control. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Will you listen to my advice?¡±


    I snorted softly and turned away. ¡°I know what you¡¯re going to say, so don¡¯t bother.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you going to go? Keep going the way you have? Leaving aside whatever plans Erina truly has for you¡ªand I¡¯m not comfortable with speculating behind her back¡ª¡±


    I huffed this time and threw him a glaring sidelong glance. ¡°So it doesn¡¯t matter what she has planned for me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. Would you let me finish?¡±


    I sat back in my booth seat, and then shrugged my shoulders at him. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    Straus looked briefly annoyed but then exhaled loudly as though expelling his frustration toward me. ¡°If you continue on this path, if you keep going the way you¡¯re going, butting heads with Erina at every turn, then she won¡¯t be able to protect you.¡±


    I frowned hard at Straus. ¡°Erina is protecting me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She is. Do you know the reason why are living as Isabel val Sanreal?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that something House Novis arranged with the Empress?¡±


    ¡°No. The Empress only wanted Mirai fighting in the Gun Princess Royale. The part about you living as Isabel was a proposal that Erina pushed through. Using the influence she has over Simon Sanreal, she convinced him to have you assume the identity of Isabel val Sanreal.¡±


    My frown deepened. ¡°Back on the boat, Erina said that House Novis planned to introduce Clarisol back into the family as Isabel val Sanreal. But I was also told that House Novis planned to have Clarisol live a free life away from them¡ªaway from Teloria¡ªby living as Isabel Allegrando, a fake identity.¡± I cocked my head at Straus. ¡°So which one is true?¡±


    ¡°The latter,¡± he replied flatly.


    So Ghost was telling the truth.


    Straus continued in a measured voice. ¡°You¡¯re wondering why she lied to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­.¡±


    ¡°Because she wanted to give you the opportunity to experience living in the real world.¡±


    My frown faded as I thought of Clarisol¡¯s consciousness living in her virtual prison, but I didn¡¯t know if Straus was aware that I¡¯d spoken to her so I treaded cautiously.


    But there was another reason for me to be wary.


    Back on the Sanreal Crest, Erina had warned me about being ¡®boxed¡¯.


    So I cleared my throat and guardedly asked, ¡°What do you mean by living in the real world?¡±


    ¡°You are valuable to Erina and to the Sanreals. But Kateopia twisted their arm and had them enter you in the Gun Princess Royale where they stand to lose you. With that in mind, the Sanreals had decided to keep you safe when you were away from the GPR. That meant confining you to your Sarcophagus, and using its technology to have your mind experience living in a virtual reality.¡±


    I slowly raised my chin at Straus. ¡°So I was going to be boxed.¡±


    Straus arched an eyebrow questioningly. ¡°Where did you hear that term?¡±


    I lied with a straight face. ¡°From Erina.¡±


    Straus was quiet for a brief moment, but then nodded to me. ¡°That¡¯s right. You were going to be boxed. You¡¯d be released out into the real world when it was time for you to fight.¡±


    ¡°So why wasn¡¯t I boxed?¡±


    ¡°I told you. Because of Erina.¡±


    Straus again leaned forward, and this time rested his elbows on the table as he pinned me with a hard stare.


    ¡°The Sanreals didn¡¯t want you exposed to the outside world. To them, it was a huge risk. Think about it. You¡¯re special. You¡¯re the culmination of years of research. By having you out and about they ran the risk of losing you to an accident, to injury, to a whole variety of unexpected circumstances.¡±


    I leaned forward and tapped the table with a fingertip while returning his hard glare. ¡°You¡¯re telling me I¡¯m special, and that they couldn¡¯t risk having me out in the real world. Yet they were planning to send Clarisol away in this body. They were planning to have her live far away from Teloria. That makes no sense to me.¡±


    Straus gave me an incredulous look. ¡°Not right away. They weren¡¯t planning for that until it was certain that Mirai would live for a very, very long time. If it turned out that Mirai fell short of expectations, then they would suspend the plan and wait until Mirai could be perfected or another better Mirai could be made. They were being careful to tick all the boxes. Putting Clarisol in a defective Simulacra was not an option.¡±


    I tapped the table again. ¡°Then about the Angel Fibers. Could they afford to have Mirai or Isabel leave their grasp? Wouldn¡¯t they need her for more research?¡±


    ¡°Erina said she could make another Mirai to continue the research. Once she didn¡¯t need the first Mirai¡ªonce she was sure the prototype met the Sanreals requirements for a suitable body for Clarisol¡ªthen Clarisol would be free to assume the life of Isabel Allegrando.¡±


    I pressed my lips together and inwardly disagreed.


    No, not Clarisol, but a copy of her consciousness. The real Clarisol would still be stuck in that prison for her mind.


    However, this wasn¡¯t something I would mention to Straus.


    Instead, I gave him a nod and said, ¡°Go on. I¡¯m listening. Tell me the rest.¡±


    Straus gave me a puzzled frown, perhaps baffled that I was expressing this much interest, but continued explaining my circumstances.


    ¡°The Sanreals also feared that Kateopia might make a move on you, and steal you from them. Erina had told Kateopia that if Mirai was stolen, Mirai would die.¡±


    Tabitha had said the same thing, so I gave Straus a questioning look and asked, ¡°Is that true?¡±


    Straus looked uncomfortable as he shrugged a shoulder. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. Your sister won¡¯t tell anyone what precautions she took, and I don¡¯t have a reason to doubt her. You¡¯re precious to her but I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s willing to lose you permanently. With her it¡¯s a war of wills with the Empress and that gives birth to a contradiction. On the one hand, she¡¯s adamant that you¡¯re too valuable to hand over, but on the other she¡¯s determined that her research will remain safe in her hands at the expense of your life. In that context, to the Sanreals, keeping you in the Sarcophagus under the proverbial lock and key suited them just fine. And I like said, your mind could be kept busy living in a virtual world so perfect you wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the difference.¡±


    ¡°So why am I out here and not in there?¡±


    ¡°Because Erina had other ideas. She didn¡¯t want you boxed. She wanted you to experience real life. To live in the world. And so she convinced Simon to make use of the identity of Isabel Allegrando ¨C an identity the Sanreals had carefully created over the span of many months for Clarisol ¨C and to bring Isabel into the Sanreal Family. To amend her existence so that she was the illegitimate daughter of Phelan Sanreal, otherwise known in the other universe as Phelan Erz Novis, the head of House Novis.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why would she do that? Why go that far?¡±


    Did she know that I was going to take my new life hard?


    That is, did she know I would have trouble accepting my new existence?


    Erina was an Alpha, so perhaps she¡¯d used her enhanced intellect to plan ahead.


    But that implied that she cared about Mirai. It implied that Erina had a heart.


    I shook my head inwardly at the notion, and dismissed it quickly.


    Before disembarking from the Sanreal Crest, Erina had admitted that she wanted me to mature, to evolve, to be more than I was now. I still believed that was a rare moment of honesty from her, and because of that I couldn¡¯t shake off the impression that Erina had long term plans for me. This brought my thinking back to the issue of Clarisol, and if what Straus told me was true, it clashed with the Sanreals¡¯ intention to have Clarisol live out her life in Mirai¡¯s body as Isabel Allegrando.


    When I joined the dots this way, I arrived at the same worrying conclusion I had when sitting in Ar Telica Tower¡¯s foyer.


    Erina had her own agenda, and it went contrary to those of the Sanreals.


    My former sister was indeed playing a dangerous game.


    Dear gods in high heaven. Did Erina reveal Project Mirai to the Empress? Did she do all this, challenging the Empress to a dangerous game of threats and counter threats so that the Sanreals couldn¡¯t give Mirai¡¯s body to Clarisol?


    I closed my eyes tightly as I leaned my head back against the top of the seat¡¯s headrest.


    Why? Why go that far? Is Mirai so special that you would risk my life, your life, and your brother¡¯s life too?


    I opened my eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling.


    My gods, Erina. What have you dragged me into?


    Straus cut in smoothly into my thinking. ¡°Isabel, listen to me carefully.¡±


    I swallowed but continued looking up at the ceiling as I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m listening¡­.¡±


    ¡°The Sanreals are watching you. They are watching me. They are watching Erina. They are watching how you behave around her. They are watching the decisions you make. They are considering how much or how little control Erina has over you.¡±


    I lowered my gaze and met Straus¡¯s eyes.


    Those perfectly realistic yet mechanical eyes held my gaze, ensuring that he had my full attention as he folded his arms across his chest.


    ¡°If you continue to challenge Erina the way you have been, they will make a judgement call, an executive decision, and take matters into their own hands. They will take you away from Erina.¡±


    He paused and I knew what was coming.


    ¡°Isabel, they will box you.¡±

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 6 - Part I

    Chapter 6.


    ¨C I ¨C


    Was I at risk of losing everything?


    Had I gained nothing after winning my fight against the Gun Queen?


    Just what had I achieved? What had I earned for myself?


    As my questioning thoughts slowly drifted through my mind, the empty, hollow feeling in my chest returned, making it hard to breathe as though my lungs were being distended by the vacuum within me.


    I swallowed hard a few times, and tried to regain control of my breathing.


    I understood that the emptiness was born from the oppressive feeling of being trapped, walled in from all sides, with no way out of my situation.


    I realized then that to some degree I was already boxed.


    No matter the choices that I made, I was a captive of the Sanreals and House Novis.


    While I was of value to them because of the Angel Fibers, I was also their gladiatrix and slave, and there was no freedom in that. And while there was no going back to my previous existence, going forward would only be on their terms. Thus, my life was not mine to live because my existence belonged to them.


    Squeezing my eyes shut, I gripped the edge of the table and fought down a new sensation ¨C the urge to retch.


    ¡°Isabel? Isabel. Isabel--stop!¡±


    A loud crack startled me and I opened my eyes to see Straus leaning over the table, grabbing onto my arms. But the damage was done. The long edge of the table had been snapped by the pressure my fingers had applied to it. It hadn¡¯t broken away, but there was a lengthy crack in its surface that would be impossible to miss.


    Straus¡¯s gaze worked its way from the table to my hands, up my arms, and eventually onto my face.


    Through my hazy consciousness, I thought I glimpsed a flicker of fear in his eyes ¨C quite extraordinary since he wasn¡¯t a boy of flesh and blood ¨C before his lips set into a thin angry line. Then he grabbed a pancake from the small pile the waitress had delivered as part of the breakfast order, and unceremoniously shoved it into my mouth.


    ¡°Eat,¡± he commanded, before exiting the booth.


    Circling around to my side, he grabbed me by an arm, then picked up the plate with the pancakes on them before dragging me out of the booth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    With my mind in a foggy state, I failed to put up a struggle, and was thereby pulled toward the exit of the caf¨¦ by Straus.


    In the waiting area, Straus instructed me gruffly, ¡°Wait here¡±, then hurried off to pay for breakfast.


    My mind may have been addled and fuzzy, but my body recognized its need for food.


    Thus, I distractedly munched on the pancake sticking out of my mouth.


    Swallowing it down seconds later, I watched Straus pay for breakfast and then hurry back to me with a paper bag containing our pancake order and a few other bits, though I would need to look in the bag to know what they were.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Straus said as he passed me by, dropping the bag into my hands.


    With a little food working its way down toward my stomach, my emotions a tad more settled, and my mind a little clearer, I followed him out of the caf¨¦ onto the sidewalk.


    It seemed that nothing had changed during the time we¡¯d spent inside the caf¨¦.


    The city sidewalk was as busy as ever as people hurried to work.


    I didn¡¯t need a wristwatch to tell the time. Mirai¡¯s wetware informed me with a thought pulse that it was now 9:15 am, and since most companies were in business by 9:00 am, I figured a great many people were either going to be late, or they had more flexible schedules than I knew of. But all of this was of little consequence to me as I merged with the flowing sidewalk traffic and then followed Straus down the district block.


    All the while, my mind was slowly picking up the pace as it chugged away at various trains of thought. But it wasn¡¯t until we reached an intersection and waited for the light to change in our favor, that I reached out and yanked Straus by the arm.


    Startled and wary, Straus regarded me with caution in his eyes.


    ¡°What if I took her offer?¡± I asked loud enough to be heard above the surrounding din of vehicular traffic and people. Seeing the faint confusion on his face, I added, ¡°What if I accepted Tabitha¡¯s offer to fight for Cardinal?¡±


    The confusion in his eyes turned to restrained alarm. ¡°That would be a mistake.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±.


    ¡°Because she lied to you.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°About Cardinal.¡± Straus shook his head. ¡°There is no division of the Battle Commission by that name.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no Cardinal¡ª?¡±


    ¡°There is no Cardinal division. But there is a House Alus Cardinal.¡±


    I released his arm, and my arm fell away limply. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Taura Hexaria Erz Cardinal. That¡¯s her name. That¡¯s who she is.¡±


    I stared at him with disbelief on my face, but deep down I wasn¡¯t surprised to learn that she had lied to me like so many people thus far.


    Was it so unexpected to learn that one more liar had entered the fray?


    Indeed, it wasn¡¯t, yet nonetheless I couldn¡¯t help feeling acutely disappointed in her.


    Perhaps my thoughts were written on my face, because after a moment or two, Straus gave me a sympathetic look. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you more later. For now, let¡¯s keep moving.¡±


    I swallowed, pushing down my disillusioned, slightly bitter feelings, and hesitantly asked, ¡°Wh¡ªWhere are we going?¡±


    Straus pressed his lips tightly together before waving a hand eastward. ¡°You know the gardens by the harbor waterfront?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Of course, I do.¡±


    ¡°Well, I thought you could do with some fresh air.¡±


    I stared at him, my mind still rocking after hearing of Tabitha¡¯s deceit, and wondered what his angle was. However, before I could come to any conclusion or guesses, the traffic light changed, and once again we were swept across a wide street by a torrent of pedestrians rushing to work.


    Eventually, after a fifteen-minute walk where I trailed behind Straus while weaving between people, and clutching my bag of pancakes tightly to my chest, I noticed the sidewalk traffic thin out dramatically the farther we travelled east toward the harbor, taking with it the oppressive feeling of being walled in from all sides. A short while later we escaped from the shadows of Ar Telica¡¯s towering megascrapers and left the frantic commuters behind when we crossed a multi-lane avenue into a strip of sparse parkland running north-to-south before the harbor.


    It was only then that I relaxed my grip on my pancakes.


    There was another avenue to cross before we arrived at the narrow parkland that paralleled much of the harbor foreshore.


    I followed Straus to a picnic area encircled by a sparse tree line.


    A few people wandered through the parkland, some walking their dogs, others using the wide paved path between the park and sea wall as a jogging track.


    Straus headed for an empty table with bench seats a lthat was a little way away from the other deserted tables in the clearing.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± he instructed, then hurried off at a jog to a row of vending machines about a hundred feet away.


    I sat down at the bench table, and threw a glare at his back as I opened up my bag of pancakes, annoyed at being ordered around.


    I failed to quash my feelings, but I did manage to lid them as I looked inside the bag and found about a dozen pancakes, a handful of paper serviettes, and a couple of sealed plastic cupcake containers filled with jam. After emptying the bag of its contents, I flattened it and used it as a placemat. Then I opened one of the jam containers, and poured a little of the rich strawberry sauce onto a pancake. Rolling it up carefully, I then speared it into my open mouth, and ate it in a hurry.


    However, I took my time with the next pancake.


    By then, Straus had returned with an armload of soda cans that he quickly placed before me on the benchtop.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what you preferred,¡± he admitted, ¡°so I bought the popular brands.¡±


    I swept my gaze over them, then chose a soda can with lively green and white livery. ¡°Thanks¡­,¡± I grumbled as I popped it open.


    Straus rested his arms on the tabletop after sitting down opposite me at the picnic table.


    I devoured a third pancake, then washed it down with a mouthful of soda before slamming the can onto the table.


    I threw a dark glare at Straus who watched me with a keenness that was making me uncomfortable as well as irritated.


    ¡°Tell me about Cardinal,¡± I demanded in a low grumble. ¡°Tell me the truth.¡±


    Straus gathered himself by straightening for a moment then leaning forward, once again resting his weight on his elbows.


    ¡°House Alus Cardinal fought in the war in support of Kateopia. After the war, and after House Novis¡¯ fall from grace, they gained Kateopia¡¯s ear and have since been her closest allies. When Kateopia wanted to exile House Novis for their genocidal act of wiping out House Patraeon, it was House Cardinal who swayed her decision.¡±


    I arched an eyebrow at Straus. ¡°So they¡¯re allies of House Novis?¡±


    He snorted curtly. ¡°Hardly.¡± After shaking his head, he said, ¡°No, they¡¯re rivals and not the friendly sort.¡± He paused for a second with an uncertain expression before continuing. ¡°After the war, Taura and her sister Alexia, competed in the Gun Princess Royales held in their universe and ours. They won the respective championships, earning House Cardinal a generous amount of prestige as well as two wishes granted by the Empress. They rose from the noble rank of Catun to Alus in one fell swoop. Ever since then, they¡¯ve been holding onto that rank by supporting the Empress both publicly and privately.¡±


    I slowly swallowed down my fifth pancake, and noticed the image of Ghost standing idly behind Straus, nodding slowly as though confirming what Straus had just told me.


    ¡°You know a lot about them,¡± I pointed out coldly.


    ¡°I know what I¡¯ve been told,¡± he replied easily, shrugging off the frigid look I was giving him.


    ¡°So why did she do it?¡±


    He looked bemused for a moment. ¡°Why did she make you that offer?¡±


    I nodded.


    Straus shrugged a shoulder. ¡°You would have discovered the truth sooner or later. I guess she was testing your commitment to House Novis.¡±


    ¡°As if I ever had a choice.¡±


    Straus made an odd expression with his lips as he looked away while pondering my remark. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. It¡¯s one thing for the Empress to steal you away from House Novis, but it¡¯s another for her to tempt you away through House Cardinal. If you left of your own will, I have no idea what would happen to you.¡± He shrugged both shoulders this time. ¡°I don¡¯t know what House Novis would do if you betrayed them.¡±


    ¡°Betray? Are you serious?¡±


    Straus gave me a dry look. ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    Yes, I did. But nonetheless, I didn¡¯t appreciate him phrasing the situation that way.


    I cleared my throat with another mouthful of soda from the aluminum can. Putting it back down on the table, I favored a glare upon Straus. ¡°It would have been nice if I¡¯d known all this before I ran into her again.¡±


    Straus folded his arms on the tabletop. ¡°You¡¯ve been a little hard to talk to you¡ªwhat with you running away by jumping off balconies.¡±


    I started to grimace in response but stopped myself quickly.


    He had a point. I wasn¡¯t exactly being accommodating, but they were to blame.


    ¡°Maybe if you¡¯d treated me better I wouldn¡¯t have had a reason to run away. You ever consider that?¡± I asked him brusquely.


    Straus pressed his lips together tightly. ¡°Are you angry about the way she shouted at you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m definitely not going to forgive or forget her shouting at me.¡± I folded up my sixth pancake after moistening it liberally with strawberry sauce from the second container. ¡°But I haven¡¯t decided how I¡¯m going to pay her back for treating me like dirt¡ª¡±


    ¡°She was protecting me.¡±


    He said it so smoothly, so matter-of-factly, that it stopped me cold with the pancake at my open mouth.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°She was protecting me, Isabel.¡±


    I lowered the pancake away from my mouth. ¡°Protecting you from whom?¡±


    ¡°From you.¡±


    A dark frown furrowed my brow. ¡°Why? I wasn¡¯t going to hurt you.¡±


    Straus shook his head slowly. ¡°She was afraid of how the Angel Fibers in my body would react to you.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    For a short while, I forgot about the pancake in my hand until I felt the strawberry sauce trickle onto my fingers.


    I had little choice but to it quickly, wipe my hands on a paper serviette, then wash down the pancake by gulping down mouthfuls of soda.


    Planting the can back on the table, I narrowed my eyes at Straus. ¡°Care to explain?¡±


    Straus opened his mouth but then glanced away westward in the direction of the city.


    Standing behind him, Ghost did the same and a grave look spread across his face. ¡°Princess, I would advise you to remain calm.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t reply to him without giving him away, but I was also curious and concerned by the manner in which both Ghost and Straus were looking off in the direction of the city.


    Somewhat reluctantly, I turned my head and followed their line of sight.


    Standing beside the door of a sleek, low slung sports car, was my former sister, dressed in casual black slacks, white high heels, and a white blouse with ruffled sleeves and neckline.


    As usual since our reunion, Erina looked like she¡¯d stepped out of a magazine reporting on Ar Telica¡¯s upper class society, and indeed she was since her fianc¨¦ was none other than Simon Sanreal, eldest son of the extravagantly rich Sanreal Family. Even from a distance, I could see the sparkle of her engagement ring as it caught the morning sunlight.


    When our eyes met, Erina pushed herself away from the matt silver sports car, and began walking toward us.


    At that moment, I heard Straus curse softly under his breath. Again, I found that quite impressive for a remote operated machine.


    Rising from the bench seat, Straus bade me, ¡°Wait here,¡± then quickly walked to intercept Erina long before she could arrive at the table.


    I decided to continue eating my remaining pancakes, though hunger had deserted me at sight of the woman that I despised.


    ¡°Ghost, did you tell Straus where to find me?¡±


    In the corner of my eye, I watched him glance at me. ¡°Aye, Princess.¡±


    ¡°You used Tabitha¡¯s phone, right?¡±


    ¡°Aye¡­.¡±


    ¡°You are a sneaky bastard.¡±


    ¡°Princess, I was concerned about Taura Hexaria and the lies she was feeding you.¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t tell me it was a lie.¡±


    ¡°No. Had I done so, and had you confronted her with the truth, it would have diverted her from her objective. I wanted your reactions to be completely natural to her offer.¡±


    ¡°So you were testing me, just like Tabitha was testing me.¡±


    ¡°I was observing you, my Princess.¡±


    I took the time to eat my seventh and final pancake, drank liberally from the soda can, then burped quite un-lady like. ¡°Ghost, whose side are you on?¡±


    ¡°Yours, Princess.¡±


    Tidying up after myself, I placed the unused serviettes into a skirt pocket and the empty strawberry sauce containers into the paper bag before rolling it up.


    Then I looked at Ghost and shook my head slowly at him for a short while.


    ¡°No. You¡¯re on Clarisol¡¯s side.¡±


    For an Artificial Awareness, regardless of its origins, Ghost displayed a remarkable human reaction ¨C a faintly pained expression that briefly flickered across his face.


    After holding his gaze with an unwavering stare, I sighed, and Ghost chose that moment to reply.


    ¡°Princess, I hold both yours and Clarisol¡¯s interest at heart.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­.¡±


    I turned away from him, proverbially turning my back to him, and waited with forced calm for Erina and Straus to arrive at the picnic table.


    Wisely, Erina chose to stop several feet away from me, while Straus assumed a position that would allow him to step between us with only a couple of strides.


    Erina watched me with an unreadable expression, but I had no doubt the wheels were churning madly in her head as she played out various opening exchanges in her mind.


    I didn¡¯t.


    I simply waited for her opening move, and would play the rest by ear and gut intuition.


    True, I wasn¡¯t one for strategizing.


    Wetting her lips, Erina broke her silence with a gentle tone that immediately had me wondering what the game was.


    ¡°You look good in uniform,¡± she observed.


    ¡°Thanks. Tabitha said it was tailor made.¡±


    Not entirely true, but she did admit to knowing my sizes.


    Erina grew rigid for a mere heartbeat. It was so faint and quick that I had I not been looking at her keenly, it would have escaped my notice.


    But I¡¯d mentioned Tabitha deliberately to gauge her reaction.


    I see. Straus was right. There¡¯s no love between House Novis and House Cardinal.


    Then I had another thought.


    Does Erina see herself as a member of House Novis¡­or the Sanreal Family?


    I turned on the bench seat, straddling it with my legs such that I was now facing her properly.


    Erina didn¡¯t appear to approve of my decision, sparing my skirt a pointed glance.


    I smirked inwardly. ¡°I take it Straus told you about my encounter with her?¡±


    ¡°She did.¡±


    I considered how easily she had replied.


    Was she listening in on our conversation?


    I glanced at Straus.


    That¡¯s a mechanical avatar. Does that mean Erina can see and hear whatever Straus sees and hears through the avatar¡¯s senses? Was she watching me through the avatar¡¯s eyes?


    I chose to proceed under that assumption as I leaned forward slightly toward Erina.


    ¡°So, give me your honest opinion. Should I take up her offer?¡±


    ¡°That would be problematic.¡±


    I snorted and then broke into a strained laugh. ¡°So I¡¯ve been told¡­.¡±


    Erina had been standing with her hands folded lightly over her midriff, but now she chose to fold her arms under her breasts. ¡°Are you considering it?¡±


    I inhaled slow and deep, thinking my answer over. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°May I ask why not?¡±


    ¡°Because she wasn¡¯t honest with me. So I have no reason to trust her offer. End of story.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see¡­.¡±


    I made a show of frowning up at her. ¡°Do you?¡± Miming the act of moving game pieces on a board, I asked her, ¡°Have you played out the situation all the way to checkmate? Do you know what I¡¯ll do next?¡±


    Erina pursed her lips and didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I asked. It was what I should have asked first, but I¡¯d been playing my opening moves in response to hers.


    ¡°I came to talk.¡±


    This time I made a show of looking surprised. Then I sneered at her. ¡°To talk and not shout at me?¡±


    ¡°Isabel, there are things I must explain to you.¡±


    Still sitting astride the bench seat, I leaned back, resting my weight on my arms stretched out behind me. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°You are aware that Akane¡¯s body contains the Angel Fibers.¡±


    I gently nodded once. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s Prototype One.¡±


    A faint wince flickered across Erina¡¯s lips before she swallowed and continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know what effect the presence of your body will have on the Angel Fibers.¡±


    I raised my chin slightly. ¡°You mean when I¡¯m close to her?¡±


    ¡°Correct. You told me that the Angel Fibers in the ampules reacted to your presence¡ªto your intentions.¡±


    This time, my nod wasn¡¯t so certain as I remembered the tiny sparkling particles swimming in that silver sea within the ampule.


    Erina sounded cautious as she continued. ¡°I reacted out of fear¡­fear of not knowing what would happen to her. For that, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    My eyebrows rose markedly toward my hairline. ¡°Are you apologizing?¡±


    Erina wet her lips again. ¡°Akane is a dear friend. I wanted to save her. But instead I almost killed her.¡±


    I was puzzled.


    Was Erina apologizing to me or wasn¡¯t she? Granted, she did say she was sorry, but was she now rationalizing why she¡¯d yelled at me?


    I decided not to ask her again because it seemed she wasn¡¯t done talking.


    ¡°I got ahead of myself,¡± Erina continued. ¡°I was reckless, overconfident, desperate, and I made a mistake¡­one that almost killed her. And now she lives with the consequences of my mistake.¡±


    In my peripheral vision, I noticed Straus flinch faintly. For a moment, I thought he would break his silence but instead he pressed his lips tightly together and said nothing.


    However, it made me wonder if Straus didn¡¯t agree with Erina blaming herself, and so I said, ¡°Akane told me you saved her.¡±


    ¡°Saved her?¡± Erina swallowed quietly and looked faintly pained as she glanced at Straus standing silently off to a side. ¡°I didn¡¯t save her. Her condition no longer deteriorates, but neither does it improve. And you¡¯ve seen how the Angel Fibers have disfigured her.¡±


    I read Erina¡¯s regret in her voice, and it distracted me a little because it irked me to believe she would care more about someone who wasn¡¯t family ¨C that she would care more about Straus than about me.


    Then again, I wasn¡¯t family to her.


    I was her creation.


    And yet, didn¡¯t that also make me her child, or was I just the monster to her Victor Frankenstein?


    I expelled a loud sigh. ¡°Yeah¡­breaks my heart¡­.¡±


    And there it was, a flicker of anger in Erina¡¯s eyes, and I had my answer.


    It was the answer I had expected, yet heartache made my chest tighten. In response, I clenched my hands on the bench seat, and bit down hard on the inside of my mouth, the pain of which distracted me from the emotional anguish, allowing me to pull myself together after an irrational moment of weakness where part of me had held a fragile hope that I meant more to Erina than Akane Straus.


    How very stupid of me¡­.


    When I¡¯d regained a grip on my composure, I leaned forward on the bench seat. ¡°If that¡¯s an apology¡­you need to work on it.¡±


    Then I swung a leg over the seat, stood up, and with hands on hips, I fixed a cold glare on Erina.


    ¡°Now, tell me why you¡¯re really here because I don¡¯t believe for a frekking heartbeat that it was just to apologize.¡±


    Erina stepped closer but stopped a couple of meters shy of me.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been making waves,¡± she said. ¡°And that¡¯s made some people unhappy with you¡­and me.¡±


    ¡°Your Sanreal masters?¡± I scoffed at her.


    ¡°They¡¯re your masters, too.¡±


    She said it matter-of-factly, and I bristled at her, but then I saw worry in her eyes ¨C real worry ¨C and it stalled my retort somewhere in my throat.


    They will box you.


    Perhaps Erina guessed at my thoughts, because she nodded subtly.


    But more so, I was certain now that Erina had been following the conversation with Straus. However, I wasn¡¯t sure if she had done so with Straus¡¯s knowledge or consent. The reason that I doubted the two were on the same page was because Straus had looked shocked to see Erina waiting by her car, and now she was watching Erina with poorly veiled suspicion.


    Thus, it could be that things weren¡¯t kosher between them, but was this something I could use to my advantage?


    I chose to shelve the possibility for later consideration, and gave Erina my full attention. I was facing a grand master after all.


    ¡°Cut to the chase, Erina. I don¡¯t have all day.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I,¡± she replied.


    ¡°So let¡¯s hear it then.¡±


    ¡°The Sanreal Family isn¡¯t happy with your lack of co-operation.¡±


    ¡°You have a hand in that.¡±


    She nodded faintly. ¡°Agreed. Managing you has been unexpectedly difficult.¡±


    I smiled angrily at Erina. ¡°Managing me?¡±


    ¡°I am your Guardian.¡±


    ¡°Managing me?¡± I repeated, twisting my lips into a rictus grin.


    Erina paused and took a deep breath. ¡°He wants to speak with you.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The head of the Sanreal Family¡­and House Novis¡±


    My eyes widened in response to the sudden anxious pang I felt in my chest. ¡°Phelan Sanreal Erz Novis¡­?¡±


    Erina gave me a subdued nod, her expression grim. ¡°Isabel, I came here to pick you up. To take you to him.¡±


    ¡°In that case,¡± Straus suddenly moved between Erina and I, his attention directed toward where Erina had parked her car in the narrow street between the two strips of parkland. ¡°What are they doing here?¡±


    Erina glanced first at Straus, then half turned to look over her right shoulder in the direction of her car.


    I diverted my gaze as well, and in the distance I saw numerous men and women in black business suits disembarking from a trio of equally dark suburban vehicles that gave off the impression they were both heavy and armored.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Erina hissed, then spun around to point sharply at me. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about running away! Not this time. You stay right there!¡±


    I snarled at her while clenching and unclenching my hands. ¡°Yelling at me again?¡±


    ¡°This is for your own good, Isabel. I am not joking around. You run away now¡ªyou make a single wrong move, and this will not end well. I mean it.¡±


    I made a point of sweeping my gaze over my surroundings. ¡°Why? Are they going to try something out here? In a public place? With these people around?¡±


    ¡°Public or not, it won¡¯t make a difference. Trust me on this!¡±


    ¡°Why the Hell should I?¡±


    Erina surprised me but stepping right up to me. ¡°Listen to me, Isabel. If you only ever listen to me once¡ªdo it this time.¡±


    I stared slightly up at her with swirling emotions, some of which burned my innards while others chilled me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡ªgo¡ªanywhere,¡± she instructed and with those words, Erina strode off in the direction of the waiting men and women clad in black business suits and dark sunglasses.


    However, Straus chose to wait behind with an anxious expression directed at the sinister newcomers.


    Ghost stepped into my peripheral vision. ¡°Princess, I strongly urge you to heed her advice.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked softly, barely even a whisper.


    ¡°I fear you are being watched from above.¡±


    ¡°¡­what¡­?¡± I looked up but could see nothing but a partly overcast morning sky. ¡°¡­what are you talking about¡­?¡±


    ¡°Princess, you are aware that I am able to infiltrate photronic systems within your vicinity.¡±


    I muttered a reply with a whisper that even I barely heard. ¡°Yeah, you mentioned that before.¡±


    ¡°The truth is that I use the wetware in your head as a node point. From there, I can connect to the surrounding grid.¡±


    I felt my eyes widen a little. ¡°You¡¯re using me like a part of a network.¡±


    ¡°Correct. I am tethering myself to you from within the Sarcophagus.¡±


    I lowered my whisper to a hiss. ¡°You¡¯re using me like a smartphone?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Through you, I am able to establish a connection to the grid surrounding you.¡±


    I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath. ¡°You can¡¯t do it directly from the Sarcophagus?¡±


    ¡°No, I am not that omnipotent. But since I am streaming through you, the vast bulk of my processing power is within the Sarcophagus so it does not tax your wetware.¡±


    ¡°How comforting,¡± I whispered as I folded my arms under my bust. ¡°So? So what?¡±


    ¡°By using the parkland¡¯s surveillance grid, I have been able to redirect a handful of the cameras to the buildings across the street to the west of us.¡±


    ¡°And¡­?¡±


    ¡°And I have noticed someone on the seventeenth floor of the building due west of your position.¡±


    I opened my eyes, blinking twice to clear my vision, then focused on the building Ghost¡¯s projection was pointing toward.


    ¡°There, Princess, on that garden balcony.¡±


    I squinted and focused hard in the direction he was pointing.


    The permaglass of the building¡¯s fa?ade was coated with an anti-reflective material that prevented the sun from reflecting harshly off its surface.


    The same could be said for the sniping scope mounted atop a rifle aimed in my direction. Because they were making use of the garden on the balcony to hide themselves, I couldn¡¯t determine what kind of weapon they were aiming at me, nor could I see the sniper, but I felt it hardly mattered.


    ¡°¡­wonderful¡­,¡± I breathed out softly, then noticed Straus giving me a curious look.


    ¡°What are you mumbling about?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Did you know about this?¡± I asked in reply.


    Straus looked troubled before shaking his head tightly. ¡°No.¡±


    I tipped my head away from him. ¡°Oh? They pulled a fast one on you and Erina? Blindsided, were we?¡±


    ¡°Damn well looks that way,¡± he replied and turned back to look at Erina in discussion with one of the men in dark suits.


    ¡°Who are they? Sanreal hunting dogs?¡±


    Straus gave me a reproachful glance. ¡°Sanreal executive security.¡±


    I pouted for a moment before asking, ¡°Are they human or Simulacra?¡±


    Straus glanced at me again, curiously this time. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? I thought that was your talent.¡±


    ¡°It is. But I can¡¯t use it from this distance,¡± I lied. ¡°I need to get closer.¡±


    Then the proverbial penny dropped and I felt a chill run through me.


    Does she know about my ability to see the aura around living things? When did she find out? Or was she referring to something else I can do?


    I stared at Straus with a modicum of suspicion, but he didn¡¯t appear to notice as he hurriedly stepped between me and the executive security personnel in the distance.


    ¡°Oh no, no, no!¡± he cried out. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere¡ªcertainly not over there. You¡¯re waiting right here with me.¡±


    Staring at him askance, I slowly pushed my suspicions aside as I planted my hands on my hips. ¡°The Sanreals have come for me, right?¡±


    He exhaled loudly and his shoulders slumped slightly in resignation. ¡°More than likely.¡±


    ¡°So there¡¯s a chance they came for someone else.¡±


    He exhaled again, and nodded subtly on this occasion. ¡°It¡¯s possible they came for your sister. But I believe they came here for you.¡±


    I held back a frown.


    Would they really come for Erina? Does that mean they suspect her¡­?


    Raising my chin slightly, I continued to look sidelong at Straus. ¡°Then does that mean they came for Isabel val Sanreal, or for Mirai?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s find out,¡± I suggested smoothly.


    ¡°Nope. No way. We wait here.¡±


    I shook my head and turned my head toward Straus, adding with a smile, ¡°Show a little backbone.¡±


    ¡°Courage is not the problem.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem? Is it the sniper aiming at me from the building across the street?¡±


    Straus¡¯s eyes widened so much I could see the whites surrounding the irises. ¡°What?¡±


    I broadened my smile and pointed in the direction of the building where the sniper was hiding. ¡°They¡¯re over there. Seventeenth floor.¡±


    As Straus turned to look where I was indicating with an outstretched arm and finger, I slipped around him and strode quickly toward Erina and the executive security people. As I walked across the strip of parkland, I made it a point to wave at the sniper hiding on the garden balcony.


    ¡°I can see you,¡± I mouthed in their direction.


    In the event they couldn¡¯t read lips, I made matters clearer by pointing at my eyes then I pointed at them.


    Straus ran ahead of me and then stopped to block my path. ¡°Just what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    I looked at him innocently. ¡°I told you. I¡¯m going to find out if they came for me.¡±


    Straus shook his head quickly. ¡°You can find that out soon enough. Let Erina handle this.¡±


    I dipped my head at him. ¡°Are you worried about the sniper?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m worried. And how the Hell did you know there¡¯s a sniper out there?¡±


    I arched my eyebrows. ¡°You saw them.¡±


    He nodded stiffly. ¡°Yeah, I saw them. Now how did you know they were there?¡±


    ¡°My invisible friend told me.¡±


    ¡°Yourwhat?¡± Straus made no effort to hide his confusion.


    I sighed and smiled thinly up at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you have one too?¡±


    ¡°I most certainly do not.¡±


    Again, I sighed. ¡°Straus, I know you¡¯re worried. But trust me. I¡¯m not going to make any sudden moves.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to go over there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Straus was looking and sounding frustrated with me.


    In contrast, I was mildly surprised by how calm I sounded, and it seemed to frustrate Straus even more. ¡°Because I¡¯ve been doing this too often.¡±


    ¡°Doing what¡ªmisbehaving?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head gently. ¡°Running away.¡±


    The noticeable scowl he¡¯d been wearing slowly faded off his face.


    I sighed a third time, and felt it was once too often but it was already out the door. ¡°Straus, I ran away from Erina. I ran away from the students in the stairwell. I ran away from Tabitha.¡±


    ¡°I had something to do with that,¡± he admitted, sounding contrite.


    Shaking my head again, I said, ¡°I could have stopped you. In fact, I did stop you.¡±


    ¡°So what are you saying?¡±


    ¡°That I¡¯m not going to run away from the Sanreals.¡± I jutted my chin in Erina¡¯s direction. ¡°I¡¯m going over there as Isabel val Sanreal. If Daddy Dearest wants to meet me, then who am I turn down his invitation?¡± I grinned at Straus. ¡°As the saying goes, take me to your leader.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re using it in the right context.¡±


    My grin ebbed away as I shrugged a shoulder. ¡°Whatever. You get what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­I do.¡±


    ¡°So¡­are you going to be a good boy and escort me over there?¡± I glanced in the sniper¡¯s direction. ¡°Like I said, I won¡¯t make any sudden moves, but I¡¯m not going to be putting my hands on the back of my head.¡±


    For a long while, Straus looked over his shoulder at the building across the street. Eventually, he turned away and paid Erina and company a tense glance before facing me.


    ¡°No sudden moves. Right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No sudden moves,¡± I affirmed, then tossed my hair like I¡¯d seen some of the girls of Telos Academy do. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go meet the family.¡±


    Straus looked disappointed at my effort. ¡°You need a lot more practice.¡±


    I wrinkled my nose at him. ¡°Care to teach me?¡±


    He pointed at himself. ¡°Not like this I¡¯m not. But I¡¯m sure we can find you a few instructional holovids on how to be a spoilt Princess.¡±


    ¡°I just want to learn how to toss my hair.¡±


    Straus looked puzzled. ¡°Truthfully, I¡¯m surprised to hear you say that. It¡¯s not something I expected to come from you.¡±


    My breath caught in my chest as I realized what he meant.


    He¡¯s right. Why am I choosing to act like a girl now?


    Feeling my emotions sower, I humphed bitterly, and then stormed around him.


    Straus fell into step beside me a couple of seconds later, sounding clearly uneasy as I cut a beeline toward Erina and the Sanreal security people. ¡°You will try to behave, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be the perfect spoilt princess,¡± I grumbled under my breath.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was afraid of.¡±

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 6 - Part II

    Chapter 6.


    ¨C II ¨C


    One young man with a long sandy hair, a medium build, and fine facial features stood apart from the other security personnel, and it wasn¡¯t because he was nearest to Erina.


    Nor was it the easy manner in which he conversed with her, standing casually as though he was chatting to an old friend¡­an old friend that looked less than pleased to see him.


    It certainly wasn¡¯t his slightly unkempt appearance, the tad bedraggled way he wore his suit, or his tie hanging loosely from his neck.


    No.


    He stood apart because I sensed something different in him ¨C something I felt deep in my gut, in my bones, in the muscles wrapped around them, and in the faint hairs along the nape of my neck.


    It was the impression that we had met before, but I couldn¡¯t call it d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    Rather, it was a sense of knowing him on a deeper level than just a passing glance or brief encounter, as though my body recalled an unpleasant experience at his hands.


    I came to a stop several feet away from him, with Straus a couple of feet off to my right.


    Erina, standing about two meters away from the young man, stared at me in disbelief that quickly turned to anger. But before she could chastise or berate me for disobeying her instruction, the young man reached up, removed his sunglasses, and met my eyes.


    At that moment, as our gazes touched upon each other, something inside of me was unlocked, and invisible shackles I¡¯d been unaware of suddenly fell away. However, the deep unease I¡¯d been feeling all the way down to my bones now jumped up a rung, and a chill slithered its way down my back.


    The impression that I knew this young man, that there was history between us, grew stronger.


    A faint smile curved his lips as he cocked his head slightly and regarded me for a silent moment.


    ¡°So you¡¯re Isabel.¡±


    His voice was quiet and yet it carried, tickling my senses with that damnable feeling that I somehow knew him despite having no memories of him.


    He turned his body toward me, pocketing his sunglasses into his shirt¡¯s breast pocket.


    ¡°But if you¡¯re Isabel¡­where¡¯s Mirai?¡±


    It was extraordinary how swiftly he moved.


    The moment the words slipped past his lips, his right hand dove in and out of his jacket with no noticeable acceleration.


    Normally when someone moves, no matter how quickly, their limbs will visibly accelerate. But with him it was as though his arm had already gone past the accelerate stage and straight into maximum velocity. It was one of those ¡®blink¡¯ and you¡¯ll miss it moments, or rather, it was as though that moment had been cut out from the flow of time, causing the scene to jump as though a dozen or more frames were missing.


    Regardless, this lack of discernible acceleration threw me off and was the primary reason why my reaction trailed behind his by a wide margin.


    However, even if I reacted a late, I wasn¡¯t going to stand still and do nothing because despite his incredible speed, he had yet to aim his weapon at me, and that gave me a narrow window of time within which to counter him.


    From a standing start, I bolted forward like lightning toward him.


    I felt as light as a feather as my right foot touched ground, a millisecond before I kicked upwards with my left foot.


    It connected with his right hand, throwing off his aim, and the black sidearm he held discharged a small round that sailed over my left shoulder.


    It certainly felt like it missed my left ear by millimeters, and might have taken some of my raven hair with it.


    As expected, the moment he reached for his gun, Mirai transformed from blonde to brunette.


    In other words, she had powered up in the blink of an eye.


    With my senses sharpened to a razors edge, I was able to perceive him and my surroundings with remarkable clarity.


    In my peripheral vision I could also see the lifeforce surrounding Erina who appeared frozen in shock, her mouth slightly ajar. But her lack of movement was simply because time had slowed down for me. My Awareness was overclocked and yet I noticed it wasn¡¯t the same as I had experienced when I fought the Gun Queen.


    Time seemed to be moving slower.


    Rather than at a quarter speed, it felt as though time had slowed five-fold.


    And there was something else that was different.


    For a brief moment, my body had moved in harmony with my overclocked mind. As a consequence, my left leg must have blurred in real time as I kicked the gun upwards.


    It was this unexpected acceleration that saved me from injury.


    That said, pain lanced through my left foot, and to my consternation, the agony faded slowly while my consciousness was overclocked.


    But I didn¡¯t have time to dwell on the pain.


    I had avoided the first shot, but I wasn¡¯t ¡®out-of-the-woods¡¯ yet.


    Despite the heavy blow I¡¯d dealt his hand, the bastard still held onto the gun.


    I was surprised by that.


    Considering that I hadn¡¯t held back, I expected his wrist to have broken when I landed the upward kick.


    No matter. If I hadn¡¯t disarmed him then, I was committed to disarming him with my next kick, or the next one, otherwise I ran the risk of taking a bullet from his gun.


    And equally as I was intent of relieving him of his weapon, I sensed he was intent upon shooting me.


    Behind these concerns was another and it bothered me as much as it puzzled me.


    My body was performing actions ingrained upon it.


    It was adhering to techniques that had been honed through countless hours of training, and yet I no conscious memories of ever having performed physical training of the kind that would turn my legs into lethal weapons. It reminded me of Mirai¡¯s skillful operation of firearms as though she¡¯d been using them for years. However, operating weapons wasn¡¯t the same as executing precise martial actions.


    So why was I able to do so?


    With my left foot back on the ground, I pivoted on it as I swung my right foot around in a fast arc.


    I had to kick high because his right arm had yet to come down.


    Fortunately, I was wearing a skirt that fluttered upwards and didn¡¯t impede my movements.


    Unfortunately, said skirt was short and held nothing back as my slender, toned leg scythed through the air.


    With time moving slowly for me, I had plenty of time to observe his reaction.


    As expected, his attention focused on the racy black panties I was wearing.


    His eyebrows shot up in slow motion as his eyes widened.


    Damn that Tabitha!


    I imagined his memory taking rapid snaps of the vista between my legs even while the side of my foot succeeded in knocking his arm wide.


    If this is going to be norm, I¡¯m going to start wearing shorts under my skirt!


    Using the kick¡¯s momentum, I continued turning my body, pivoting on my right foot as soon as it touched ground, and lashing out with my left leg.


    Again, I gave him a view to remember and write home about as my skirt billowed upwards.


    Tomorrow¡ªno, today¡ªI¡¯m wearing shorts!


    The kick I delivered planted my left foot into the young man¡¯s belly, and the impact knocked him back several feet into the flank of the black SUV parked behind him.


    But like Newton said, for every reaction there¡¯s an equal and opposite reaction, and I felt as though I¡¯d kicked a wall as I rebounded away from the young man.


    I had to spin my body in order to regain my balance, and quickly dropped into an offensive stance, determined to charge into him while he was still addled.


    But as I leapt forward, I noticed something strange about the aura surrounding his body ¨C it wasn¡¯t complete.


    What the Hell is he?


    I avoided crashing into him as I grabbed onto his arms, preventing him from aiming the gun at me, but I immediately felt something was wrong and panic began to gnaw at my consciousness.


    Gods damn it¡ªwhy is he so strong?


    Tabitha had said I was six or seven times stronger than a girl my size. But it was taking every ounce of that strength to compensate for the difference in mass between us as I pinned him against the dented side of the black suburban.


    Wait a minute¡ªthe car is dented?


    His eyes met mine as they were widening in surprise and confusion, and through the lifeforce radiating from them I could tell they were real.


    ¡°What are you?¡± I hissed through clenched teeth, my breath coming in short and fast due to the effort I was exerting as I pressed him into the suburban.


    And yet he was breathing easily as though he was standing leisurely with his back against the vehicle.


    I sucked in air, then cried out, ¡°Answer me¡ª¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Distracted by the aura I was seeing, I didn¡¯t notice him bring up a leg until I was winded by his knee burying itself into my gut.


    Doubled over, I tightened my stomach muscles, and refused to let go of his arms.


    But when I sensed his knee come up again for a second strike, I straightened hastily and then darted back by kicking off against the side of the suburban.


    I avoided his effort to hit me, but I released his arms in the process.


    However, I had one more desperate move up my sleeve.


    As I retreated from him, I grabbed his gun and twisted it harshly with all the grip strength my left hand could muster.


    Since he wasn¡¯t going to let it go, then the least I could do was render it inoperable.


    It wasn¡¯t my first time wrecking a handgun.


    I had twisted and bent Straus¡¯s firearm back on the landing platform, although on that occasion I¡¯d had the luxury of time on my side.


    That wasn¡¯t the case now.


    I¡¯d have a second at best during which to break my opponent¡¯s handgun.


    But I was determined to wreck the weapon so I gave the gun a vicious twist as I leapt backwards.


    I landed around ten or eleven feet away from him. With a glance, I took stock of the situation around me.


    The security personnel had drawn their sidearms and were aiming them at me. In response, Straus had yanked Erina out of harm¡¯s way, and retreated out of the line of fire. Now he was shielding her behind his body.


    I could understand him wanting to protect her from stray gunfire, but it needled my ego.


    Hey¡ªshouldn¡¯t you be protecting me? I¡¯m you¡¯re hope, aren¡¯t I?


    Movement caught my attention, dragging my focus back onto the young man I¡¯d grappled with.


    I was already on edge, but felt even more uneasy at sight of him slightly buried into the side of the large black suburban.


    He¡¯s alive but he¡¯s not human either.


    I frowned at another possibility as I considered his incomplete aura.


    Wait a minute¡ªcould he be human after all?


    He gave the mangled gun in his hand a sour look. ¡°Damn, I really liked that gun.¡±


    Tossing it down onto the grass, he then pushed himself free of the vehicle¡¯s warped door.


    ¡°Damn, you kick hard,¡± he muttered.


    Once free of the suburban, he raised his hands at the surrounding security personnel.


    ¡°Stand down,¡± he called out. ¡°I said, stand down. No harm done. Everybody relax.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell if the order included me, but I had no intention of dropping my guard, and I assumed a slightly crouched defensive stance.


    Most of my attention remained focused on him, though I could see the security agents in my peripheral vision continue to aim their sidearms at me in defiance of his order.


    The young man had sounded faintly amused before, but now impatience darkened his tone. ¡°I said, stand down. That¡¯s an order. If I have to repeat myself, I¡¯m going to be mad.¡±


    Shifting my gaze slightly to the left and right, I watched the dark suited men and women slowly, reluctantly holster their weapons.


    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± he remarked with a thin smile of approval that quickly grew cruel. ¡°But I¡¯m going to have you running fifty laps around the compound when we get back. Disobey me again and I¡¯ll make it a hundred.¡±


    As he took a long stride away from the side of the suburban, I now clearly saw the depression his body had made into the doors and B-pillar.


    ¡°What are you?¡± I loudly asked him, falling well short of a yell.


    The young man frowned curiously at me for a second or two but didn¡¯t answer.


    I swallowed quickly and pressed on. ¡°I know you¡¯re not a Simulacrum. And you¡¯re not a mechanical either. But you¡¯re not human. So what the Hell are you?¡±


    He cocked his head at me. ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°Other than the fact that you¡¯re stronger than me, kicking you is like kicking a wall, and you left your body imprinted on that car.¡±


    ¡°You do have a point or two¡­.¡± He broke into a thin smile. ¡°You¡¯re remarkable.¡±


    ¡°Aw, you¡¯re making me blush,¡± I snarked sarcastically but not knowing what he was meant not knowing the extent of his abilities. That made me nervous and it sapped my sarcasm.


    He dropped his smile. ¡°But is it enough for you to survive?¡±


    A frown flickered across my brow. Had I been asked something like that before?


    ¡°Are you talking about the Gun Princess Royale?¡± I asked him.


    He answered me with a nod.


    Unwilling to drop my guarded stance, I tried to hide my nervousness behind a casual shoulder shrug. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll find out sooner or later.¡±


    He nodded again, then glanced down at the gun lying on the grass. ¡°That was a gift.¡±


    ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t have pulled it on me.¡±


    He fiddled with his loose tie as he regarded the weapon for a moment longer. ¡°I must say, your speed surprised me. For a second, I couldn¡¯t see you move.¡±


    So I had blurred in his vision. By why was he telling me that? Wasn¡¯t it better to keep it a secret?


    He stopped fiddling with his tie and directed a thoughtful gave at me. ¡°You certainly exceeded my expectations.¡±


    His expectations?


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked bluntly, intending to force the dialogue in my favor.


    But he ignored my attempt to divert the conversation. ¡°It looks like all the work they put into you paid off.¡±


    Damn him, I muttered inwardly, but found myself quickly asking, ¡°What work?¡±


    ¡°The training they imprinted into your body. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be proud of how you turned out.¡±


    My stance wavered.


    She? And was he referring to my knowledge of guns or the martial prowess I¡¯d demonstrated less than a minute ago.


    I swallowed quickly.


    Or was it both?


    Taking a short breath, I reminded him, ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question. What are you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯ll save that for another time. But shouldn¡¯t you instead be asking who I am?¡±


    ¡°I did ask you! Weren¡¯t you paying attention?¡±


    He blinked and glanced away as though spooling back his memory. ¡°Did you?¡±


    Frustration took a bite out of my anxious feelings. ¡°Frankly, I don¡¯t care who you are. You¡¯re with the Sanreals. Enough said!¡± I clenched my hands into fists. ¡°And you pulled a gun on me. Nice way to make a good impression, asshole.¡±


    He snorted curtly as he looked away and ran the fingers of his right hand through his sandy blonde hair. ¡°And here I was thinking brats these days have manners¡ª¡±


    A poppy tune started to play from somewhere in his jacket.


    It was the kind of music I was accustomed to hearing vapid looking female starlets sing on variety shows.


    But then I recognized the song and a grimace worked its way up from my gut onto my face.


    ¡°Great¡ªanother frekking Ami Amero fan,¡± I remarked sourly.


    ¡°Hey!¡± The young man pointed a finger sharply at me. ¡°Watch yourself there.¡±


    My grimace contorted my face another notch as my voice dropped to a hiss. ¡°¡­what did you say¡­?¡±


    Jabbing the air in my direction, he proceeded to lecture me. ¡°For your information, brat. Her name is Ami Amuro. Pronounced, Ah Moo Roh.¡± He clenched his fingers into a fist. ¡°Do not dare to disrespect her or I¡¯ll spank you over my knee.¡±


    I straightened from my defensive posture, then made a show of cracking my knuckles ¨C although they made no sound ¨C as I worked up my most Hellish grin onto my face. ¡°Oh yeah? Just try it, you asshole. Next time I kick you, I¡¯m putting you through that car.¡±


    He held up hand as if to stop me. ¡°Just a moment. I need to take this call.¡± Then he calmly placed the flat device up against his left ear. ¡°Arnval here. What is it?¡±


    No matter how much I tried, my knuckles just wouldn¡¯t crack.


    Damn it. Another weird quirk of Mirai¡¯s body. I blinked quickly. Wait a moment¡ªso his name is Arnval. Weird name for a weirdo.


    ¡°Oh, really,¡± Arnval mused lightly as he listened to whomever was on the other end of the phone line. ¡°And they¡¯re coming here? Well, can¡¯t you do something about them? I don¡¯t know. Shoot their tires. Well then you think of something. I can¡¯t think do all the thinking around here. That¡¯s why you¡¯re my right-hand woman. Damn it. It¡¯s just one problem after another.¡±


    He lowered the phone away from his ear and ended the call with a thumb tap to its screen.


    Then he faced me with an amused smile.


    ¡°Change of plans, Princess. We need to get you out of here pronto.¡±


    I stopped trying to crack my knuckles and shook my hands in a drying motion. ¡°Did you just call me Princess?¡±


    Arnval hurried toward me. ¡°If you¡¯ll step this way, please.¡±


    He walked past me, and then beckoned me to follow him with a wave.


    I stared at him in disbelief.


    What is wrong with this guy?


    Arnval noticed I wasn¡¯t following him. ¡°Would you prefer to stay and be questioned by the authorities?¡± he asked nonchalantly.


    At that moment, Ghost materialized before me, startling me back a step.


    ¡°Princess, I suggest you do as he says.¡±


    ¡°Why the Hell should I?¡± I gasped while recovering from my fright.


    ¡°Because they may ask questions of you that you may not be able to answer.¡± Ghost replied with his customary calm, though I may have sensed an undercurrent of trepidation in his voice.


    But there was no mistaking the apprehension Erina was expressing as she ran up to me and anxiously implored me, ¡°For now, please. Would you just do as he says?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± I asked, looking first at Ghost before pointing at Arnval. ¡°You mean him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, him. Who else do you think I¡¯m talking about?¡± Erina swiftly grabbed both my arms and shook me ¨C well, as much as was within her means. ¡°Isabel, Ronin, Mirai ¨C for the love of the gods. Please, just do what you¡¯re told¡ªeven if it¡¯s just this once.¡±


    I shook off her grip on my arms. ¡°Okay¡ªokay. Fine. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Then I frowned sharply. ¡°Do what exactly?¡±


    ¡°Do this!¡± she declared, and to my surprise, Erina grabbed me by my right hand and then pulled me along behind her.


    I could have stopped her. Her strength compared feebly to mine so I could have held my ground with ease, but her anxiousness eroded my stubbornness.


    Fine. Just this once. Just this once! You hear me, Erina?


    Towed behind her, it took me a moment or two to realize we were walking back toward the parkland and in the direction of the harbor to the east.


    Sheesh, what the Hell is going on? Go where? There¡¯s nothing but water in that direction.


    ¡°Erina, what¡¯s the big deal?¡±


    ¡°Dealing with the authorities is the big deal,¡± she replied hastily.


    ¡°Well then somebody should have told him not to pull a gun on me.¡±


    ¡°For once we are in perfect agreement!¡± She scowled at me over her left shoulder. ¡°But it would have helped if you¡¯d stayed where I told you to stay.¡±


    ¡°It would have helped if you¡¯d told me he was a weirdo!¡±


    Erina clenched her jaw and glared at me before swiftly turning away. ¡°You¡¯re right. I should have told you he was missing a few million brain cells¡­among other things.¡±


    We continued walking back to the picnic benches when Arnval abruptly raised a hand, urging us to stop.


    ¡°Ladies, if you would be so kind as to wait right there.¡±


    Erina and I both stopped a single step later.


    I looked around us and noticed the security personnel had chosen to remain by the parked vehicles. However, Straus had followed us and now stood a few feet off to my left.


    I threw him a puzzled look. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Straus wore an oddly constipated expression that grew worse by the moment as he peered at our surroundings. ¡°I have a bad feeling about this.¡±


    ¡°A bad feeling about what?¡±


    Being surrounded by nervous, harried people who were telling me diddly squat was doing little to alleviate my anxious feelings and my confused state of mind.


    Arnval¡¯s strange antics weren¡¯t helping, either.


    He was pacing back and forth a short distance before us while waving his phone through the air like someone searching for signal reception.


    ¡°Blasted app. What is wrong with this thing?¡± he muttered loudly, before repeatedly slapping the side of his phone.


    The more I watched him, the more I unhinged I became. Eventually, my emotions exploded. ¡°What the Hell are you doing?¡±


    And once again he completely ignored me.


    ¡°Ah! There it is.¡± Arnval proudly held the phone aloft. ¡°And now¡ªGeronimo!¡±


    Wearing a happy grin on his face, Arnval tapped the phone¡¯s display with his thumb.


    Erina inhaled sharply and squeezed her eyes shut.


    Straus gasped and stood rigid.


    However, I cocked my head at Arnval and asked, ¡°What the Hell does Geronimo mean?¡±


    ¡°It means, grab your ass and tuck your head between your legs. We¡¯re Trans-Locating!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I swept my free hand in a half circle. ¡°Out here? With all these people looking? Are you crazy?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, you silly brat.¡± From a suit trouser pocket, Arnval retrieved something that resembled a small peach. ¡°That¡¯s what this is for.¡±


    My eyes widened as Arnval pitched the small peach into the ground between him and me.


    ¡°Kaboom!¡± he intoned with a laugh.


    The peach exploded with a kaboom of its own, expelling a thick black, acrid smoke that rapidly billowed into the air and covered everything in sight.


    I squeezed my eyes shut but felt them water when I opened them. Concurrently, my throat began to itch unpleasantly.


    Beside me, Erina collapsed to her knees, gagging for air.


    I crouched alongside her, but there was nothing I could do for her.


    If not for Mirai¡¯s Ultra-Grade specs I may have found myself as incapacitated as Erina was.


    Even Straus, who happened to be a mechanical avatar, was waving a hand about in the thick black cloud as though he was trying to ward it away.


    ¡°What the Hell is this?¡± I choked after swallowing a mouthful of the awful, pungent black gas.


    Arnval replied between coughs. ¡°A smoke bomb.¡±


    ¡°Really? I thought it was chemical warfare.¡±


    He coughed some more. ¡°It¡¯s my own design.¡±


    ¡°What did you use? An expired chemistry kit?¡±


    Beside me, Erina was wheezing sickly as she struggled to breathe. She was using her blouse as a makeshift filter but it was having little to no effect.


    I realized I had an urgent choice to make ¨C one that went against my recent grain ¨C but it was still a choice I had to make. ¡°That¡¯s it! I¡¯m getting us out of here.¡±


    Suddenly, a sharp tone sounded out from Arnval¡¯s direction.


    ¡°What now?¡± I snapped at him, barely discernible in the thick black cloud.


    ¡°Finally,¡± he declared with evident relief before breaking into another coughing fit. ¡°G¡ªGeronimo!¡±


    ¡°You said that before¡ªuggh!¡±


    A familiar, disagreeable, and unwelcome sensation swept over me.


    It was a combination of disorienting weightlessness that threatened to upend my stomach as darkness completely enveloped us.


    Then it transmuted into the impression that I was perpetually falling into an all-encompassing abyss.


    We probably endured the nauseating experience for only a handful of seconds, but it felt like it lasted a lot longer.


    A moment later bright sunlight blinded me, as though someone had tossed the curtains wide open and ripped the shroud of darkness apart.


    Reflexively I squeezed my eyes shut.


    And then I noticed something was wrong.


    The Trans-Location process had ended but my body continued to experience a sense of freefall. In conjunction with the roaring wind plastering my clothes to my body, there was no denying something was seriously amiss.


    What the Hell is going on?


    With a mounting sense of urgency, I pried my eyes open and struggled to look around me.


    The sight of Erina, Arnval, and Straus swimming helplessly in the air had my heart skipping beats.


    When I looked below me, I almost wished I¡¯d kept my eyes shut.


    A palatial luxury villa surrounded by acres of lush, verdant garden was rushing up to meet us.


    Or rather, we were falling toward it.


    To be specific, we were headed for a watery landing in an immense swimming pool easily mistaken for a lagoon.


    In freefall beside me, Erina screamed at the top of her lungs.


    ¡°Arnval you¡ª!¡±


    Then all of four us splashed down into the cold, crystal blue waters of the pool.

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 7 (Part I & II)

    Chapter 7.


    ¨C I ¨C


    It was a hard landing into the pool.


    At the last second, I was able to right my body and plunge into the water feet first.


    The impact was severe, and for a moment I thought I¡¯d blacked out, but a combination of the cold water and my feet striking the bottom of the pool snapped my consciousness awake.


    That surprised me¡­and concerned me.


    Why, you may ask?


    Because when I kicked off the bottom of the pool, and then broke through the surface of the water a couple of seconds later, I immediately looked around for my companions¡­and one of them was missing.


    Straus and Arnval were treading water, the latter appearing somewhat disoriented from the splashdown.


    But as I¡¯d suspected ¨C maybe even feared a little ¨C there was no sign of Erina.


    Treading water myself, I swept my gaze around me in a full circle once more, before inhaling deeply and diving underwater.


    Erina!


    I despised her.


    I hated her for what she¡¯d done to me.


    I¡¯d claimed to have cut my ties with her, no longer thinking of her as my sister.


    And yet I found myself searching the depths of the pool for her.


    Again, why? Perhaps because this wasn¡¯t how I wanted her to meet her maker.


    She wasn¡¯t going to escape my retribution this easily.


    And I wasn¡¯t alone in my efforts to find her, though our reasons for doing so may have been disparate.


    Straus had dived along with me, and I was briefly amazed to see the mechanical avatar swimming as easily as an in-form teenage boy.


    He ¨C I mean she ¨C had probably realized the same thing I had: that Erina was human and thus the weakest of us. Hence, the impact from the water landing had undoubtedly knocked her unconscious. At worst, it may have killed her.


    I chose to swim in one direction, and Straus went the other.


    We had three things working in our favor.


    The first was that the pool was shallow, no more than ten feet deep.


    The second was the clear nature of the water. It was so clear that I could see for dozens of meters all around me.


    The third was that the pool was illuminated, making it even easier to see into the distance.


    Because of all this, I was able to quickly locate my former sister¡­floating unconscious at the bottom of the pool.


    Erina!


    No, this wasn¡¯t how I wanted to see her die.


    She had much to atone for before I would allow her to kick the bucket.


    Swimming up to her, I reached out and shook her brusquely, but she failed to respond.


    I felt my heart thump loudly, before quickly wrapping an arm around her waist, then kicking hard back to the surface of the pool, breaking into the air a second or two later.


    By then Straus had swum over to me, and lent me his support.


    With Erina between us, we swam for the nearest edge of the pool.


    First hauling ourselves then Erina out of the water, we carefully yet quickly carried her to a soft grassy bank a meter or so beyond the stone tiles bordering the pool.


    Laying her down supine, I felt for Erina¡¯s pulse by pressing my fingertips to her neck¡­and found none.


    ¡°Frek!¡± I cursed loudly, then realized I had no idea what to do.


    I had never trained to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation.


    In a panic, I looked up at Straus kneeling beside Erina. ¡°I don¡¯t know CPR!¡±


    Ghost materialized in a corner of my vision. ¡°Princess, I can advise you of the proper procedure.¡±


    Before I could decide whether to accept Ghost¡¯s offer, Straus pushed me away from Erina and quickly straddled her body. ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re a mechanical¡ª¡±


    ¡°This body is fully equipped,¡± he replied less than calmly.


    ¡°What? You have lungs?¡±


    ¡°How else would I pass myself off as human?¡±


    He quickly unbuttoned Erina¡¯s blouse, exposing her chest and belly.


    From somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind, I remembered an ancient superstition that said your spirit wore the clothes you died in.


    At sight of the expensive looking bra cupping Erina¡¯s breasts, I sarcastically thought, Well if you have to go, at least go in style.


    Then I recognized it as a push-up bra, and despite the gravity of the situation, I sniggered inwardly.


    Ah, so that¡¯s how you¡¯re making mountains out of molehills.


    Abruptly I felt a sharp pang of guilt, and shook my head brusquely.


    No, no, no! What the Hell am I thinking at a time like this!


    Straus misread my body language. ¡°Relax¡ªI know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    While I¡¯d been preoccupied scoffing at Erina for wearing a push-up bra, Straus had tipped back Erina¡¯s head, then opened her mouth and buried his fingers into it.


    ¡°I have a lot more than just lungs¡­,¡± he muttered solemnly.


    For a heartbeat, I remembered questioning him if he was anatomically correct, and the memory made me blush.


    Wait¡ªwhy the Hell am I blushing? This is no time to be blushing!


    Kicking the thought aside, I focused my attention on Straus with his fingers deep in Erina¡¯s mouth.


    I frowned deeply.


    Shouldn¡¯t she be reflexively gagging?


    My frown grew deeper.


    Is it because her heart has stopped? Is that why she¡¯s not responding?


    An unpleasant cold crept through me, and it had nothing to do with me being soaked to the skin. Rather, it was a slowly dawning reality that Erina may very well be dead.


    No, no, no! Think positive! She can¡¯t kick the bucket like this. Not like this!


    I realized I was clenching my hands into fists.


    Okay. Maybe she¡¯s not clinically dead yet! But how long can she stay like this before she suffers serious brain damage?


    Straus muttered while concentrating his attention on the fingers in her mouth. ¡°Her airway seems clear.¡±


    I heard a young man¡¯s voice, and recognized it belonged to Arnval. Looking up quickly, I saw him standing in his wet clothes, peering down at Erina while talking to someone through his phone.


    ¡°Indeed. She¡¯s unresponsive. I do suggest you hurry, Kyoko-chan. The situation is dire. Another three minutes and she may suffer serious neurological damage. Yes, yes, I know it can be repaired but that will take time, and we can¡¯t afford the complications.¡±


    My face broke into a deep frown.


    Brain damage can be fixed? What the Hell kind of technology do they have? But if he¡¯s talking about complications does that mean it¡¯s not perfect?


    I looked down at Erina.


    Will this affect her status as an Alpha?


    I watched Straus breathe air into Erina¡¯s open mouth, then place his hands low over her sternum, and begin the chest compressions.


    On impulse I asked, ¡°Can I help?¡±


    Straus shook his head quickly. ¡°No. I can blow clean air into her lungs.¡±


    ¡°Clean air?¡±


    ¡°Average oxygen content in the air is twenty-one percent.¡±


    He compressed her chest some thirty times, then leaned forward to breathe twice into Erina¡¯s open mouth.


    When he pulled back to resume the compressions, he said, ¡°Humans consume about five percent of that when they breathe. That leaves about sixteen percent left over when we exhale.¡±


    I nodded absently though I was following his explanation.


    Straus continued while performing the compression. ¡°But I don¡¯t consume more than two percent oxygen, so that means I can breathe cleaner air into her than you can.¡± Without stopping, he glanced up at me. ¡°Actually, I wonder how much oxygen you consume¡­?¡±


    I leaned toward him and pointed at his hands on Erina¡¯s sternum. ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t I be doing the compressions while you breathe into her?¡±


    He stopped for a second and stared at me blankly before abruptly nodding hastily. ¡°Good idea. You compress, I breathe into her. But we need to establish a rhythm.¡±


    We changed positions with me straddling Erina¡¯s legs, and Straus kneeling beside her head.


    I placed my hands on Erina¡¯s sternum where I¡¯d seen Straus place his.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push too hard,¡± he warned me sharply. ¡°With your strength you¡¯ll crush her chest and rupture her organs¡ª¡±


    ¡°O¡ªokay. I get it. I get it.¡± I grit my teeth together. Yeah, no pressure. No pressure at all!


    Straus began to act as a breathing apparatus, while I carefully compressed Erina¡¯s chest at regular intervals.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    I would count a second, then push down on her chest, then count another second, and repeat the compression.


    Straus timed his breathing with my actions.


    I don¡¯t know for how long we did this. It could have been only a minute, but it felt like an eternity.


    When I felt my rhythm begin to falter, Ghost began counting for me with a precision I lacked.


    Then Straus surprised me.


    He lifted his head away from Erina¡¯s, and then sharply punched her chest.


    He punched it again, and I felt the blow work its way through Erina¡¯s skeleton.


    When he punched it a third time, I was certain I felt her breastbone crack.


    ¡°What the frek are doing?¡± I yelled at him.


    ¡°Shocking her heart,¡± he answered. ¡°Come on, Eri! Don¡¯t frekking give up on me now!¡±


    He punched her chest a fourth time, and again I was certain I felt her sternum fracture.


    ¡°You¡¯re killing her!¡± I snapped at him.


    But Straus ignored me as he yelled, ¡°Erina!¡±


    And then it happened ¨C I felt something go ¡®thump¡¯ inside her chest, and a moment later Erina convulsed.


    Water spouted out of her gaping mouth a handful of times, as she coughed violently.


    With my hands on her chest I could feel her heart beating irregularly, but it was beating, and after regurgitating the pool water, Erina was gasping for air on her own.


    The sickly wheezing coming from her throat reminded me she was still in trouble, but I felt the worst had passed.


    The sound of running footsteps grabbed my attention, and I looked up to see a trio of young women wearing maid caf¨¦ outfits and carrying silver metal cases with them.


    ¡°Excuse us, please,¡± said a young woman with short chestnut hair, wearing a cat ears headband. She crouched beside Erina and a waved a medical wand over my former sister¡¯s body while holding a data slate in her other hand. After a few seconds studying the results displayed on the slate, she spoke quickly to one of the other girls. ¡°Tamara, the breather please.¡±


    Another maid, this one wearing fox ears over her short auburn hair, knelt beside Erina¡¯s head and quickly strapped a breathing apparatus over her mouth. The device was connected via a ribbed hose to a black box with gills that opened and closed like those of a shark.


    The maid with the wand then addressed the third maid, a buxom blond girl wearing bunny ears, who was busy laying out something on the ground nearby.


    ¡°Penelope, the stretcher please.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    The blonde maid finished attaching a couple of black rectangular boxes to the stretcher. The device shook to life and abruptly launched into the air.


    ¡°Stretcher ready, ma¡¯am,¡± the girl reported with a sharp salute that made her bunny ears ¨C and voluptuous chest ¨C bounce.


    However, the stretcher had other ideas and suddenly rocketed off from a standing start.


    ¡°Whaaaat?¡± The blonde bunny eared maid let out a cry of disbelief, shot to her feet, and chased after the levitating stretcher. ¡°Come baaaaaack heeeeere!¡±


    Have you ever filled up a balloon with air, and then let it go? The balloon will jet around erratically, making it hard to follow.


    The bunny maid was experiencing the same situation, running all over the place as she pursued the errant stretcher.


    Standing nearby, Arnval regarded the fruitless efforts of the bunny girl as he addressed the maid with cat ears.


    ¡°Kyoko-chan, you do have a plan-B, right?¡±


    The maid in question finished waving the wand over Erina¡¯s supine body, and nodded calmly. ¡°I do indeed.¡±


    She placed the wand back into the black medical pouch hanging off her skirt, then stood up.


    However, she turned her back to Erina and then smoothly squatted on the ground.


    ¡°I shall carry her on my back,¡± she announced.


    Arnval nodded thoughtfully, his eyes tracking the progress of the stretcher and the hapless bunny maid trying to catch it. ¡°I have a better idea,¡± he declared.


    From the wet innards of his trench coat ¨C yes, he was still wearing the damn trench coat ¨C Arnval pulled out a gun.


    My eyes widened at sight of the firearm.


    That bastard had a second gun!


    With a fluid motion, Arnval aimed at the stretcher and fired twice in rapid succession.


    Sparks flew from the stretcher and the device crash landed on the ground a dozen odd meters away from us, and quickly skidded to a stop.


    ¡°That¡¯s plan-C,¡± Arnval calmly stated as he returned the gun to the confines of his trench coat.


    Straus pushed himself up to his feet, and ran over to the fallen stretcher, ignoring the bunny maid who¡¯d collapsed to her knees beside it.


    ¡°Oh, thank the gods,¡± she gasped as she struggled to catch her breath.


    With the stretcher under an arm, Straus hurried back to Erina.


    I scooted back to give him room, then helped him load the unconscious woman onto the powerless stretcher.


    Straus positioned himself at the front of the stretcher, while I took up the rear, and the cat maid picked up the rebreather apparatus.


    ¡°On the count of three,¡± Straus called out. ¡°One, two, three.¡±


    Together we hefted the stretcher up off the ground, careful not to drop Erina in the process.


    For her part, the cat maid carried the rebreather in her hands.


    ¡°Which way?¡± I asked her in a hurry.


    Before the young woman could reply, Arnval strode briskly past us. ¡°Follow me, ladies.¡±


    He led us away from the pool onto a wide path made of paving stones that gently wound its way through the well maintained garden in the direction of the palatial two storey house in the distance.


    The fox maid, Tamara, ran ahead of us into the house, undoubtedly to prepare the way for us.


    However, the bunny maid dragged her feet as she trudged in our wake and quickly fell behind though I was able to hear her mutter in a pitiful tone, ¡°Why¡­why does it always happen to me¡­?¡±


    ¨C II ¨C


    I grimaced in discomfort as I followed the path up to the steps leading into the house.


    I was cold, wet, and my soaked uniform clung tightly to my skin.


    However, because it was nearly black in nature, it didn¡¯t turn translucent when wet.


    As a result, my underwear was safe from perving eyes.


    Also, I was wearing the black panties and bra that Tabitha had chosen for me, so when combined with my dark uniform there was little chance of them being exposed.


    I offered a silent prayer of gratitude to whomever had decided that Telos Academy¡¯s uniform for boys and girls had to be dark, for there were many other schools within Ar Telica that had light colored uniforms, including white. That said, significant advances in material and fabric technology over the decades had revolutionized school uniforms such that young girls wearing angelic and virginal white dresses, skirts, and blouses no longer feared being caught in a sudden downpour without an umbrella.


    Naturally, those advances had been applied to Telos Academy¡¯s uniform, so I had even less to fear. But while the uniform was designed to protect my modesty, it wasn¡¯t designed to be waterproof.


    After all, if it was waterproof, how could it be washed?


    Actually, let¡¯s not get it into that.


    What I will say is that it was distinctly unpleasant to walk in soaked clothing.


    My breasts felt uncomfortable in the wet bra, as did my butt clad in sodden panties.


    But what really bothered me was the wet squelching of my feet in my water-logged shoes, so much so that I had to stop and kick them off. Luckily, Straus didn¡¯t complain when I asked him to give me a few seconds to do so. And luckily, I had the bunny maid to help me remove my shoes and socks. I thanked her courteously, before resuming our rapid walk to the immense two-storey house.


    The path branched in two directions, one that continued to circle around the lagoon pool, the other leading toward the white house with red-tiled roofing.


    Naturally, Arnval chose to walk toward the latter.


    I looked down at Erina as we approached a wide flight of steps leading up to a set of broad, double doors.


    ¡°How is she?¡± I asked the maid.


    ¡°Her vitals looked strong,¡± the young woman replied. ¡°However, we¡¯ll know more when we place her inside a med-capsule.¡±


    I had more questions, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to ask them because they felt redundant, superfluous until Erina could be given proper medical care.


    But to me, a lay man ¨C or woman ¨C with only cursory medical knowledge, the fact that Erina had failed to regain consciousness was concerning.


    Again, I questioned why I cared or worried over her, and reluctantly acknowledged that some bonds were a little harder to cut than others.


    It was going to take me some time to divest myself of any lingering ties to Erina, and truthfully, I wasn¡¯t sure if I could completely cut myself free of her.


    Arriving at the foot of the wide steps leading up to the broad entrance, I gazed up at the large house looming before us, then carefully climbed the steps, mindful of the need to keep the stretcher with Erina as level as possible between Straus and I.


    At the landing before the double doors, I paused to give the exterior of the abode a good look, and despite the nature of our arrival, Erina¡¯s injuries, and the fact that I¡¯d been effectively kidnapped, I found myself wondering what I would find within rather than of whom I would meet.


    While in freefall toward the lagoon sized pool, I¡¯d noticed that the house was built in the shape of a square ¨C a quadrangle ¨C with an immense garden in the middle.


    The side before us must have been around a hundred meters long.


    Balconies with repeated archways ran the length of what I could see of the first and second floors. The windows on both levels were wide, tall, with semi-circular fanlights, and there were glass double doors leading out onto the balconies at regular intervals, each probably belonging to a separate room or suite.


    The more I looked at the house, the more it reminded me of the houses I had seen in historical documentaries of ancient Earth. To that end, I would describe the building as the blending of a Spanish and Roman villa.


    A sour thought crossed my mind as I realized those memories belonged to Ronin Kassius. But since I had accepted my role as the keeper of those memories, I pushed the bitterness aside.


    Little by little, I¡¯ll make memories of my own.


    Truthfully, I was already doing so. Unfortunately, few if any of those memories were pleasant or worth keeping.


    With a heavy sigh, I directed my gaze onto the closed doors.


    Unexpectedly, the lyrics of a song swum up from the murky depths of my memories.


    ¡°Welcome to the Hotel California,¡± I sang softly. ¡°Such a lovely place¡­such a lovely face¡­.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Arnval half spun around to face me, and now stared at me with poorly veiled surprise, and when I glanced at him, I noticed the disquiet in his eyes.


    ¡°Where did you hear that?¡± he asked me in a serious tone.


    I shrugged a shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just remembered it now.¡±


    Arnval¡¯s disquiet darkened and he started to say something but he was interrupted by a loud bang as the double doors to the house abruptly burst open.


    The maid, Tamara, reappeared in the company of a half dozen other girls, each of them wearing a maid uniform and different animal ears, though one girl was wearing reindeer antlers.


    What kind of weird fetish does Phelan Sanreal have? I wondered uneasily.


    Quickly, the maids surrounded us.


    Since I was still in Mirai Mode, I decided to concentrate my awareness on the young maid and suddenly her aura came into view. Then I quickly surveyed the maids encircling us.


    Simulacra. All of them. Why am I not that surprised?


    Considering the goings on around the Sanreals, perhaps it was best to have staff you could trust¡­and dispose of.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take it from here,¡± the cat maid, Kyoko, declared in a respectful and patient tone.


    ¡°Where exactly is here?¡± I asked, keeping my tone civil since this young woman had yet to earn my ire.


    ¡°The Sanreal Estate,¡± she replied smoothly. She indicated the entrance to the house. ¡°Please, we mustn¡¯t delay.¡±


    Straus had half turned to look at me. ¡°Mirai¡­?¡±


    I gave the unconscious Erina an ambivalent look that reflected my mixed feelings. ¡°Fine. Whatever¡­.¡±


    Damn it. Why was I reluctant to hand her over? Why should I feel this way? Did I fear for her safety?


    I ground my molars together for a moment.


    Why do I goddamn care?


    The maids moved in and took the stretcher from Straus and I, and we then retreated a couple of feet to give them room to maneuver through the wide, open doorway.


    I shook my head inwardly as I watched them disappear into the house.


    Deal with it later, I told myself then listened to Kyoko address us as a group.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll follow Penelope and I, we¡¯ll lead you to your rooms.¡± The young woman briefly indicated the blonde maid with bunny ears who had chosen to remain behind. ¡°Dry clothes have been prepared for you.¡±


    She turned to guide the way into the house, but I crossed my arms and fixed a hard stare on Arnval who was quick notice it.


    ¡°We¡¯re not on Teloria, are we?¡± I asked him in a low, flat tone.


    ¡°And what makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°The gravity is weird here, the sky overhead looks weird, and I can¡¯t tell which way is north.¡±


    He arched an eyebrow at me. ¡°Ah, yes. Your ability to sense magnetic waves¡ª¡±


    ¡°So where are we?¡± I asked, ignoring his remark. ¡°A station, an orbital city, a ship?¡±


    Straus exhaled loudly as he watched the exchange between Arnval and I. ¡°We¡¯re actually still on Teloria. We haven¡¯t moved off world.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I pointed up at the sky. ¡°So what is that?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t noticed it until I stared up at the house, but the sky was covered by a faintly visible grid of hexagonal panes. It gave me the impression that our surroundings were under a transparent dome of some sort.


    Straus glanced upwards. ¡°A mimetic sky-field combined with an aegis-field that¡¯s protecting the estate from outside weather conditions.¡±


    Lowering my hand, I slowly frowned. ¡°What weather conditions?¡±


    Arnval laughed lightly. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s better if we showed you.¡± He gave the patiently waiting Kyoko a somewhat amused look. ¡°Well, Kyoko-chan? Shall we show the Princess what lies beyond?¡±


    The maid displayed the first sign of indecision since her entry onto this fool¡¯s stage.


    ¡°Are you certain?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°Indeed, I am,¡± he replied confidently breaking into a thin smile. ¡°I do believe her reaction will be priceless.¡±


    Kyoko studied me for a moment then politely nodded once. ¡°Very well. Please follow me.¡±


    She smoothly turned away from the house and descended the steps down to the path we¡¯d followed not long ago. At the T-junction, she stepped onto the route leading around the pool and into the surrounding gardens.


    I hesitated as I wondered why Arnval and the maid were being so dramatic, then hurried after her, with Straus and Arnval following suit.


    It took a few minutes to circle the pool and then walk through the lush, verdant garden.


    The place was beginning to remind me more and more of those palatial villas the Romans had enjoyed millennia ago.


    Exiting the gardens onto a sandy beach, the maid came to a stop.


    I halted beside her, and looked ahead at a vast ocean of green and blue stretching out to the horizon. But then I noticed the faint hexagonal grid extending down to the sand a few feet shy of where the ocean waves lapped the beach.


    ¡°It really is a dome,¡± I muttered half to myself, and half to the maid.


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± the maid concurred as she reached up and touched one of her cat ears. ¡°Grania, can you hear me? Good. Could you shut down the mimetic sky-field, please? Why? We have a guest who hasn¡¯t seen what it¡¯s like out there. Master Arnval wishes to see her reaction.¡±


    I stared sidelong at the young woman, noticing Arnval standing beside her with a smirk on his face.


    Prick, I thought at him.


    Then I quickly looked at Straus and asked in a confidential manner, ¡°Is that what those headbands are for?¡±


    Straus gave me a faintly apologetic smile. ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least they¡¯re ergonomic,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°And it¡¯s part of their charm,¡± he added.


    ¡°I guess so. I did find those maids were cute.¡±


    I was being honest with my opinion.


    The Simulacra maids had been rather pretty. Dressed in their short maid outfits and wearing cute animal ears had given them a peculiar charm ¨C though I wasn¡¯t sold on the reindeer antlers.


    Straus shook his head lightly. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean. But I¡¯ll tell you about that another time.¡± He pointed in the direction of the ocean. ¡°The sky-field is coming down.¡±


    I faced the ocean just as the grid of hexagonal panes grew dark.


    At first, I assumed I was looking at the inside of a giant storm-grey dome until I soon realized the panes had become transparent.


    In other words, it wasn¡¯t the dome that was dark but the vista that lay beyond it.


    My eyes grew wide and I had to swallow twice before I could weakly ask, ¡°¡­where the Hell are we¡­?¡±


    I heard Straus chuckle uncomfortably. ¡°Inside a Category Six hurricane.¡±


    I swallowed again¡­twice. ¡°¡­oh¡­.¡±


    Mouth agape, I stared in disbelief and terror at the incredible sight before me.


    Outside the dome raged an ocean storm of unbelievable scale and ferocity.


    Truly, one of Teloria¡¯s seven nightmarish wonders of the world.

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 7 (Part III & IV)

    Chapter 7.


    ¨C III ¨C


    For decades the creation of a Category Six classification for hurricanes was considered superfluous.


    After all, why create another level on the Saffir-Simpson scale when Category Five already guaranteed catastrophic destruction.


    Then the storms grew worse, and humanity had to build bigger, better, and stronger¡­or die at the hands of an increasingly bipolar and psychotic Mother Nature. With cities protected by newer and better technologies, near total destruction was no longer a given at Category Five, and thus Category Six was born.


    When humanity spread throughout its local arm of the Milky Way, they carried with them the knowledge they had gained in their efforts to survive on an Earth turned hostile to them.


    Amongst the many worlds people settled upon was the third planet of a thirteen-body solar system ¨C a severe, unforgiving blue, green, and red world they would name, Teloria.


    A world that made Earth look like Paradise.


    A world humanity was committed to taming because it was one of a precious few that could be terraformed to support human life.


    However, until it was fully tamed, humanity had a need to build its city-states as befitting their environment. Hence, Ar Telica had been constructed to withstand the raging ferocity of a Category Five hurricane. After all, after a century of terraforming, the planet had yet to settle into a relatively placid Earth-like climate and ecology. Atmospheric and ocean storms continued rage, and though weak compared to what Telos had once endured, by Earth¡¯s standards they were fierce and so the city-states were designed and built to weather their harshness.


    Telos Academy was no exception to this design doctrine.


    As a first line of defense, the tetrapods that surrounded Telos Island could project a layered barrier-field to diminish the force of the waves before they reached the school¡¯s buildings. They could also partially divert the intense winds so that they blew over the island.


    As a second line of defense, strong effect-fields could form a protective bubble around the school. It was one of the reasons why the main faculty building was circular, and why the gymnasium, aquatic center, and clubroom buildings were constructed with rounded corners and arched rooftops. At the prospect of being submerged under the storm¡¯s waves, the academy¡¯s Artificial Awareness could engage watertight doors and shutters to isolate the interior of the school in sections, and activate pressure doors to prevent the underground power generators, shelters, and life support systems from being inundated.


    In effect, the school could become a waterproof environment to protect the students and staff from the lethal intensity of a hurricane.


    However, Telos Academy and Ar Telica city would not survive a collision with a Category Six hurricane unscathed. In short, there would be damage, until bigger, better, and more powerful barrier-fields emitters could be designed and constructed¡­like the ones protecting the dome from harm.


    This is what I realized as I watched waves so large they would tower over Telos Academy.


    Our technology lagged behind that of the Empire¡¯s.


    In other words, they possessed barrier-fields that could shrug off a Category Six hurricane as though it was nothing more than a summer drizzle, something that humanity from my universe could not.


    But there was something else I concluded with a grim heart.


    ¡°We could have died out there.¡±


    It came out as a whisper, but it was heard by those around me.


    ¡°Erina, myself, even that asshole Arnval.¡± I nodded slowly at the storm before us. ¡°We could have died out there.¡±


    I heard a muffled cough from off to my right.


    ¡°I would appreciate you not calling me an ¡®asshole¡¯, young lady.¡±


    I turned my head and looked at the asshole standing to the right of the cat maid. ¡°It was your idea to Trans-Locate us to this location¡ªwherever this is¡ªand Erina¡¯s injuries are a direct result of that.¡± I pointed at the towering waves crashing against the dome. ¡°Regardless of what I am, I wouldn¡¯t have survived out there, and neither would you.¡±


    Arnval was quiet for a moment, before inhaling deeply. He released his breath slowly. ¡°I won¡¯t deny that.¡±


    ¡°So why do it?¡± I asked him coldly while feeling rage begin to simmer strongly within me. ¡°Why?¡±


    Are our lives not important? Don¡¯t you value your life? Could it be you would throw away your life in the service of the Sanreals? Are you such a mindless, devoted slave? Knowing the monumental risk, why would you still press that button?


    I could have shouted my thoughts, but there was no need to.


    Just by looking at him, I knew he acknowledged the unspoken questions behind that single, Why?


    But the reply came from the cat maid, Kyoko. ¡°The margin of error associated with your trans-location was deemed acceptable.¡±


    I had a vague understanding of what she meant, but I chose to play dumb. ¡°Meaning what?¡±


    ¡°The point of emergence was calculated within a radius that fell within the volume of space protected by the dome.¡±


    I smiled at her, but it came out feeling more like a snarl. ¡°Oh really? And what would have happened if we hadn¡¯t emerged above the pool?¡± I pointed to the house in the distance visible over the garden hedges. ¡°What if we¡¯d trans-located above that house over there? Does crashing into the roof factor into the margin of error?¡±


    ¡°The estate and surrounding gardens are equipped with effect-field emitters. They would have acted as a safety net and arrested your descent. You would not have been harmed, and Doctor Kassius would not have been injured.¡±


    ¡°And what about the pool?¡±


    Kyoko stiffened and hesitated for a moment before offering me a deeply apologetic bow. ¡°I regret that the effect-fields do not provide coverage over the pool.¡± She bowed even deeper. ¡°I am truly sorry.¡±


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t factor that we would pop up above the pool?¡±


    ¡°We did. However, we were unable to place portable effect-field emitters around the pool in time. Your trans-location occurred ahead of schedule.¡± She bowed to me once more. ¡°Once again, I offer you most sincere apologies.¡±


    My palms hurt.


    When I glanced down, I saw my nails digging into them as I clenched my hands into fists.


    I took a deep breath and relaxed my fingers.


    Within moments the pain vanished and undoubtedly my palms had healed.


    But the same didn¡¯t apply to the anger I felt, and it was anger I directed at Arnval. ¡°Someone saw what was happening in the park, and reported it to the authorities. How am I expected to go back to Ar Telica¡±¡ªI gasped sharply¡ª¡°or was that what you wanted?¡±


    Arnval stared at the hurricane outside the dome and offered me no reply.


    Again, it was Kyoko who intervened. ¡°Master Sanreal was displeased at the turn of events. Rest assured, Master Arnval will answer for his actions.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question.¡±


    I stepped around the cat maid and approached Arnval, but I stopped when I remembered he had a second handgun under his trench coat, possibly holstered.


    And though his hands remained shoved in his trench coat pockets, Arnval had turned slightly in my direction.


    I hid my wariness as I watched him break his silence.


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t. So what will you do?¡±


    I was taken aback by his question, and I had no quick answer for him.


    Arnval took advantage of the opening he¡¯d made for himself. ¡°Or perhaps I should ask is there anything you can do?¡±


    ¡°Are you implying that I¡¯m not going back to Ar Telica?¡±


    ¡°Whether you return to Ar Telica or not will depend on you,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Then what was the point of¡ª?¡± I stopped sharply and cast a glance at the cat maid.


    Arnval noticed and I saw him smile. ¡°No need to worry. Kyoko-chan is well aware of who you are¡­and what you are.¡± He turned back to the dark vista outside the dome. ¡°She undoubtedly knows more about you than I do¡­.¡±


    His statement motivated me to give the maid a hard look. ¡°Why does a maid know about me?¡±


    Arnval chuckled briefly. ¡°Because Kyoko-chan is Master Sanreal¡¯s personal assistant. Isn¡¯t that right, Kyoko-chan?¡±


    The corners of her eyes crinkled faintly however she didn¡¯t face him. ¡°I would appreciate it if you wouldn¡¯t refer to me so familiarly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. So you¡¯ve told me before¡­.¡±


    ¡°And you fail to remember that time and time again,¡± she retorted smoothly without a hint of ire in her voice or expression as though she¡¯d given up on holding hard feelings against him.


    I looked at them both in turn.


    Arnval stared into the surrounding darkness.


    Kyoko faced in the direction of the house.


    I felt as though time had stopped for us, or rather it had encapsulated the two of them, and made me a spectator to a moment with a hidden meaning that I glimpsed but failed to grasp.


    However, I had no problem with being an outsider.


    Instead, I had problem with being kept in the dark about matters pertaining to me, and so I bluntly crashed into their moment.


    ¡°What was the point of setting me up as Isabel val Sanreal?¡±


    Turning slightly toward me, Arnval looked at me out of the corner of his left eye. ¡°Ask Sanreal. But if you¡¯re worried about the state of affairs back in Ar Telica, don¡¯t be. It can all be smoothed over.¡±


    How? I wondered but quickly reconsidered and decided not to ask.


    The sinister implications behind Arnval¡¯s casual reply warned me that perhaps it was better not knowing how the Sanreal Family would deal with the authorities.


    However, it also left me with the question of whether or not I could return to Ar Telica.


    I felt I understood what Arnval meant when he said the answer would depend on me.


    It would depend on whether I behaved or not ¨C on whether I co-operated with the Sanreals or chose to oppose them.


    Was that really all I could do? Were there no other options open to me?


    No, there was one other option ¨C one slender branch I could reach out for.


    Tabitha.


    However, I knew little to nothing about what accepting her offer would mean for me. I could literally end up jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. I knew little about Tabitha but if she was anything like the people I¡¯d met thus far ¨C the people manipulating me to their own agendas ¨C then trusting her might be a mistake. Indeed, she¡¯d deceived me about Cardinal, so what else had she lied about?


    Then I remembered something I¡¯d overlooked.


    Tabitha had a twin sister.


    So who was it operating that remote body back at the school dormitory complex?


    ¡°Mistress. Mistress? Mistress Isabel?¡±


    I blinked rapidly, and noticed the cat maid had approached me. Reflexively, I took a half-step back, and reflexively slipped into a defensive stance.


    The cat maid froze, and I was surprised by how easily I read the question running through her mind, perhaps because it was reflected on Straus¡¯s face.


    Was I going to run away?


    Arnval, being better at concealing his emotions, merely questioned me with his eyes. Yet he wore a faint, thin, almost taunting smile that seemed to say, Go ahead and run. We can pick up where we left off.


    I suddenly had an inkling into the workings of his mind, and it made my stomach clench unpleasantly.


    Arnval wanted to fight me.


    He wasn¡¯t entirely human, and I was beginning to suspect the reason was because his body was partly mechanical, implying he was some kind of cybernetic entity. Why wasn¡¯t the question, because I didn¡¯t care for how he¡¯d become that way. Neither was it a question of whether his body was based on technology from this universe or from the Empire¡¯s, because in all honestly, I had little knowledge of what cybernetic tech was capable of accomplishing. So the real question was whether or not I could be beat him. I¡¯d felt his strength and witnessed his speed, and so I believed that a one-on-one battle with him would be a painful, bone breaking encounter.


    If I¡¯m going to face him, I¡¯d rather do it as a Gun Princess, with my guns and with my Regalia.


    Having made my choice, I dropped my defensive stance and relaxed my posture, though I remained wary of Arnval.


    The taunting smile faded from his lips but his questioning eyes now revealed amusement, and it was that which kept me on guard.


    Without breaking eye contact with him, I addressed the cat maid. ¡°So when do I get to meet Phelan Sanreal?¡±


    I didn¡¯t need to look away from Arnval to observe the cat maid. With Mirai¡¯s preternaturally wide field-of-vision, I could see her fairly well, thus I saw the reluctance that briefly expressed itself on her face but there was none of it in her smooth, courteous reply.


    ¡°Mistress Isabel, may I suggest first settling into the Estate. A room has been prepared for you. I recommend a long hot bath with scented oils to replenish and rejuvenate your skin, and a change of clothes before your audience with Master Sanreal.¡±


    The mention of clothes reminded me that my appearance right now wasn¡¯t my best.


    Ugh¡­what exactly is my best?


    Leaving the question aside, a quick downward look confirmed what I felt through my skin. My uniform had dried considerably, but it and my underwear were still dank. Thereby a change of clothes sounded good, and I could certainly do with a shower, but I wasn¡¯t so sure about soaking in a bathtub. That was something that girls did¡­even though I was now a girl.


    Argh¡ªthere¡¯s just no escaping it! Even the maid is prodding me down the path of femininity.


    My hands balled into fists, and my arms trembled faintly at my sides.


    I¡¯m just¡­just¡­not ready for a bath!


    ¡°Fine,¡± I grumbled with my head bowed. ¡°Room. Shower. Clothes.¡±


    I raised my head and glared stubbornly at the maid.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not taking a bath.¡±


    Kyoko, the cat maid, smiled faintly at me. ¡°As you wish, Mistress Isabel¡­.¡±


    ¨C IV ¨C


    Taking a deep breath, I blew away the soap bubbles drifting in front of me.


    I should have realized she was up to something.


    The small cloud of bubbles drifted into the air before floating back down.


    She agreed way to easily to my demands.


    They landed gently on the thick layer of soap bubbles coating the surface of the water.


    I should have guessed she wasn¡¯t going to play fair.


    With a soft groan, I sunk up to my chin in the scented water.


    But what was I supposed to do? I really didn¡¯t have much of a choice.


    I tipped my head back and stared annoyed up at the ceiling.


    Besides they¡¯d never understand why I didn¡¯t want to take a bath.


    The bathroom was obscenely large, easily four-fold the size of my former dormitory apartment, but it was necessary to fit a bathtub that could double as a small swimming pool.


    Honestly, I could do laps in it, and right now it was filled almost to the brim with warm water coated in a thick layer of scented bubbles that had the entire room smelling of vanilla and strawberries.


    Damn it. It¡¯s making me crave ice-cream or a jumbo sized parfait.


    My eyes widened in a sudden panic.


    Wait, wait, wait¡ªonly girls eat parfait!


    My hands shot up out of the water and I grabbed my head.


    No! That¡¯s just me being sexist. There are plenty of guys who indulge themselves in a pretty pink parfait.


    I sat up in the tub, but it was so deep that only my head, shoulders, and the tops of my breasts were exposed.


    What am I thinking? What is wrong with me?This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Grinding my molars together I slapped myself twice.


    ¡°Come on, Isabel! Get a grip!¡±


    I slapped myself again, then yelped.


    ¡°Damn it, that hurt¡ªah!¡±


    I stared through the steamy air at the far end of the bathroom.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! This is part of their master plan!¡±


    Leaning back against the smooth, contoured end of the pool, I regarded the curved edge where the ceiling met the far wall.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I realize it before¡­?¡±


    This was how the Sanreals were planning to defeat me. By smothering me in wanton luxury. By seducing me with their wealth and money. By appealing to my vanity¡­though I wasn¡¯t sure if I was vain. Regardless, I was now confident I had understood the crux of their scheme to win me over. As I did so, I remembered a quote from a distant past.


    Every man has his price.


    I frowned as my gaze drifted up to the ceiling.


    But what about a woman?


    My frown deepened as I grew troubled.


    Okay? So if I¡¯m something of a mixed bag then what¡¯s my price?


    My gaze drifted over the outlines of the swirling, flowery patterns embossed into the ceiling.


    I¡¯d honestly like to say I don¡¯t have a price¡­


    The warm water and steamy scented air were eroding my efforts to remain awake. Coupled with the stress and exhaustion I¡¯d incurred at the hands of Tabitha, Straus, Arnval, and the maid from Hell ¨C Kyoko-chan ¨C it was becoming a real struggle to keep my eyes open.


    ¡­but the problem is that I can get used to this¡­


    Little by little, my eyes began to close as each successive blink grew longer.


    ¡­and all this running around¡­is really wearing me out¡­.


    Eventually, my eyelids closed shut and I felt myself drifting toward slumber.


    - # -


    So how did I end up taking the aforementioned bath?


    Well, it¡¯s because that damn head maid exploited my Achilles Heel.


    The one chink in my stubborn armor that an equally stubborn arrow could penetrate.


    You may already know what I¡¯m alluding to, but I¡¯ll tell you anyway.


    With Mirai¡¯s preternatural abilities, it¡¯s hard to ambush me. For example, if I concentrate my vision on my surroundings I can see the aura of living beings faintly through walls. Because I happened to be using this ability at the time, I wasn¡¯t taken by surprise by the dozen or more maids lying in wait for me inside the living area of the luxurious suite I¡¯d been allocated on the second floor of the palatial villa.


    Note that I wasn¡¯t certain they were maids, but from the aura alone I sensed they were Simulacra, and something about the way their lifeforce radiated made me suspect they were female. I honestly can¡¯t put a finger to the reason. It¡¯s just something that I knew on an instinctual level. For now, let¡¯s leave it at that.


    The first maid that came flying at me made a dull whump sound when she rebounded off a nearby wall that I tossed her into, and then collapsed unconscious on the floor.


    The second maid screamed in pain when I grabbed the back of her head and slammed her face first into another wall, knocking her unconscious.


    The third maid I sent flying into a living room sofa. She tumbled over it, her skirts fluttering, her shoes kicking the air, and disappeared behind it. Mind you, I did glimpse her white panties as she went over.


    Then the remaining maids got serious and out came the weapons.


    Handguns, stun guns, stun batons, a telescoping cattle prod, a flail masterpiece¡­and a broom.


    At sight of their arsenal, my Awareness kicked its afterburners and accelerated into an overclocked state.


    Honestly, I was shocked ¨C no pun intended ¨C at the nature of the weapons they had been hiding in their dresses. The saying more than meets the eye was a clear understatement when applied to these maids. With that firmly in mind, I was most concerned about the broom. Compared to the other weapons it was an incongruous choice, and thus demanded the most suspicion.


    The maids spread out, and I dropped into a defensive crouch.


    However, before the situation could escalate into an all-out melee, Kyoko blew a loud whistle while standing a safe distance behind me.


    Clapping her hands, she forcefully announced, ¡°Abort. Abort. All girls, stand down.¡±


    A collective ¡®Eh¡¯ went up from the maids, but none of them relinquished or withdrew their weapons.


    ¡°I¡¯m declaring Plan-A a failure,¡± Kyoko stated firmly. ¡°We¡¯re switching to Plan-B.¡±


    Turning my head slightly toward Kyoko so that I could see her in the corner of my right eye, I asked her angrily, ¡°What the Hell are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°To ensure you take the bubble bath we¡¯ve prepared for you.¡±


    My head jerked back. ¡°The bubble bath?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°You had them attack me because of a bubble bath?¡±


    ¡°Correct again. However, Plan-A failed so we¡¯re now employing Plan-B.¡±


    Not relaxing my guard for a heartbeat, I heatedly asked, ¡°And what¡¯s Plan-B?¡±


    Kyoko snapped the fingers of her right hand. ¡°This¡­is Plan-B.¡±


    I waited. The maids waited. But nothing happened.


    ¡°What?¡± I queried her. ¡°Was that supposed to be a magic trick?¡±


    ¡°Hardly.¡± Kyoko inhaled deeply and snapped her fingers again.


    Again, we all waited for a short while, but nothing changed.


    I started to relax a little. ¡°So¡­is it third time¡¯s the charm?¡±


    Kyoko took a deep breath that shuddered with exasperation.


    And once again she snapped her fingers.


    I cocked my head at her slightly. ¡°Is there a Plan-C?¡±


    Kyoko trembled violently for a second or two, then retrieved a slim phone from an apron pocket.


    ¡°Penelope!¡± she shouted. ¡°Where the Hell are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± came the cry from the wide hallway connecting the suite¡¯s entrance to the living room area, and the exhausted bunny eared maid staggered into view, her large bosom heaving mightily with each breath she drew.


    Kyoko glared openly at the girl before striding over to her and yanking free the package the bunny maid carried in her hands.


    ¡°I told you to be quick about it!¡±


    The bunny maid took fast, gulping breaths. ¡°I had trouble finding it. I forgot what it was called.¡±


    ¡°As punishment you¡¯re on bathroom cleaning duty for a week.¡±


    ¡°¡­nooooo¡­,¡± the buxom blonde girl whined pitifully and collapsed to her knees.


    Ignoring her, Kyoko approached me but stopped a couple of yards away. She held up the rectangular package in her hands for me to see.


    I recognized it as a holovid disk case, but a loud gasp bellowed from my gaping mouth when I saw the cover.


    ¡°¡­it can¡¯t be¡­.¡±


    ¡°But it is,¡± Kyoko said with the hint of a smile on her face. ¡°Only a hundred were ever released. A limited-edition holovid production chronicling the making of her bestselling holovid album, and it includes the raw, unedited ¡®A Day In the Life of Mercy Haddaway¡¯. It was released when her career was at its peak and only available to the first hundred buyers.¡±


    ¡°Hey, take that back,¡± I demanded. ¡°Her career hasn¡¯t peaked yet!¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± A smirk settled on Kyoko¡¯s lips. ¡°Her merchandise sales are down seven percent this year compared to last. And she¡¯s fallen from third place to fourth place on the popularity rankings.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still got steam in her. Don¡¯t count her chickens yet!¡±


    ¡°Regardless. Her career has passed its zenith.¡± Kyoko held the rectangular case a little higher. ¡°This little item was purchased on an online auction. Master Sanreal fetched it for a hefty price.¡±


    ¡°How¡ªhow much?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best that you don¡¯t know.¡±


    I swallowed loudly and then cautiously asked, ¡°Why would he do that?¡±


    ¡°Do you really need to ask? Are you not a Mercy Haddaway fan?¡±


    I swallowed again as a feeling of unpleasant D¨¦j¨¤ vu swirled through my chest. ¡°So why are you showing me that?¡±


    ¡°Because if you take a bath, like a lady should, then you get to keep this. Consider it both a bribe and a gift from your¡­father.¡±


    Though I¡¯d relaxed it, my stance remained defensive, yet now it wavered. ¡°How do I know you¡¯re not lying? How can I trust you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the question you should be asking,¡± Kyoko replied smoothly with an unreadable expression like someone holding the best hand at a card game. ¡°The question you should be asking yourself is, ¡®Do I want this or not¡¯?¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°I could just take it from you.¡±


    Kyoko nodded and betrayed a smile. ¡°Is that what you think?¡± Then she opened the case to reveal it was empty inside. ¡°Take the bath, and you¡¯ll get what you desire.¡±


    What I desire? Is that what you think I desire? How little you understand me¡­.


    I then had a flash of insight. Perhaps, I could call it inspiration.


    Let them think what they want. I can use this to my benefit.


    Telling her what I truly desired would be a waste of time because she wasn¡¯t in a position to grant my wish.


    However, I recognized what the Sanreals were offering me.


    It wasn¡¯t just an extremely limited piece of Mercy Haddaway¡¯s gravure existence.


    It was an olive branch that came with strings attached.


    At least, that was what I suspected.


    As the saying goes, time would tell if I was wrong or not.


    - # -


    Thus, I chose to accept the offer and took the bubble bath the maid platoon had prepared for me in the swimming pool sized tub.


    For the time being, I would play along.


    If the Sanreals believed they could use my obsession with Mercy Haddaway to play me like a marionette on strings, then so be it. I¡¯d string them along as they were stringing me, and gain important items to include my collection. I also realized that I would have to start anew, since my existing collection of Mercy memorabilia belonged to Ronin Kassius.


    That realization pained me, and I sank deeper into the water.


    Who am I kidding. I gave into my obsession. Those bastards know me too well.


    I felt like grabbing my head again, but instead blew bubbles just below the water¡¯s surface.


    I¡¯m so tired of all this crap¡­tired of all these weirdos messing up my life¡­tired of being manipulated¡­tired of being told Mercy Haddaway is past her prime¡­give me back my delusions¡­give me back my peaceful life¡­give me back my old life¡­.


    Arnval¡¯s face with its provoking smile and amused eyes drifted unbidden behind my closed eyelids.


    Annoyed, I wondered why I was thinking of him now, while grudgingly conceding he was a new problem I needed to contend with.


    I¡¯m going to wipe that smile off his face.


    His expression was an open challenge, but I didn¡¯t feel I was ready to fight him yet.


    No, there was too much I didn¡¯t know or understand about this body ¨C about Mirai.


    There was too much that was a mystery about her.


    I had moved pretty well back at the parkland, but I need to know why that was possible. What kind of training did Mirai¡¯s body possess, and how had she been trained. Those were among the questions I wanted answered.


    The ancient adage of knowing yourself and knowing your enemy such that won¡¯t fear a hundred battles could be twisted to suit my situation.


    Before I knew my enemy, I needed to understand myself because stepping onto the battlefield without preparation was to invite defeat.


    With that understanding in mind, I realized that I had all but acknowledged that Arnval and I would fight.


    It didn¡¯t mean I was willing to fight him. Rather, I was resigned to fight him, and I wasn¡¯t looking forward to it.


    Arnval was an unexpected and unpleasant obstacle that had popped up, and the only way to get past him was to give him the battle he wanted and resoundingly defeat him.


    As such, our reasons for fighting couldn¡¯t be more different.


    Arnval desired pitting himself against me.


    I was going to fight him simply because he was standing in my way. In other words, it had little to nothing to do with the trans-location fiasco that nearly cost Erina her life. Nor did it have anything to do with him pulling that gun on me back at the park. Therefore our inevitable duel would have all the depth and meaning of a schoolyard bout.


    How pathetic. I snorted softly under my breath. Is this my true nature?


    After so many years avoiding the spotlight and not drawing attention to myself so that I could live a relatively peaceful, uneventful school life, was I now showing my true colors?


    Was resorting to violence the only way I knew how to deal with problems?


    Was I nothing more than a bully?


    I didn¡¯t know how to deal with situations the way Straus had suggested. I honestly couldn¡¯t do passive aggressive. So how was I supposed to handle Arnval, Kyoko, and the Sanreals?


    ¡°¡­princess¡­Princess¡­Princess¡­wake up now, please¡­.¡±


    My eyelids fluttered open, but I had some difficulty keeping them open, and my eyes had trouble focusing.


    Had I fallen asleep?


    Noticing someone to my right beside the pool ¨C I mean bathtub ¨C my heart jumped into my throat. Then I saw that it was Ghost dressed in a butler¡¯s suit, complete with a neatly folded hand towel over one arm. His projection into my mind was so realistic, even the way I initially had trouble bringing him into focus, that it elicited a shiver from me.


    ¡°Princess, if you fall asleep in the bath, you may catch a cold.¡±


    Had he noticed my shiver? I had to wonder if he was watching me from the outside despite projecting himself into my mind from the inside of my head. That implied he¡¯d hacked into the bathroom¡¯s surveillance cameras and was using them to observe me.


    If that wasn¡¯t enough to warrant me hurriedly crossing my arms over my breasts and sinking into the water up to my eyeballs, then I¡¯m not sure what is.


    From underwater, I yelled at him, ¡°What the Hell are you doing here? Are you a pervert?¡±


    At least, that¡¯s what I wanted to yell, but it came out garbled and muffled by the water.


    And yet Ghost understood me. ¡°I came to see if you wanted to talk?¡±


    Glaring at him, I felt a frown crinkle my brow. ¡°Talk?¡± I bubbled.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    I raised my head until my mouth was out of the water, then pointedly swept my gaze over the luxurious bathroom. ¡°Is it safe¡­?¡±


    Ghost bowed his head slightly. ¡°I have infiltrated the bathroom¡¯s surveillance systems. We have a few minutes at least before they notice the anomaly in the system and respond to it.¡±


    My suspicion was on the money.


    With it confirmed, I glanced at the bathwater.


    The surface was still covered in bubbles, and though they had lost much of their volume, I decided that for the moment my modesty was safe.


    I nonetheless remained submerged up to my chin as I eyed Ghost with open suspicion. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare peek.¡±


    ¡°I assure you, Princess. I would do no such thing.¡±


    ¡°As if I¡¯d trust you. You¡¯re a guy. I¡¯m a guy. I know my kind all too well.¡±


    Ghost arched his eyebrows at me. ¡°Indeed, one could say your perspective is unique. Do you know the story of Tiresias?¡±


    I shook my head.


    Ghost nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I suggest you look him up.¡±


    ¡°Who was he?¡±


    ¡°According to ancient Greek mythology, he was a blind prophet of Apollo who was turned into a woman for a period of seven years. Afterwards he returned to being a man, though his life was tragic.¡±


    ¡°He was blind as a woman?¡±


    ¡°No, he was blinded after regaining his masculinity.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help frowning up at him. ¡°Why? I mean how?¡±


    Ghost sighed. ¡°Well, accounts vary but one popular theory is that he was the victim of an argument between the gods.¡±


    I hesitated before asking, ¡°What was the argument about?¡±


    ¡°Who enjoys sex more? A man or a woman?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°His sorry tale does make for interesting reading.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t so convinced, and decided not to take Ghost¡¯s word for it, but I will admit that I was intrigued. Usually there was a moral to be found in the stories surrounding ancient myths. Would I find something pertinent to me in the story of this Tiresias?


    Holding onto my frown, I realized Ghost¡¯s conversational side trip had settled my state of mind a little. That didn¡¯t mean I was entirely comfortable with him standing beside the bathtub, but I wasn¡¯t going to make a big deal out of it.


    However, as I moved my body and sat a little higher in the bathtub, I made request of him.


    ¡°Okay. I guess I do have a few questions for you.¡± Lifting a hand out of the water, I twirled it in a circle. ¡°But could you turn around, please.¡±


    Ghost expressed a hint of confusion in his eyes. ¡°Princess?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d feel more comfortable if you turned around.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. If it helps, I can¡±¡ªhe snapped the fingers of his free hand¡ª¡°disappear.¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± I made a stopping motion with the hand I held out of the water. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. Just¡­turn around. I know that you can see me anyway so it won¡¯t make a difference, but I still feel more comfortable seeing you face the other way.¡±


    Ghost considered me with a thoughtful look, then nodded before turning around. ¡°As you wish, Princess.¡±


    I resumed covering my breasts with both my hands and arms. ¡°You probably think I¡¯m weird.¡± I chuckled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m a boy in a girl¡¯s body. I shouldn¡¯t care if you see me. I mean, guys don¡¯t care if they see each other naked, right.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, Princess. It is quite all right.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. I shouldn¡¯t care, but for some reason I do.¡± I stared at the water for a while before looking up at Ghost. ¡°Do you know that back at the dorm when I put on the uniform I kept my eyes closed most of the time.¡± I chuckled softly but anyone could have heard how pitiful I sounded. ¡°I¡ªI couldn¡¯t even look at myself, and I made sure I was facing away from the mirror above the vanity.¡± A shiver ran down my back and I resumed looking down at the water. ¡°Erina really did a number on me. I¡¯m totally messed up.¡±


    ¡°On the contrary. Considering all you have endured of late, you are doing remarkably well.¡±


    My feelings soured in a heartbeat, and I threw him a sullen glance. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make me feel any better.¡±


    Ghost was quiet for a short while before breaking his silence. ¡°Princess, may I remind you of what you said to me aboard the Sanreal Crest?¡±


    I shook my head weakly. ¡°What did I say¡­?¡±


    ¡°That you had chosen to move forward. That you would live as Isabel and fight as Mirai.¡±


    I stiffened slightly as I regarded the multicolor bubbles covering the water above my body. ¡°I did say that, didn¡¯t I¡­.¡±


    ¡°I guess it is not as easy as it sounds.¡±


    My breath caught in my chest. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­.¡±


    ¡°Was it all a lie?¡±


    His question felt like it stabbed me, and I threw him a sharp look. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t a lie.¡±


    ¡°Have you changed your mind since then.¡±


    I started to shake my head but then stopped. ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±


    Ghost turned slightly to peer at me over a shoulder. ¡°Then what is it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t give him an answer right away. That was because I had trouble voicing the reason why I was having doubts about my decision back aboard the superyacht.


    ¡°Princess?¡±


    I took a deep breath, and felt my large breasts rise and fall, buoyed by the water. ¡°Because it means truly giving up.¡±


    ¡°Giving up?¡±


    I nodded gently while looking at the multicolored bubbles floating on the water. ¡°Giving up on any chance of going back.¡± I raised my head, and met Ghost¡¯s gaze. ¡°Giving up on life as a boy.¡±


    Regarding me over his shoulder, he pursed his lips into a thin line before reminding me, ¡°Princess, that is not possible. The longer your mind spends in that body, in that brain, the more you will adapt to being female¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± I tucked my legs and knees up against my large breasts. ¡°I know. I know that¡­I know that¡­.¡± Clenching my hands, I rubbed the heels of my palms into my eyes. ¡°I know¡­.¡±


    I felt tears well up in my eyes, so I squeezed them shut as tightly as I could, and continued pressing my palms into them.


    ¡°¡­it just¡­really sucks¡­really frekking sucks¡­.¡±


    Even if time was ticking along, and my opportunity to talk to Ghost and gain answers to the questions I had was slipping away, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look up and ask them because at the moment they didn¡¯t feel important anymore.


    I was awash with intense feelings of regret and denial, but burning resentment clamped around my chest, making it hard to breathe and impossible to talk. Thus choked, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say or do anything but huddle up against the back of the bathtub, and sob quietly.


    ¡°Princess, I understand this is hard for you. I imagine that in your position, I would feel the same. But you must see this through. Do not be anchored to the past. See this as an opportunity to¡ª¡±


    ¡°To what?¡± I yelled at him as I lowered my hands away from my tear streaked face. ¡°To what, Ghost? To live as a girl. To accept that I¡¯m now a girl! That I have no choice but to be Isabel and Mirai!¡±


    Ghost¡¯s expression reflected momentary surprise before he calmly replied, ¡°Yes. To be Isabel val Sanreal. To be the Gun Princess Mirai. To live as a girl and much more. To accept what you are now and move on. To keep your promise to me.¡±


    I clenched my jaw as I shot to my feet, splashing water out of the bathtub without regard. Despite past assertions, I was angry enough not to care that I was standing naked before him. ¡°I never promised you that.¡±


    ¡°Well it sounded like a promise to me. You said it yourself back in Ar Telica. You cannot go back. You can only go forward. But you have a choice to make. You can either fight what you are and inevitably drive yourself into a ditch. Or you can accept it and make new opportunities for yourself.¡±


    My arms trembled as my anger and resentment bubbled over the edge of my control.


    ¡°Frek you,¡± I hissed at him.


    Ghost met my glare with stoic calm. ¡°What are you afraid of?¡±


    ¡°Afraid? I¡¯m not afraid of anything!¡± I screamed at him, and kicked the bathwater in his direction but it passed right through his body ¡°You piece of shit! Get a body so I can punch you¡ªyou frekking asshole!¡± I kicked more water at him even though it was pointless. ¡°Face me like a real man would!¡±


    ¡°Is that what it will take?¡±


    I stopped in mid-kick and had to recover my balance in a hurry. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Is that what it will take to make you accept reality? If you can punch and kick me, will that shake some sense into you?¡±


    Rage continued to make my body tremble, but I wasn¡¯t lashing out anymore, though my self-control was paper thin.


    Ghost crossed his arms without dropping the hand towel he carried. ¡°I am waiting for an answer.¡±


    I sucked in air through clenched teeth. ¡°Are you calling me a coward?¡±


    ¡°Pardon me?¡±


    ¡°Is that what you¡¯re saying? Is that what you¡¯re implying?¡± I dipped my chin at him. ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m afraid of being a girl?¡±


    ¡°You are jumping to conclusions.¡±


    ¡°Am I wrong? Stop mincing words and give me an answer.¡±


    ¡°I have never thought of you as a coward.¡±


    I nodded tersely. ¡°That¡¯s good because I¡¯m not a coward.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Then what are you?¡±


    ¡°I am not a coward.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you.¡± Unlike my gesture, Ghost raised his chin and looked down at me. ¡°Or should I be asking, who are you?¡±


    That was a very good question.


    Who was I? Was I still Ronin? Was I Isabel? Or was I Mirai? Or was I all of the above ¨C a composite entity and thereby an amalgamation of different people?


    I flinched inwardly.


    Was that what I was afraid of becoming? Was it the reason I couldn¡¯t let go of my past despite claiming that I would? No, that wasn¡¯t right. I never made that claim. I merely said that I¡¯d accepted my past and would move forward. But I wasn¡¯t moving forward at all because I hadn¡¯t accepted the choice I¡¯d made.


    I was lying to myself and I was lying to the people around me.


    Why? Because I believed there had to be another better option, and thus I couldn¡¯t give up.


    I refused to accept the situation was purely black or white.


    But that didn¡¯t answer Ghost¡¯s question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted through clenched teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t frekking know who I am¡­.¡±


    ¡°Then perhaps that should be your goal. Determining who you are. Finding your true self.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No. My goal is going back.¡±


    ¡°And here we go again.¡± Ghost exhaled softly in evident disappointment. ¡°Princess, you cannot return to that life that was never yours.¡±


    ¡°There has to be a way.¡±


    ¡°You are not Ronin Kassius. You have a copy of his mind, his memories, but you are not him. Ronin Kassius lies in a med capsule undergoing regeneration¡ªa process that will take months to complete due to the extent of the injuries he sustained.¡± Ghost leaned slightly toward me. ¡°Or is it your intention to terminate him and somehow assume his identity?¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    He sighed heavily as he straightened. ¡°I expected more from you.¡±


    ¡°I said, shut up!¡± I strode through the water until I reached the edge of the bathtub. ¡°I¡¯m tired of hearing your sanctimonious crap. Speaking down to me like you know better!¡±


    Ghost shook his head slowly. ¡°So you are not going to listen to me?¡±


    I glared up at him. Truthfully, if I could throttle him, I would. ¡°Not if you¡¯re going to say the same thing over and over again.¡±


    ¡°That is the kettle calling the pot black.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up!¡± I pointed at the bathroom¡¯s exit. ¡°And get out.¡±


    ¡°That is not how it works.¡±


    ¡°Then get the Hell out of my head.¡±


    Ghost sighed again and almost sounded condescending. ¡°Truly, Princess, you need to stop acting like a child.¡±


    ¡°I am a child. I¡¯m sixteen years old. You can¡¯t expect me to act like an adult.¡±


    ¡°You are a teenage girl, and I remind you that human females mature earlier than males.¡±


    ¡°I am not a teenage girl.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you?¡± Again he leaned toward me. ¡°From where I am standing you look like a girl to me.¡±


    ¡°Only on the outside.¡±


    Ghost blinked rapidly then unexpectedly scratched a cheek. ¡°Is that what you think?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I blinked sharply too before narrowing my eyes at him. ¡°Stop beating around the bush. If you¡¯ve got something to say then say it.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you will listen to me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hear you out this time!¡±


    ¡°Very well, Princess. No need to shout.¡±


    I growled at him while trembling in anger. ¡°Well, let¡¯s hear it then.¡±


    ¡°According to your data, you are a girl on the outside¡­and the inside.¡±


    Confusion shattered the glare on my face. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°It seems that your unique Ultra Grade Simulacrum body is a girl on the outside and the inside.¡±


    Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought he¡¯d said.


    Shivers broke out all over my body. ¡°I¡¯m a girl¡­on the inside¡­?¡±


    ¡°Correct, Princess.¡±


    ¡°No way¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes way.¡±


    My stomach clenched painfully and my heart beat anxiously in my chest. I was almost too afraid to ask, ¡°How¡­how much of a girl?¡±


    ¡°Be on your guard during Prom Night.¡±


    I stopped shivering and grew rigid with shock. ¡°You¡ªyou can¡¯t be serious¡­.¡±


    ¡°I am completely serious.¡±


    At this my voice broke and fell to a whisper. ¡°I¡­I can get pregnant¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, that remains to be seen. Your body is fresh out of the maturation tank. However, according to your sister¡¯s notes, it is highly likely that you will ultimately experience the monthly monster.¡±


    It took a moment or two for the words to sink into my consciousness.


    A heartbeat later, I felt as though every string holding me upright was cut at once.


    My legs lost their strength and I fell back into the bathtub with a big splash that spilled water over its rim.


    The impact jarred my spine and numbed my butt, yet failed to jolt my awareness free of the abject disbelief clouding my thoughts.


    ¡°¡­what kind of body is this¡­?¡±


    I heard the question leave my lips, yet it sounded as though someone else had asked it.


    Then I looked down at my large breasts bobbing in the water.


    ¡°¡­what the Hell kind of body did Erina make¡­?¡±


    A short while later, I listened to Ghost¡¯s solemn reply. ¡°An Ultra-Grade Simulacrum of the highest caliber. And a girl to boot.¡±


    Under different circumstances I may have thrown Ghost either a heated or frosty glare.


    But sitting spread-eagled in the bathtub, and with water lapping the tops of my breasts, all I managed was to gape at him in a stupor before closing my mouth with an audible click.


    In one fell swoop, all the fiery fight had been doused from my body, and nothing but embers remained.

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 8

    Chapter 8.


    ¨C I ¨C


    I sat on the edge of the bed, in a bathrobe, and held my head in my hands.


    Why a bathrobe?


    Because the maids had ensured there wasn¡¯t a single scrap of clothing in the entire suite other than a bathrobe and fluffy slippers for me to wear.


    Oh, and those slippers were shaped like bunnies.


    After stumbling out of the bathtub in a daze, it was Ghost who directed me to the bathrobe. With my mind in a discombobulated state, I would have stumbled about naked had it not been for his intervention. Afterwards, when my cognitive functions recovered to the point where I could think for myself, I¡¯d searched the suite to find all the drawers, shelves, wardrobes, and closets completely empty.


    My options had been limited.


    Flee the suite while wearing only the bathrobe, or regain my composure and calmly take stock of the situation. I chose the latter, and this is why I was now sitting on the edge of a four-poster Empress-sized bed.


    For a while, bowed over and with my head in my hands, I stared absently at the bunny slippers until I succumbed to a sudden irrepressible urge to kick them off and flung them across the bedroom.


    ¡°Princess¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to hear it¡­,¡± I whispered to Ghost. ¡°Just¡­just be quiet.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, but I cannot comply. You had questions to ask, and your meeting with Sanreal is nigh upon you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ready to see him¡­.¡±


    No, I wasn¡¯t ready to see him or deal with anyone else.


    I could barely think at all, let alone listen or hold a conversation.


    I¡¯d read about the five stages of dealing with loss and grief. The first is denial, followed by anger, then a need to bargain, then getting depressed before finally reaching acceptance. In my case I wasn¡¯t facing a loss and I wasn¡¯t overcome with grief but instead overwhelmed by disbelief laced with cold dread. So was it possible to apply the five stages to my circumstances and state of mind? Was disbelief another form of denial? Assuming it was then I could expect anger was next in line for me. I had kicked the bunny slippers clear across the room, but that had been on a sudden impulse. I didn¡¯t feel I was at the anger stage just yet. But when the time came who would I lash out at? I thought of Erina. Perhaps the next time I saw her I would throttle her, but right now I didn¡¯t feel the urge to strangle her.


    Moving on past anger came the bargaining stage. This was something people do before a loss, such as attempting to bargain with a higher power, but in my case I¡¯d already lost something. No, again that wasn¡¯t right. I never had that something to begin with. So what had I lost? My innocence? No, my ignorance. As they say, ignorance is bliss. Give me back my ignorance. Nonetheless, for the sake of argument, let¡¯s assume that I could make a bargain. The question is who would I bargain with, and what did I have to offer?


    Abruptly, my thoughts came to a stop and I raised my head slightly to look at the carpeted floor beneath my bare feet.


    Of a sudden, I¡¯d remembered that my true problem wasn¡¯t becoming pregnant but being boxed in a virtual prison.


    If Sanreal tells me I¡¯m going to be boxed, how will I bargain with him?


    I pondered the thought in silence, and my gaze fell on the bunny slippers lying on the opposite side of the spacious bedroom.


    So girly. So feminine. So¡­revolting.


    Yes, part of me found those slippers utterly repugnant.


    And part of me didn¡¯t.


    I really am inside a female body, with all the right plumbing. Inhaling deeply, I mulled another thought. This body was meant for Clarisol. Is this why it can fall pregnant? Was it to give Clarisol a chance to start a family of her own, far away from the danger posed by the Empress?


    I lowered my head back to my hands.


    I don¡¯t belong in this body. I know it¡¯s not my fault but I feel like a thief¡ª


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    Without looking up, I sensed Ghost approach me. At another time I would have felt unsettled by that fact, especially since he was merely a projection into my mind so how was it possible for me to sense his presence, but with my thoughts at a near standstill the realization barely caused a stir in the still waters of my mind.


    As I mentioned, I sensed Ghost approach me. I then sensed him drop to one knee, and true enough when I looked up a little I saw him on bended knee before me.


    ¡°Princess, I am sorry.¡±


    A frown flickered faintly across my brow. ¡°You have a lot to be sorry about. So what is it this time?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry for revealing your potential to bear children. I had hoped you would find out in due time, and yet I torpedoed that intention.¡±


    ¡°In due time?¡± I snorted softly and shook my head weakly. ¡°You mean after I¡¯m pregnant.¡±


    Ghost expressed alarm. ¡°Princess!¡±


    I shook my head again, and closed my eyes. ¡°Forget it. Yeah, I would have found out eventually. But your timing does suck¡­.¡±


    Oddly, rationalizing the situation in that manner made me feel a little better. Maybe later I would resume wallowing in denial, disbelief, and self-pity, but for now my head felt a little clearer.


    ¡°Princess, you had questions for me, and time is short.¡±


    I may have felt a little better, but I wasn¡¯t in the mood for conversation. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like asking anymore¡­.¡±


    ¡°Very well, then allow me to anticipate your questions.¡±


    Irritation flickered to life within me. I truly didn¡¯t want to talk or listen to Ghost. I simply wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind for more of his good news. The grip on my composure was too fragile to handle another reality shattering revelation. ¡°Ghost, just let me be¡­.¡±


    ¡°Princess, I talk. You listen. That is all.¡±


    I exhaled curtly. ¡°You¡¯re not going to shut up even if I tell you to, are you?¡±


    ¡°You would be wise to heed advice when it is offered to you.¡±


    I sat up on the bed. ¡°You are beginning to piss me off.¡±


    ¡°And you are frustrating beyond measure.¡±


    I tapped a temple. ¡°Get out of my head.¡±


    ¡°Not until I get a few things through into that thick skull of yours. Starting with where you are right now.¡±


    ¡°My thick skull?¡±


    Ghost bowed his head for a moment and took a deep, deep breath. ¡°Princess, we are short on time. I ask you to simply listen. Nothing more. Is that so much to ask?¡±


    I felt like I was back in the bathroom, and the prospect of having yet another argument didn¡¯t appeal to me. I understood that arguing with Ghost solved little, but lately he¡¯d progressively worked his way under my skin. However, by the same token I wasn¡¯t making things easy either. I knew there was a limit to how stubborn and recalcitrant I could and should be, but I was having trouble controlling my emotions as though the dial in my head had been spun to Bitch Mode and was now stuck. So I understood why Ghost grew increasing vexed with me, and in truth I was growing frustrated with myself as well.


    I needed to break out of this vicious cycle I¡¯d fallen into.


    But as the saying goes, easier said than done.


    Ghost started to rise to his feet. ¡°Very well. Have it your way¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    He stopped moving and regarded me with distrust.


    Straightening my posture a little more, I released a heavy breath and slowly folded my arms under my breasts. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it. Where am I?¡±


    Perhaps engaging in a calm, rational conversation would nudge the dial in my head away from Bitch Mode. It certainly wouldn¡¯t hurt to learn more about my surroundings. And Ghost had anticipated one of my questions, though not in the correct order.


    Ghost¡¯s eyes searched my face, undoubtedly gauging whether I really intended to hear him out. After a second or two, he took what sounded a satisfied breath, and resumed kneeling before me. ¡°Princess, do you recall the Citadels you saw in Clarisol¡¯s virtual prison?¡±


    I nodded faintly. ¡°Yeah, I remember them. Those big wheels with cogs. You said the cogs are like a docking mechanism for Citadels so that they can hook up.¡±


    ¡°That is correct. Transporting a Citadel through the Conduit is impossible. A Citadel is roughly nine kilometers in diameter. The Conduit is barely wide enough for a compact military truck to pass through. However, it is possible to transport a small Fabricator through the Conduit, and a small Fabricator can be used to make a big Fabricator. A big Fabricator can then be used to make a bigger Fabricator and then¡ª¡±


    I sharply raised a hand. ¡°I get it. A bigger Fabricator can make the biggest Fabricator.¡±


    ¡°No. A bigger Fabricator can make the facilities to construct a Citadel.¡±


    My eyes widened to their limit as I realized what he meant.


    Aboard Clarisol¡¯s boat, the Carnal Sin, Mat had told me the same thing. It was impossible for a Citadel to travel through the Conduit to this universe. What he didn¡¯t tell me was that it was unnecessary because they could be built on this side using a Fabricator.


    Was it because he didn¡¯t know? Or was he keeping it from me so as not to worry me?


    I was bothered by his omission, and swallowed to clear my throat before asking, ¡°Are we inside a Citadel?¡±


    On bended knee, Ghost looked up at me. ¡°Yes, Princess. We are aboard House Novis¡¯s Citadel.¡±


    I thought of what I¡¯d seen in the virtual prison, and comparing it to the house, the gardens, and lagoon sized pool. ¡°I have to admit, it¡¯s not what I expected.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a lot more¡­normal, I guess?¡±


    ¡°Normal?¡±


    I struggled to give him a better answer. ¡°I mean that it¡¯s like a summer home. A coastal resort or retreat. It doesn¡¯t look futuristic. It¡¯s more like an homage to the villas of the past.¡±


    Ghost smiled faintly at me but I didn¡¯t feel he was mocking me. ¡°The Noble Houses refer to them as Citadels but in appearance and design they are unlike those that you saw. However, they are nonetheless the blending of a starship, a city, and a fortress.¡±


    I felt sudden apprehension prick at my heart. ¡°It¡¯s a warship?¡±


    Ghost nodded at first but then shook his head. ¡°It is more than a warship. Think of it as the castle for a Noble House. Its home fortress. A place from where the rulers of a Noble House can direct their affairs. However, it is well fortified and well armed. As such, it is fitting to refer to it as a Citadel.¡±


    I swallowed again. ¡°So¡­we¡¯re inside a ship?¡±


    Ghost nodded politely.


    Remembering the size of the estate and the dome, I hesitantly asked, ¡°How big is it?¡±


    Ghost backed away, putting a little more space between us, and then waved his hand like a magician would.


    In my vision, an image roughly fourteen or fifteen inches in size appeared. It was the image of a strange looking vessel. Oddly, I instinctively knew that I was looking at the representation of a ship, perhaps because of the context of our conversation, but it was quite unlike any vessel I¡¯d ever seen or read about. It resembled a whale. It had no fins, instead possessing pontoons that hung off its flanks. There were no tail flukes either. The stern had a bulging, rocket-like appearance with two cannons mounted on either side. I had the impression the cannons could move and reorient because they were attached to bent mechanical arms that were themselves connected to the stern.


    With a finger, Ghost indicated the image I was seeing. ¡°This is the Sanreal Novis, named after the Noble Family that presently rules House Novis.¡±


    ¡°Presently?¡± I frowned at him. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°There are other Noble Families beside the Sanreals within House Novis. The Sanreal Family happens to lead House Novis at this time. If they were to fall or be usurped by another family, then the Citadel¡¯s designation¡ªits name¡ªwould change.¡±


    ¡°Other Noble Families?¡±


    ¡°Correct. Your friend, Matrim, is a Sanreal but has been adopted into the Praetor Noble Family, a so-called lesser family within House Novis.¡±


    So that¡¯s how it is, I thought to myself, then wondered how the other families viewed the Sanreal Family¡¯s leadership of House Novis. At that thought, I suddenly realized that House Novis was more like a corporation, one where its leadership could change if it were overthrown at the next board meeting. Therefore, did House Novis have family meetings? Could it face a leadership challenge? Was it facing a leadership challenge? How secure was its controlling grip on House Novis?


    Do I have a part to play in that? Is that another reason why I was brought here? I shook my head inwardly. I¡¯m speculating blindly and that¡¯s dangerous.


    Ghost was watching me keenly. ¡°Princess?¡±


    I wet my lips quickly and favored him with a hasty nod, hoping I hadn¡¯t betrayed my thoughts. ¡°Go on.¡±


    A section on the ventral hull at the stern of ship¡¯s image glowed a warm orange. It was a tiny area compared to the remainder of the so-called Citadel.


    ¡°This is the Estate,¡± Ghost explained. ¡°The domed area you are currently inside. This house, the pool, and the gardens occupy a small percentage of the Citadel¡¯s internal volume.¡±


    Having briefly seen the scale of the house and surrounding lands while I was falling, I was having trouble accepting we were inside such a small section of the ship. By my estimates, it would make the Citadel comparable to an orbital city.


    ¡°Ghost, how big is this ship?¡±


    ¡°Her overall length is six thousand seven hundred meters. She is twenty-four hundred meters wide, and over a kilometer in height. Estimated displacement is an incredibly light ninety-six million metric tonnes.¡±


    ¡°You call that light¡ª?¡± I swallowed hard in a hurry as Ghost changed the image to show me the Citadel in relation to Ar Telica¡¯s harbor. ¡°My gods¡­,¡± I whispered. ¡°It¡¯s bigger than a colony settlement ship.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I should point out that the Sanreal Novis is not the only Citadel in this reality. Every Noble House that has secured a foothold in this universe will have been granted permission by the Imperial family to construct themselves a Citadel. By my estimates using the intelligence data garnered by House Novis, there are seventeen other Citadels, including one belonging to House Aventisse, the Feylan Aventisse.¡±


    My innards tightened for a beat and I threw Ghost a questioning look. ¡°Clarisol Sanreal Erz Novis.¡±


    Ghost frowned. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Back in the virtual space, you said Kateopia Feylan Aventisse. Shouldn¡¯t it have been Kateopia Feylan Erz Aventisse?¡±


    Ghost blinked quickly as he demonstrated mild surprise. ¡°Indeed. You are quite correct.¡±


    ¡°You also said the Emperor¡¯s name was Kateas Fantom Aventisse. Why not Kateas Fantom Erz Aventisse?¡±


    ¡°Consider it a privilege of the Imperial family to forgo the need to differentiate between Family and House.¡±


    I leaned slightly toward him. ¡°Why Feylan and not Fantom?¡±


    ¡°Feylan is Kateopia¡¯s maiden name. Her mother hailed from the Feylan Family.¡±


    I blinked slowly as I wondered if Kateopia did not approve her father¡¯s noble family and had thus chosen the name Feylan. Then I frowned again at a sudden thought. ¡°Clarisol and Mat¡¯s mother. Was she a Praetor?¡±


    Ghost raised his head slightly to look up at me. ¡°Yes, she was¡­.¡±


    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s why Mat was taken in by them.¡±


    I was beginning to understand how the families and Noble Houses fit together. The tradition and hierarchy wasn¡¯t that hard to follow.


    I chose to put what I¡¯d learned aside, and stared at the image of the immense Citadel. ¡°What does Kateopia¡¯s ship look like?¡±


    An odd expression crossed Ghost¡¯s face. Was he wondering why I¡¯d changed the subject yet again? Regardless, he soon waved his hand once more and the representation of a second vessel appeared beside that of the Sanreal Novis.


    Its enormous size made my stomach turn over with worry. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±


    ¡°No, Princess. I am not. The Imperial family makes no effort to hide the true scale of their Citadel. It is a stark warning to all the other Noble Houses that they hold the most powerful card of all.¡±


    Unlike the Sanreal Novis, the Feylan Aventisse had less of an aquatic shape. It was far longer and sleeker, and resembled two short swords placed atop each other. Wedge shaped sails extended from its dorsal and ventral hulls. If its representation was to scale with the Sanreal Novis, then Kateopia¡¯s Citadel utterly overshadowed it.


    I had a truly unsettling thought. ¡°Ghost, do you know where that ship is?¡±


    ¡°No. None of the Noble Houses know the location of the other Citadels.¡±


    Hearing that made me hesitate before asking, ¡°Then do you think Kateopia is in this universe?¡±


    Ghost looked uncertain for a telling moment, before growing thoughtful. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Why go to the trouble of building such a large ship if you¡¯re not going to use it?¡±


    His eyes narrowed and I wondered if he¡¯d caught onto my train of thought. ¡°You believe she is here?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, why build something on a such a grand scale, but not use it?¡± I wet my lips before apprehensively pressing on. ¡°Ghost, what¡¯s Kateopia like? Is she someone who craves power? Is she¡­ostentatious? Vain? Avaricious?¡±


    ¡°Most assuredly, on all four counts.¡±


    I pressed my lips together as I mulled over my next question. ¡°Ghost, what¡¯s the conduit between our respective universes like?¡±


    ¡°The bridgeway consists of two circular structures, Remnant technology, roughly three point one four meters in diameter.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡± I stared at him blankly while thinking, Isn¡¯t that a rough approximation for Pi? After swallowing quickly, I asked, ¡°Can it be moved around?¡±


    Ghost blinked in a very human demonstration of surprise. ¡°Princess?¡±


    ¡°Can either end of the bridgeway be moved around?¡±


    Ghost became still and quiet.


    I had the impression he was doing either some heavy thinking or extensive data sifting.


    When he blinked again, his gaze met mine with veiled curiosity, conceivably because he was puzzled by my line of questioning. ¡°It was theorized but never attempted.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The risk of losing the Conduit¡ªof breaking the bridgeway¡ªwas simply too high to contemplate.¡±


    I bit my lower lip, keeping to my train of thought. ¡°If it could be moved, would people on either end notice?¡±


    ¡°They would indeed.¡±


    I held back a frown. ¡°So we don¡¯t know if it can be moved. And even if it¡¯s possible, Kateopia wouldn¡¯t be able to do it without others noticing, right?¡±


    ¡°Most assuredly. She already strictly controls its usage. But assuming complete control of it and restricting traffic through the Conduit would undoubtedly incite another rebellion against her.¡±


    I tipped my head to a side. ¡°Then could she make a conduit for herself?¡±


    Ghost¡¯s eyes narrowed into thin slits. ¡°The construction of another Conduit is prohibited by Imperial decree.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I was asking.¡±


    ¡°It has been attempted in the past and all efforts ended in failure.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Constructing or should I say replicating the Conduit gateways is possible with the Fabricators. The problem is a question of timing. Both ends of the bridgeway must be turned on at the same time. Precisely the same moment. A failure causes a temporary schism in reality¡ªsomething like a fault line¡ªthat translates to a very big boom when reality returns to normal. More than a few research facilities have vanished from existence as a consequence of failure.¡±


    ¡°Vanished?¡±


    ¡°Reduced to subatomic particles.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­.¡±


    ¡°After the last such failure, the Emperor decreed that all attempts to create another Conduit were officially banned. Anyone in breach of this decree would face severe punishment regardless of their social or military status.¡±


    ¡°What about the Sarcophagi?¡±


    Ghost flinched and grew rigid. ¡°What about them?¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at him and asked, ¡°Can a Sarcophagi travel between our two universes?¡±


    ¡°Why would you ask that?¡±


    ¡°Because you told me the space between universes is Limbo. And Ronin Kassius was in Limbo when Akane Straus saved him. So how did she get there?¡±


    ¡°She was translocated there along with you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°House Aventisse had used a Fabricator to make a sliver of the Proving Grounds island.¡±


    ¡°A sliver?¡±


    ¡°They copied part of the island and translocated it into Limbo. Ronin was later translocated onto the sliver. Because he was being tracked, Akane Straus was able to use her Sarcophagus to translocate onto the Sliver as well. She caught up to him before he could die, brought him into her Sarcophagus and then jumped back into this universe.¡±


    I leaned forward toward Ghost excitedly. ¡°So it is possible for a Sarcophagus to move in and out of a universe. Then they can be used to travel between your universe and mine.¡±


    ¡°No, it is not possible.¡±


    Feeling disappointed, I leaned back and away from him. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Sarcophagi need a waypoint to guide them.¡±


    ¡°So does that mean that they are used to travel between¡ª?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ghost cut me off in a hurry as he swiftly stood up. ¡°While their drive engine allows them to slip through the fabric of the universe¡ªto escape the bubble from anywhere within the bubble¡ªthey cannot self navigate. There is no equivalent inertial guidance system for them. There are no stars to steer by.¡±


    ¡°Then¡ªthen how¡ª?¡±


    ¡°I told you. By navigational waypoint. By a homing signal. A Sarcophagus knows at all times where you are because you are linked to it. It also remembers places it has visited in the past. That allows it to be moved from place to place. For example, having you aboard the Sanreal Crest allowed your Sarcophagus to be guided into the belly hangar. In fact, I was the one piloting it into its support cradle.¡±


    I was confused by Ghost¡¯s explanation. ¡°Are you saying it can only go to places where I¡¯ve been to?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That is the restriction that the Ancients, the builders of the Remnant technology imposed upon their design.¡±


    ¡°So it wasn¡¯t a limitation human engineers implemented?¡±


    Ghost shook his head. ¡°Indeed not. And we are fairly certain the Ancients developed and constructed the Sarcophagi after the Conduit was established.¡±


    ¡°Do you know why they made them that way?¡±


    Ghost rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders for added emphasis. ¡°To make life challenging, I suppose. Or perhaps there was a problem they encountered and therefore had to limit the capabilities of the Sarcophagi. For example, even when establishing waypoints between the two universes, a Sarcophagus has failed to jump from one bubble to the other.¡±


    My eyebrows rose to my hairline in disbelief. ¡°Really? So if I go over to the other universe, my Sarcophagus won¡¯t go along with me.¡±


    Ghost nodded grimly. ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°So then the Conduit is the only way to travel between our universes.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Okay, food for thought¡­.¡±


    Did that mean Kateopia wouldn¡¯t be able to move people and resources between the two universes without the other Noble Houses noticing? No, resources wouldn¡¯t be necessary since she could use a Fabricator to make whatever she wanted, but people were another matter.


    ¡°Ghost, can a Fabricator make Simulacra¡­or people?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Ghost shook his head sharply. ¡°A Fabricator cannot replicate or make a living organism. Every attempt to make something living has resulted in failure. Even something like bacteria would be dead on fabrication.¡±


    ¡°So there are limits to what it can make?¡±


    Ghost nodded sagely as he replied, ¡°Without a doubt.¡±


    I sighed inwardly in thought.


    If people couldn¡¯t be replicated, then who was crewing these immense Citadels? Was everyone here a Simulacra? Was the onboard automation so high they didn¡¯t need a crew?


    Yet more questions I would need to shelve. The alternative was to ask Ghost but I didn¡¯t feel comfortable with that option because part of me worried that he would suspect why I was asking these questions.


    Then quite abruptly, it became a moot point.


    ¡°Princess, are you concerned that Kateopia will invade this universe?¡±


    I stared at him in shock. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Ghost somberly watched me. ¡°You asked Master Matrim that question back on Mistress Clarisol¡¯s yacht.¡±


    I cleared my throat. ¡°Am I that obvious?¡±


    He shook his head gently. ¡°No. You are not. However, I have been with you for long enough to understand your concerns.¡±


    You¡¯re pretty much saying that I¡¯m easy to read.


    I exhaled loudly and looked back down to my feet. ¡°Ghost¡ª¡±


    ¡°Princess, I understand your concerns and it is something we can discuss later. But for now, we must move onto question number two.¡±


    Looking up at Ghost, I arched an eyebrow at him.


    Changing the subject yet again, are we?


    I had two questions in mind, but noticing Ghost grow even more somber, I whispered a name I¡¯d rather forget.


    ¡°Arnval¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± Ghost sounded as grave as he looked. ¡°Geharis Arnval.¡±


    ¨C II ¨C


    I sat on the edge of the bed, looking up at Ghost, yet thinking of a young man that I had come to intensely dislike in a remarkably short period of time.


    It wasn¡¯t a case of hate at first sight, but it was damn close.


    ¡°Is that his real name,¡± I asked Ghost.


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    I puckered my lips thoughtfully, and then asked, ¡°So he¡¯s a local?¡±


    ¡°A local?¡± Ghost looked puzzled before snorting softly and breaking into a thin grin. ¡°A local. Yes, from your point of view, Geharis Arnval is a local. In other words, a native of this universe.¡±


    I leaned back as I sat on the bed, and used my arms to support my weight. ¡°What¡¯s his deal?¡±


    ¡°You may have discerned by now that he is not entirely human.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, his aura is incomplete.¡± Remembering what his lifeforce looked like, I now wondered if I¡¯d read it wrong. Sitting up straight, I slowly crossed my arms once more under my breasts hidden beneath the bathrobe. ¡°His aura was incomplete, but thinking about it now, I guess it was more like it was weak in some places while strong in others.¡±


    I was having trouble describing what I¡¯d seen around Arnval, and it annoyed me a little.


    However, Ghost appeared to accept my observation and said, ¡°Geharis Arnval was born with a rare genetic defect. He was born without fully formed arms or legs.¡±


    After gasping involuntarily, I stared wide eyed and wordlessly at Ghost.


    He gave me subtle nod as he looked down at me. ¡°Because of this, he has used prosthetics almost his entire life, replacing them with newer models as he grew from childhood into manhood.¡±


    ¡°¡­that¡¯s¡­so sad¡­.¡±


    Ghost chuckled and I sulked.


    ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± I grumbled at him.


    ¡°Are you feeling sympathy for your antagonist?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not heartless, Ghost,¡± I answered with an offended tone.


    ¡°No, you are most assuredly not heartless, Princess.¡± Ghost looked as though he wanted to say more, but then appeared to change his mind. ¡°Tell me. In your eyes what stands out the most about him?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an asshole,¡± I replied bluntly.


    Ghost sighed. ¡°Allow me to rephrase that. When you were exchanging blows with him, what caught your attention the most?¡±


    I scowled faintly at him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so in the first place?¡±


    ¡°My bad, Princess.¡±


    I felt like I was being asked to jump tracks, so I mulled the question over for a handful of seconds. ¡°His speed. He¡¯s much faster than anyone I¡¯ve fought until now.¡± I rolled my eyes and rocked my head from shoulder to shoulder. ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯ve only fought the Gun Queen and that wasn¡¯t hand to hand. But he felt faster than a Gun Princess. Faster than a mechanical.¡± I stopped rocking my head and grimaced as I asked, ¡°Does that make sense?¡±


    ¡°Perfect sense. And you are indeed quite correct.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been saying that a lot lately.¡±


    ¡°Saying what?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± I waved a hand about. ¡°Indeed this. Indeed that. Indeed Princess.¡± I folded my arms again. ¡°Find another word.¡±


    Ghost¡¯s lips drew a thin line across his face. ¡°As you wish, Princess. You are undeniably correct.¡±


    ¡°Better,¡± I said with nod. ¡°Go on.¡±


    Again, his lips drew into a thin line. ¡°Because Arnval has been using prosthetics for the vast majority of his life, since his days as a toddler in a pram, his mind has developed rather uniquely.¡±


    ¡°You mean he can keep up with the speed of his prosthetics.¡±


    Ghost looked like a teacher pleasantly surprised by his star pupil. ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Ghost!¡±


    He pressed on. ¡°As you surmised, his mind is able to utilize the speed of his prosthetics.¡±


    I sighed then briefly pointed at my head. ¡°So he can overclock?¡±


    ¡°Apparently so. But his ability extends to his motor controls. You could say that his mind has developed an extremely streamlined process of operating his artificial limbs. However, I understand that it was also helped along by generous scientific research.¡±


    ¡°Scientific research?¡± I then realized what he meant and sat up ramrod straight. ¡°He was experimented on?¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡ªI mean, he was improved.¡±


    ¡°Improved? Oh wonderful.¡± Narrowing my eyes a little, I asked, ¡°So who worked on him? Was it the military?¡±


    ¡°No. It was the Telos Corporation. Geharis Arnval was serving as a security officer at the time. When his potential was discovered, a division of the Telos Corporation worked on him¡ªas you phrased it¡ªand augmented his ability by using cybernetics¡ªwetware¡ªto increase the efficiency between his cerebellum, spine, and biomechanical limbs.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°To see how far they could raise his abilities. To push the envelope, so to speak.¡±


    ¡°How lovely.¡± I cocked my head at Ghost. ¡°And how did he feel about being augmented?¡±


    ¡°I do not know. You would have to ask him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I think I¡¯ll take a rain check on that.¡± I cocked my head a little more. ¡°Ghost, should I be worried about him?¡±


    ¡°Worried? In what manner?¡±


    ¡°He wants to fight me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I gained that impression as well.¡±


    ¡°Well, he wasn¡¯t trying to hide it.¡± I straightened my head on my neck, and folded my arms a little tighter under my bosom. ¡°My gut¡¯s telling me I¡¯ll have to fight him sooner or later. But I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready for him.¡±


    Ghost¡¯s expression became unreadable though I can say it also seemed a little distant.


    ¡°Ghost?¡±


    ¡°Are you considering facing Arnval in combat?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not. But I get the feeling I don¡¯t have a choice.¡± I unfolded my arms and punched a fist into an open palm. ¡°What I mean is, I don¡¯t think Arnval will give me a choice.¡±


    ¡°You seem rather eager.¡±


    I blinked as my breath caught in my lungs. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°As I said, you seem eager.¡±


    Slowly, I lowered my hands to my lap. ¡°Is that how I sound to you?¡±


    Ghost gave me a troubled smile. ¡°Are you looking forward to facing him?¡±


    I stared at him and didn¡¯t reply.


    On some level, I felt offended by what his remark implied about me. On another, I was annoyed for giving him that impression. But on a deeper level within my psyche and closer to my heart, I was disappointed to know that some part of me wanted to fight Arnval though it wasn¡¯t because I wanted to test myself against him.


    I dropped my gaze to the soft creamy colored carpet covering the bedroom floor, and searched my thoughts and feelings for a while before breaking my silence.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know why I feel that way.¡± I shook my head slowly, feeling my hair sway and brush my cheeks. ¡°I don¡¯t remember feeling this way before when I was Ronin Kassius. I never looked for a fight. I always avoided confrontations as much as possible. But maybe being inside Mirai has released my true personality.¡± I slowly raised my head to look up at Ghost. ¡°But I can tell you honestly that even if I seem eager to face Arnval, I¡¯d rather not fight him at all. This is something he chose by standing in my way. However, I¡¯m not going to run away from it. And I don¡¯t plan on going around him either. I¡¯m going to go through him.¡±


    As the declaration left my lips, I was startled to notice that my wet hair falling around my face was raven dark.


    What the¡ª?


    Reaching up, I fingered my long dark locks.


    Why am I still in Mirai Mode?


    Did this mean that I felt endangered? Was my subconscious warning me not to let my guard down while aboard the Sanreal Citadel?


    Feeling Ghost¡¯s gaze on me, I looked into his eyes.


    Despite my aforementioned concerns, I once again pondered if he was merely an image projected into my mind. At that thought, I did something I hadn¡¯t done before, faintly surprised the idea had never crossed my mind until now since it was so obvious.


    I looked for his shadow¡­and found it.


    What? What the Hell?


    Shock spread through me, catching my breath and locking my body rigid.


    I remained that way even after Ghost abruptly looked off in the direction of the bedroom¡¯s open doorway and announced, ¡°Princess, you have company.¡±


    ¡°Wh¡ªwhat?¡± Distracted, it was the most I could utter because inwardly my thoughts were scattered to the four winds.


    How can he have a shadow? Wait¡ªit could be nothing more than part of the projection. Maybe it¡¯s to add to his realism. Yes, it¡¯s natural to have a shadow but only if you¡¯re real.


    My eyes widened and I stared at the floor in a hurry.


    Only if you¡¯re real¡­.


    My chest tightened in apprehension that bordered on fear.


    Only if he¡¯s real.


    ¡°Princess. Princess?¡±


    Only if I¡¯m real¡­.


    ¡°Isabel!¡±


    ¡°Y¡ªyes?¡± I jerked stiffly upright and stared wide eyed at Ghost, unable to hide my anxious feelings. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat? What is it?¡±


    Ghost regarded me with undisguised concern. ¡°Princess, are you feeling all right? If not¡ª?¡±


    I pushed myself up off the bed, feeling my legs tremble beneath me. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± At his questioning look, I hurriedly added. ¡°Ghost, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a lot to take in. Okay? I¡¯m just finding it hard to keep up.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if he believed me, and honestly, I wasn¡¯t in a state to argue with him if he didn¡¯t, so it was a relief when he accepted my reply with a subtle nod.


    Taking a couple of quick breaths, I abruptly remembered what he¡¯d said earlier. ¡°Ghost. Who¡ªwho¡¯s coming?¡±


    Again he regarded me with concern, then glanced at the open doorway. ¡°The head maid, Kyoko, and her entourage are at the suite¡¯s entrance.¡±


    My gut tightened at mention of her name, and with a sudden sense of urgency, I struggled to bring my thoughts into order. Giving myself something to focus on, I ensured the fabric ribbon securing the overlapping ends of the bathrobe together was properly tied. Then, after a glance at the bunny slippers lying at the foot of a wall, I strode out of the bedroom as though I was fleeing it.


    I hoped that Ghost would mistake my behavior as a knee jerk reaction to Kyoko, but I wasn¡¯t going to wager on it.


    Unlike most men, Ghost wasn¡¯t oblivious and knew how to read the mood.


    Wait¡ªisn¡¯t that the opposite of how girls think of guys in general?


    Striding barefoot into the living area, I arrived a few moments before the troublesome maid stepped into the luxurious suite. When she came into view, Kyoko smiled at the sight of me in the bathrobe, but her eyes narrowed ever so faintly at my bare feet. Then she stared at my wet hair with displeasure.


    ¡°Now that simply won¡¯t do,¡± she declared unhappily, and then snapped her fingers.


    Within moments, a trio of animal eared maids entered the living room and spread out behind Kyoko.


    ¡°Girls,¡± she announced. ¡°We have work to do.¡±


    I hastily took a step back. ¡°Wait a moment. What the Hell do you mean by work?¡±


    I could see all of them clearly within my wide field-of-vision, so I kept my eyes on the head maid as she replied, ¡°Obviously, we need to do something about your appearance. To put it frankly, you look terrible. Don¡¯t you know how care for your hair?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± I snapped back. ¡°If it¡¯s a problem I¡¯ll just chop it off.¡±


    Kyoko stared at me aghast. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°You bet your ass I am!¡±


    She palmed her forehead and sighed heavily. ¡°We simply cannot have that.¡±


    With a wave, she gestured for the maids to approach me. However, the three girls remained behind Kyoko.


    Perplexed, she regarded them over her shoulders. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±


    The maids shared frightened glances before shaking their heads in unison at her.


    I realized the girls were afraid of me, and Kyoko must have arrived at the same conclusion because she groaned in deep disappointment while slowly shaking her head at them. ¡°Very well. Toilet duty for all three of you.¡±


    The girls gaped briefly before breaking into relieved smiles.


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Kyoko,¡± they cried out happily, then fled from me and the suite at a run.


    I snorted as I watched them leave. ¡°Good help is so hard to find. Isn¡¯t it, Kyoko-chan?¡±


    Facing me with a melancholy expression, she cheerlessly murmured, ¡°Never send a girl to do a woman¡¯s job.¡±


    I don¡¯t know why, but the change in her mood made me feel unexpectedly guilty. But I hid it behind a mocking smirk, and planted my hands on my hips. ¡°So what are you going to bribe me with this time?¡±


    For a long while, Kyoko did nothing more than look at me with an increasingly sad expression that in turn made me more and more uncomfortable.


    Eventually, I blurted out, ¡°If you have something to say then say it.¡±


    The sadness on her face deepened. ¡°You are such a beautiful girl.¡±


    I choked then stuttered, ¡°Wh¡ªwhat?¡±


    ¡°Do you not care for your appearance?¡±


    Her question made my thoughts stumble and catch themselves. ¡°Ah¡­it¡¯s¡­it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t care¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do you truly hate being a girl?¡±


    That question brought my thoughts to an unexpected standstill.


    I stared at Kyoko blankly, unable to muster or dredge up an answer.


    I even forgot to breathe, reminded to do so only when I autonomously swallowed the saliva building up in my mouth. But while the gears in my mind had been brought to a grinding, screeching halt, the question continued to bounce off the inside walls of my head.


    Did I truly hate being a girl?


    Slowly, as my thoughts started back up and the gears resumed turning over, I began to ponder the question with greater clarity.


    Did I hate being a girl?


    The answer I eventually arrived at was that I didn¡¯t have an answer.


    I simply didn¡¯t know because I hadn¡¯t lived long enough to give the question proper consultation.


    I had spent the recent years of my life terrified to wake up and discover that I had become a girl. And now that it had happened, though not in the way I had imagined, I had been determined to return to my life as a human male, though it was impossible for me to assume my previous existence as Ronin Kassius. But even that was a fallacy since I had never lived as Ronin Kassius. Mirai was not Ronin Kassius transformed into a girl. The two were completely unrelated to each other except for one element ¨C her memories belonged to Ronin Kassius. And that lead back to the fallacy that I was Ronin Kassius, something I continued to struggle with after I¡¯d decided to cut ties with my past or rather the memories of my past because it was a past that didn¡¯t belong to me.


    To put it simply, my situation was psychological nightmare that would take many, many pages to explain, and even then I doubted it could be fully explained as in many respects I felt as though I was chasing my own shadow.


    It was my own version of the liar¡¯s paradox.


    Okay, maybe that¡¯s a stretch, but you get my meaning.


    However, any attempt to address the question ¨C did I hate being a girl ¨C was complicated by not having experienced life as a girl for longer than three days, and most of that time was spent trying to stay alive.


    While in harried thought, I stared distantly through Kyoko.


    I half expected the young woman to hurry me along for an answer, but instead she stood still and waited silently. It was that silence and her melancholy appearance that ultimately drove me to reply in a weak, uncertain voice that disappointed me.


    I gave her the only answer I had. ¡°I¡¯m just not ready to accept being a girl.¡±


    The pensive sadness she wore faded into a thoughtful gaze. Her voice was unexpectedly gentle when she asked, ¡°Why not?¡±


    I hesitated for a second, confused by the change in her and suspicious of her new approach. Yet, I answered her nonetheless. ¡°I refuse to believe this is my fate¡ªthat there¡¯s no choice for me other than to live as a girl.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Now she made an expression of open curiosity. ¡°I thought it was because you were afraid.¡±


    My emotions darkened in an instant and I glared at her. ¡°Afraid of what?¡±


    Kyoko stepped up to me.


    She was shorter than me despite wearing shoes, and yet I felt as though I was looking up at her. That didn¡¯t bother me nearly as much as having her step into my personal space.


    This woman¡ªwhat is she thinking?


    Facing me from a foot or so away, Kyoko searched my face and then met my dark stare with a quiet, penetrating gaze that complemented her calm voice. ¡°You¡¯re afraid that you might enjoy being a girl.¡±


    My glare hardened for a heartbeat, but Kyoko¡¯s gaze pierced through it.


    ¡°Am I wrong?¡± she asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit,¡± I growled at her but my protest sounded weak to me.


    ¡°Prove me wrong.¡± At that, she offered me the bundle of clothes she¡¯d been holding onto all this time. ¡°Open yourself up to life as Isabel val Sanreal, do it for a week, and then stand before me and tell me that I¡¯m wrong.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a week. I can tell you right now¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she interjected calmly. ¡°Give me your answer when you¡¯ve experienced life as Isabel for a week or maybe even a month. Not before then. Not before you¡¯ve given her existence an opportunity to live.¡±


    She was telling me what I had already realized for myself: to give Isabel a chance.


    Yet I stubbornly refused to concede or consider the notion. Why? Because in a way she had hit the nail on the head. I was afraid. I may not have ever desired to be a girl, but I had lived in terror of becoming one and it was that fear ¨C coupled with my unrealistic desire to return to my life as Ronin Kassius ¨C that effectively held me back.


    But that wasn¡¯t what I said to her.


    After swallowing with some difficulty, I took another deep breath that made my body shudder when I released it. ¡°Why? Why is it so important to everyone that I give up on my past?¡±


    Kyoko gazed silently at me for a long, long while before asking me in a gentle, tender tone that sounded almost motherly, or at least how I would have expected a mother to sound when comforting her daughter.


    ¡°Isabel, don¡¯t you wish to find happiness?¡±


    Her voice and words were like a warm breeze passing through me, brushing against my heart and making it tremble. Yet my throat and chest grew even tighter, and I found myself unable to reply as I watched her smile at me with kindness of the like I hadn¡¯t experienced for such a long, long time.


    ¡°Isabel, you don¡¯t have to discard your past. I¡¯m certainly not telling you to. Your past makes you the person you are now. Some people will tell you that you only need to look forward but that isn¡¯t true. People that forget or deny their past¡ªpeople that choose not to learn from its lessons¡ªfail to grow. They make the same mistakes over and over, believing in the lie that history never repeats. That the next time things will be better. But that isn¡¯t true. In order for it to be better, something has to change.¡± She paused for a quiet breath and then said, ¡°Isabel, you¡¯ve changed. You¡¯re not the person you were before. But don¡¯t you want to know about the person you could become?¡±


    I felt helpless before her.


    She had stepped through the wall I¡¯d consciously and subconsciously labored to build up around me ¨C a wall that had held back Ghost, Straus, and Erina. She had done so because something inside me and something I sensed in her aura convinced me that her sentiments toward me were sincerely without malice. Because of this, I saw myself standing on the edge of a precipice while facing Kyoko across a bottomless crevasse.


    What would I find if I stepped toward her? Would I fall and be lost? Or would I cross the abyss and be saved? If not saved, would I nonetheless find a measure of inner peace on the other side? As such, would it be the first step in accepting my new life as Isabel?


    I trembled before the abyss, unable to step forward yet unable to step away either.


    Kyoko said nothing and continued to regard me warmly.


    There was literally no trace of the young woman who had bribed me earlier so that I would take a bubble bath. And the melancholy she¡¯d expressed was nothing more than a memory.


    Why?


    My hands clenched into fists.


    Why do you look at me that way?


    My fingernails dug into my palms.


    Why? You don¡¯t know me. I¡¯m nothing to you. We¡¯re not family or friends. We¡¯re nothing to each other?


    I closed my eyes.


    So why? Why do you look at me that way? Why? When not even my mother ever looked at me¡ª?


    I gasped softly and opened my eyes.


    That¡¯s right. My mother¡­never looked at me¡­the way she looked at Erina.


    I relaxed my fingers, and the pain in my palms faded quickly but now I experienced a painful emptiness within my chest.


    Why am I remembering this now? No¡­why had I forgotten that about my mother?


    Erina had always been her favorite child. It was something that I had come to understand even at a young age, and perhaps I had chosen to box those memories because they were painful to me. Perhaps, I had even acclimated myself overlook the occasions when my mother bestowed her affections upon Erina while ignoring me. And as my mother denied me, I chose to deny my mother¡¯s existence. In short, I began to isolate her from my thoughts and feelings at an early age.


    Did I cry when she and my father left Erina and I behind? I can¡¯t remember. What did I feel back then? Did I feel anything at all? Was I glad that she was gone?


    Blinking slowly, my focus gradually returned to the present and I found myself meeting Kyoko¡¯s eyes.


    She had continued to watch me kindly, and so I ran my gaze over the orange aura of her lifeforce as it glowed strongly around her. But I was thinking of my mother, pondering what I would see in her aura if I were to chance upon it with Mirai¡¯s ability. Then I realized I was being foolish. I wasn¡¯t Ronin Kassius and Mirai had no mother. And yet, while my mind rationalized in one direction, my heart pined in another, so it was difficult for me not to feel something when I thought of her.


    Kyoko had said there was no need for me to discard my past, but I wondered if my declaration to cut myself off was premature, somewhat of a knee jerk reaction to learning that there was no going back. I had also voiced my intention to move forward, but as my argument with Ghost in the bathroom had demonstrated, I hadn¡¯t moved forward at all.


    So was my past holding me back? If so, then how could I expect to move forward if I didn¡¯t shed it? And this brought me back full circle to my unwillingness to consider a life as Isabel val Sanreal because I was holding onto the hope that I could go back.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s changed,¡± I whispered.


    Kyoko¡¯s eyes showed veiled confusion. ¡°Isabel?¡±


    ¡°I turn it over and over in my head, everything that¡¯s happened, how I feel, my circumstances, and I come back to the same place. And because of that nothing changes, and I¡¯m stuck.¡±


    Kyoko briefly pressed her lips into a thin line as she studied me with thoughtful eyes. ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°Afraid of what?¡±


    ¡°Afraid of being a girl. Afraid of living as one. I spent so much time afraid of turning into a girl, that now I can¡¯t deal with it. I don¡¯t want to be a girl, but I¡¯m afraid that the longer I spend as Isabel, the less I will want to go back¡ªeven though I know I can¡¯t go back. But it all feels like a paradox. I¡¯m afraid of being a girl, but the truth is that this body has always been a girl. It¡¯s only that she has the memories of Ronin Kassius. I have the memories of being a boy, yet I was never a boy. And I want to go back to being to a boy, but again, I was never a boy so it¡¯s not possible.¡±


    ¡°Then what will you do?¡±


    I shrugged, and a feeling of utter helplessness washed through me. My voice broke into a hoarse whisper. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what to do¡­.¡±


    Then my throat and chest grew tight and I couldn¡¯t say anything else, and a few moments later I was crying tears of despair before a stranger.


    And before I knew it, that stranger was holding onto me tightly, and I heard her whisper into my ear.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Isabel. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    What did she have to be sorry about? Bribing me? I should have laughed off her apology, but I couldn¡¯t.


    Instead, I found myself reaching out to her, and embracing her as she embraced me.


    I held onto her, because without her I didn¡¯t believe my legs could support my weight.


    But the truth was that I clung to this stranger because I needed the kindness and understanding she offered me.


    The warmth radiating from her body flowed into me, warming me, and it comforted my heart.


    Gradually my tears ebbed and I began to feel a little more at ease.


    I hadn¡¯t resolved my situation, and I was far from at peace with myself, but I was no longer in anguish.


    I have no idea how long I cried, or for how long she held me, but it was long enough for my tears to soak the shoulder of her uniform.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I whispered and though I tried to pull away, Kyoko continued to embrace me, and I realized I lacked the strength of will to break free. And part of me wanted to continue drawing comfort from her presence.


    When Kyoko drew back she continued holding onto me as she studied me from up close.


    ¡°Feel better?¡± she asked me gently.


    After probing my feelings for a short while, I gave her a shallow nod. ¡°Yes¡­.¡±


    Kyoko smiled up at me, then eased back a few more centimeters. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    I studied the caring, motherly expression on her face, once again unable to reconcile the young woman before me with the Kyoko who¡¯d cornered me not long ago.


    Had it all been an act? Was this her true personality? Or was this the act?


    I realized that I didn¡¯t want to find out. I was afraid to know who was the real Kyoko-chan.


    But why show me this side of hers now?


    To that I needed an answer, and so I asked, ¡°Why? Why are you being kind to me?¡±


    Kyoko¡¯s eyes widened and a moment later she smiled at me with intense sadness. ¡°Isabel, I¡¯m sorry for the way I treated you.¡±


    My mouth fell open slowly, and I exhaled softly in surprise.


    At my reaction, Kyoko laughed remorsefully. ¡°The truth is, I expected you to be a difficult child, and I thought I knew how to deal with you. But I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not difficult?¡±


    She laughed softly and it carried less regret. ¡°Oh, you are indeed difficult. Make no mistake, you are a handful. But I approached things from the wrong angle. Despite knowing what I knew of you, I didn¡¯t try to understand you. I guess I¡¯m out of practice.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I admitted to her.


    Kyoko held back for a moment before answering me. ¡°Arnval spoke the truth. I know this may sound surprising but I know what you¡¯ve been through, Isabel.¡±


    ¡°How do you know about me? Why do you know about me?¡±


    ¡°Because Master Sanreal asked me to help him with you.¡±


    ¡°Why would he do that?¡±


    Kyoko smiled sadly. ¡°Because he doesn¡¯t know how to deal with you.¡±


    Initially, I was thrown off by this revelation. Then I thought of Clarisol. I knew that Clarisol val Sanreal was his daughter, but I didn¡¯t know what kind of relationship she and her father had. However, rather than mention Clarisol, I chose not to reveal what I did know.


    When Kyoko spoke again she didn¡¯t sound as though she¡¯d noticed my troubled thoughts. Then again, she may have attributed it to me having difficulty digesting her explanation and that wasn¡¯t far from the truth.


    ¡°I have served Master Sanreal for a long, long time. And in that time he has grown to trust me, and in some respects he has come to depend on me. And so he asked me to help him with you, and thus he entrusted me with the knowledge of who you are. Because of this I learnt of how much you¡¯d suffered, but I only had an inkling of the intense turmoil within you. I didn¡¯t know how much you were hurting. I didn¡¯t realize you were putting up a brave front. Had I known, had I realized it sooner, I would have stepped in. I would have requested to see you, to meet you, and to listen to you. Instead, I made a poor choice that I deeply regret. I did nothing, and then I treated you wrongly.¡±


    ¡°Kyoko-chan¡­.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help thinking how differently the situation would have turned out had Kyoko greeted me at the park rather than Erina ¨C rather than Arnval.


    Shaking her head slowly, Kyoko continued softly. ¡°What was done to you wasn¡¯t fair. And since then you haven¡¯t been treated fairly either. I should have treated you properly. I should have shown you the kindness and respect you deserve¡ªthe kindness, understanding, and respect you¡¯ve been denied. For failing to do so, I¡¯m sincerely sorry, Isabel. I¡¯m so sorry. I should have seen the signs. I should have known better. Yet I missed them.¡± She bowed her head. ¡°Please, please forgive me, Isabel¡­.¡±


    I struggled to close my mouth, then swallowed with difficulty as pained feelings welled up to flood my chest and choke my throat.


    This young woman was nothing to me, and I was nothing to her. But what I felt now, perhaps radiated along with her aura was genuine kindness that was painful to bear.


    This is the first time I¡¯ve felt this from someone since I woke up as Mirai.


    Then I realized I was wrong. I had felt kindness before but back then I¡¯d also felt sadness, sorrow, and frustration fueled by helplessness. Back then I was intent on surviving and not so much on the people around me until it was too late.


    Mat, I¡¯m sorry for failing you. I promised Clarisol I would protect you and Shirohime, and yet I failed you all.


    Since returning to Ar Telica, I had been caught up in one unexpected event after another, thus I¡¯d spent little time thinking of Mat and the platinum haired beauty. I had no idea how I would react when I saw them again. But now wasn¡¯t the time to ruminate over what our reunion would be like.


    I needed to focus on what was in front of me, and I needed to regain control over my composure.


    After breathing in deeply a handful of times, I felt my emotions retreat a little, and my throat and chest loosened up. But I wasn¡¯t able to say anything, and thus I found myself listening to Kyoko¡¯s subdued voice.


    ¡°Isabel, I know this may sound as though I¡¯m prodding you down a certain path, but I believe you¡¯re fighting too hard.¡±


    What did she mean?


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to find answers where there may be none. Conversely, you¡¯re trying to find answers that may only come with time.¡± Kyoko looked pensively up at the ceiling. ¡°That is why I suggested that you spend a week, or a month, living as Isabel. To find the answers. To face your fear. But in all honestly, I said that because I just want you to live.¡±


    I shook my head slowly, relieved I¡¯d recovered enough of my voice to say, ¡°But it¡¯s not that simple for me.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± she agreed softly. ¡°But I believe you may find the answers you seek, and you may find your path only by accumulating new experiences. I¡¯m not saying change your goal. But for now, why not simply live.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not just Isabel. I¡¯m also Mirai. And I¡¯m a Gun Princess.¡±


    The young maid nodded. ¡°Yes, you are.¡±


    ¡°So my life isn¡¯t exactly normal because I¡¯m not a normal girl.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know,¡± she acknowledged with another nod. ¡°But right now you¡¯re living in a closed system. If nothing changes, you¡¯ll continue running in circles. You need new experiences, Isabel. Only then can you really be certain of what you want. And even if you can¡¯t go back, maybe you¡¯ll find another path. Maybe not even as Isabel val Sanreal. Maybe as someone else.¡±


    I understood what she was telling me, and I realized that I would eventually have to take that leap of faith. It may not lead me down the path I believed that I desired. It may not even lead me down the path that I feared. I could find myself on a very different road. But I needed to take that first step.


    Kyoko pressed on. ¡°But as the saying goes, all good things in time.¡± She paused before adding, ¡°And one thing at a time.¡± With that, she released me, took a step back, then once again offered me the bundle she held in her hands. ¡°Your clothes, Isabel.¡±


    One thing at a time, I repeated inwardly as I glanced down at the clothes in Kyoko¡¯s hands. Despite recognizing them, I nonetheless asked, ¡°Is that my uniform?¡±


    Offering me a gentle nod, she answered, ¡°Yes, it is. It¡¯s been cleaned and is ready for you to wear.¡± Then she half smiled. ¡°Or would you prefer a maid¡¯s dress? I have just the right headband for you.¡±


    Shaking my head weakly, I replied, ¡°No. No, thank you. But why my uniform?¡±


    ¡°Truthfully, I believed you¡¯d be more comfortable in it since this is what you were wearing upon arrival.¡±


    Comfortable, yes. But did I welcome it? No. However, that wasn¡¯t what I said as I pointed at the uniform neatly folded into a bundle. ¡°What about my shoes?¡±


    ¡°A new pair is ready for you. I¡¯ll fetch it shortly.¡±


    Visibly reluctant, I took the bundle from her and looked it over, noticing the new item she had included. ¡°Stockings?¡±


    Dark stockings of the kind the girls would wear with the academy¡¯s winter uniform.


    Kyoko smiled at me. ¡°It¡¯s a little chilly out there.¡±


    I frowned at her, the bundle of clothing, then back at Kyoko. ¡°When do I meet Phelan Sanreal?¡±


    ¡°Are you ready to meet him?¡± she asked me, her smile fading a little and her tone laced with concern that unexpectedly made my heart twinge.


    But I pushed it aside as I searched the rest of my feelings, and then admitted, ¡°No, I can¡¯t say that I am. But it¡¯s not like I can choose otherwise. I was brought here because he wants to meet me.¡±


    ¡°That is true. But I¡¯m certain he can wait until you are ready for him.¡±


    Again studying the clothes I now held in my hands, I hesitated and then wet my lips with the tip of my tongue. ¡°That¡¯s the problem. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be ready¡­so I¡¯d rather get it over with.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go see him as soon as you are dressed.¡±


    Huh?


    Lifting my gaze, I met her eyes with uncertainty and apprehension. ¡°Now?¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re dressed.¡± She stepped closer and reached up touch my dark hair. ¡°You have such lovely hair, so why don¡¯t we do something about it first?¡±


    Rather than lead me to the bedroom or bathroom, she waited patiently for me decide. However, as the seconds ticked by and I failed to move, Kyoko nodded faintly and offered me an understanding smile.


    ¡°Well then. I¡¯ll wait for you outside while you get dressed, Isabel. If you change your mind, let me know.¡±


    After gently squeezing my arms, Kyoko turned toward the suite¡¯s entrance.


    Then quite suddenly I saw something that stole my breath away.


    ¡°Wait¡ª!¡±


    My left hand was reaching out for her, but my feet were rooted to the living room floor.


    Wh¡ªwhat? What was that?


    It happened so quickly that I doubted my eyes.


    What did I just see?


    Arrested by my cry, Kyoko had stopped and then half turned to look back at me. ¡°Isabel¡­?¡±


    I lowered my hand, and blinked quickly as though clearing my eyes.


    Was that real?


    For a fraction of a heartbeat ¨C for one fleeting instant ¨C Kyoko¡¯s lifeforce had radiated with a brilliant golden aura.


    Did I imagine that?


    Concentrating my vision on the young woman watching me anxiously, I searched for it again.


    Maybe it was all in my head¡­.


    ¡°Isabel?¡± Kyoko walked back to me, and held my face in her palms. ¡°Isabel, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    With her hands warming up my cheeks, I looked into her dark brown eyes.


    But if it was real, then why would her aura change?


    ¡°Isabel?¡±


    My heart was pounding so forcefully in my chest it was making my body tremble. Surely she could feel it as she cupped my face with her hands.


    ¡°Isabel, tell me what¡¯s wrong?¡± Her eyes moved slightly left and right as they looked into mine. ¡°I¡¯m here. Talk to me.¡±


    What could I tell her? That I could see the aura of her lifeforce? That for a moment it had inexplicably changed color? The problem was that I suspected she would believe me. She was a maid but a mysterious one, and she knew a great deal about me because she had Sanreal¡¯s trust. I had opened myself up to her, but a little voice in the back of my head warned me about being too forthcoming.


    ¡°My hair¡­,¡± I whispered.


    Kyoko¡¯s gaze felt palpable on my face. ¡°Your hair?¡±


    ¡°Would you¡­help me¡­with my hair?¡±


    She blinked very slowly and I sensed she was confused by my abrupt change of her heart. However, she was soon smiling contently. ¡°Of course, Isabel. Of course I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    I started to return her smile, but the memory of her aura flashing golden for a mere moment sent a shiver trickling down my spine.


    Who is this young woman? Isn¡¯t she a Simulacra? Her aura is like an orange sunrise, but why would it change? Or is there something wrong with Mirai?


    The stark possibility that something was wrong with this body frightened me, and another creeping shiver made my body tremble.


    Thankfully, Kyoko had released me before then and stepped back to study me quietly for a few seconds. When she spoke again, she sounded oddly uncertain.


    ¡°Isabel, would you like to visit your sister?¡±


    I was still distracted by my worries so it took me longer than otherwise to respond. ¡°My sister? You mean Erina?¡±


    ¡°Doctor Kassius has regained consciousness, and she is doing quite well. Would you like to see her? I¡¯m certain Master Sanreal would understand if you wish to visit her before meeting with him.¡±


    Erina was the question I never asked Ghost because he¡¯d assumed the lead. Ghost had accurately surmised the questions I had in mind, but not in the correct order, and ultimately we were interrupted by Kyoko and her maids. But having heard that she was recovering well, I was faced with making a choice, and in the end my decision was based on how I was feeling rather than a logical or rational line of thinking.


    That is, I went with my heart and not my head.


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head firmly as I answered Kyoko. ¡°I¡¯ll see her afterwards.¡±


    I simply didn¡¯t feel the urge to see Erina. She was on my To Do list but getting to her could wait. Meeting with Sanreal was of a higher priority.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Kyoko asked.


    ¡°Is she in good hands?¡± was my reply.


    Kyoko nodded faintly. ¡°Yes, she is.¡±


    I gave her a firm nod. ¡°Then I¡¯m sure.¡±


    A look of sadness flittered across Kyoko face, but she acquiesced to my decision.


    ¡°As you wish, Isabel.¡±


    As though closing the door on the matter ¨C for now at least ¨C Kyoko turned sideways and waved a hand gently toward the bedroom.


    ¡°Shall we then?¡±

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 9

    Chapter 9.


    ¨C I ¨C


    Sanreal¡¯s gaze swept over me from head to toes, then back up again.


    I chose to keep my focus on his face, though with Mirai¡¯s preternaturally wide field-of-vision I could see all of him in great clarity


    For a long, long while we both stared at each other, until Sanreal finally grew visibly perplexed.


    With his brow furrowed and eyes crinkled, he made a handful of attempts to break his silence before eventually finding his voice.


    ¡°Why¡­are you dressed like that?¡±


    And those were the first words he ever spoke to me.


    ¨C # ¨C


    But let¡¯s press rewind and back up a little.


    After I used the excuse of having Kyoko help me with my hair so as to hide my shock at seeing her aura glow golden, I found myself taking a shower¡­with my eyes closed most of the time. Apparently, I¡¯d allowed my hair to remain wet for too long, and so I had to wash it all over again, this time using a plethora of conditioners and shampoos that left my hair as fragrant as a rose garden. Next was getting it dried, brushed, untangled, and so forth until it hung silky smooth over my shoulders and down my back. I could have modelled for a shampoo commercial because my hair visibly shone with vibrancy. It was like a brilliantly dark waterfall shimmering down my back.


    I have to admit, Mirai has awesome hair.


    I also have to admit that after all was said and done, I found myself tossing it about like I remembered those attractive hair models would do.


    And lastly, I must admit that I needed a lot more practice.


    However, up until now all was going well. True, there had been an unexpected delay of more than an hour ¨C Kyoko advised me to grow accustomed to such delays ¨C but everything was progressing smoothly¡­until disaster struck.


    Would you like to take a guess? No? Very well, then I¡¯ll tell you.


    My uniform no longer fit me. Why? Because someone with bunny ears volunteered on hands and knees to wash it ¨C in order to avoid bathroom duty ¨C and after she was done, my uniform was a couple sizes too small.


    As I have mentioned frequently, Mirai is rather voluptuous.


    Thus, after I squeezed into the dark blouse, I heard a very audible rip down the front, and my summer uniform wasn¡¯t fit for attending school anymore. The only thing it was suitable for was the cover of a porn holovid featuring high school girls in compromising situations.


    Oh, the skirt ripped a few moments later, completing my porn actress appearance.


    The only thing the bunny maid hadn¡¯t shrunk was my underwear.


    Alas, after Kyoko promised to drag Penelope over hot coals, she resorted to Plan B.


    And so I found myself a while later before a flummoxed Phelan Sanreal Erz Novis, the two of us standing on a paved path running through the verdant garden that occupied much of the inner courtyard, while I was wearing a maid outfit complete with white stockings, black shoes with butterfly buckles, a frilly apron, ruffled blouse, and short skirt.


    Did it draw Sanreal¡¯s attention? Well, he¡¯s a man, isn¡¯t he ¨C though his self-control was admirable, his gaze pausing only briefly at my legs, the hem of my short skirt, and my chest before settling on my face.


    ¡°Why¡­are you dressed like that?¡±


    I cleared my throat and wondered how best to reply.


    Honestly, I was feeling strangely detached from reality as I stood a few feet away from him in the midst of the beautiful garden with schools of fish swimming its gurgling, burbling streams, around stone islands, under quaint arched bridges, and past countless flower beds and bushes. Because of its immense size and numerous winding paths, a visitor could spend a good deal of time wandering through the villa¡¯s central garden.


    Kyoko had brought me here after she was satisfied with my appearance, having fussed over it for almost an hour, especially my hair before finally putting in two butterfly pins to keep it in place. I was decidedly numb by then. Staring at my reflection in the full body mirror, and seeing myself looking like a maid that belonged in a Fantasy RPG tavern serving drinks to rowdy, drunken patrons, had broken my stubborn spirit. Despite everything I had said to Ghost and Kyoko, I had essentially surrendered without a fight. Perhaps later I would rant and rave and tear off the dress, but for now I had succumbed to Kyoko¡¯s will.


    If I thought of her as a Force Majeure, then perhaps my current state of mind and dress could be forgiven.


    Or was the bunny maid, Penelope, the real Force Majeure?


    As I was saying earlier, Kyoko had brought me to the inner courtyard that harbored the central garden. With its sixty by sixty meters sides, the courtyard was large enough for the various streams, bridges, ponds, islands, bushes and so forth without the need to cram them together. In other words, it had spacious layout that made me forget I was standing in a tiny section of an immense vessel.


    However, Kyoko had not introduced me to the man before. Instructing me to wait a short distance away, she had approached Sanreal, spoken to him in a hushed whisper that Mirai¡¯s uncanny hearing failed to catch, and then returned to me.


    ¡°A word of warning. Be good. Be patient. And be on your best behavior.¡± With that she had left me behind and exited the garden.


    After a few moments pondering what to do next, I had walked up to Phelan Sanreal Erz Novis, bringing us to where we were now.


    Pursing my lips, I rummaged in my head for a simple way of explaining myself, then took a deep breath and explained, ¡°I had a wardrobe malfunction.¡±


    Sanreal¡¯s gaze again swept over me, slowing at the usual places. ¡°A wardrobe¡­malfunction?¡±


    I made a tearing motion with my hands. ¡°Rip.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­.¡±


    He turned away slowly and resumed what he¡¯d been doing before my arrival ¨C feeding the fish swimming in a nearby stream.


    With my lips subconsciously pouting, I planted my hands on my hips and stared at the man who¡¯d summoned me but was now ignoring me.


    Phelan Sanreal Erz Novis was dressed in an outfit that was all about loose robes that came in a collection of greys, blacks, whites, and golds. Later, when I found the time to ask Kyoko about it, I would learn that Sanreal had acquired the antiquated dressing habits of an ancient people from a tiny island nation on Mother Earth. More specifically, they were the traditional dressing habits of the ancient Japanese feudal lords that consisted of various kimonos, a hakama, sandals and tabi socks.


    When I asked her why, Kyoko would merely shrug and say, ¡°He admires them.¡±


    So while I was dressed like a Fantasy RPG tavern maid, Sanreal was clothed like an ancient feudal warlord from a distant past. Hidden beneath the loose clothing, it was hard to tell what his body shape was like but I did gauge he was broad shouldered, and I had the impression he took care of himself. Overall, I judged him to be aged in his fifties, with greying hair and the usual collection of frown lines. Studying him, I had the impression he was a handsome man in his younger years. That said, he had a distinguished, noble air about him. His eyes were dark and when he¡¯d looked at me moments ago, they had projected a palpable, penetrating gaze that made them almost hard to meet.


    But now he was ignoring me as he fed the fish in the stream.


    At that point the sparks were lit, and my stubborn, rebellious fires blazed anew.


    ¡°Okay dokey. I¡¯m off.¡± I waved at him as he tossed pellets into the stream, and spun with surprising grace on my one-inch heeled black shoes with their shining butterfly buckles. ¡°Nice meeting you.¡±


    And with that I walked away in the direction Kyoko had departed.


    I wasn¡¯t going to waste time waiting for this asshole to finish feeding his fish. What was next? Was he going to lie down and take a nap under the artificial sky?


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°Yikes!¡± I skidded to a halt as Ghost materialized before me. ¡°What¡±¡ªI quickly lowered my voice to a whisper¡ª¡°what are you doing here?¡±


    Ghost sighed, folded his arms, and shook his head at me in veiled disappointment. ¡°Princess, for as long as we have been acquainted, you rarely heed my advice or that of anyone else.¡±


    I absorbed his remark then promptly denied. ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°When your sister told you to wait, did you wait?¡±


    ¡°¡­eh¡­okay¡­but that was just one occasion¡­.¡±


    ¡°Patience, as they say, is a virtue.¡±


    I jumped mental tracks to keep up with him. ¡°Are you telling me to wait for this guy?¡±


    ¡°I am telling you to exercise patience,¡± he answered coldly, so much so that I flinched as the recipient of his icy tone. ¡°In this situation, patience is a well warranted virtue.¡±


    ¡°After everything I¡¯ve been through, I¡¯m supposed to wait¡ª¡±


    Ghost stepped up to me, bringing the gap between us down to centimeters. ¡°Let me make something abundantly clear to you, Princess.¡±


    I shied back a half step. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat¡­?¡±


    Ghost pointed behind me. ¡°That man over there holds your life in the palm of his hand.¡±


    I started to retort but Ghost silenced me with an unforgiving stare that again made me flinch.


    ¡°It would be wise, Princess. Very wise to heed my warning. To heed Kyoko¡¯s warning. Be good. Be patient. Behave. And for your sake and only your sake, take the attitude and arrogance you so freely throw around and cast it aside.¡±


    I¡¯d been thrown of my proverbial footing by his calm, cold, tirade that doused some of my fire and literally broke my stride. But now I bristled. ¡°Cast it aside¡ª?¡±


    Ghost leaned into me. ¡°Yes. Or stuff it down your bra. I do not care. Is that clear enough for you?¡±


    Leaning back, I hissed at him like a wildcat. ¡°What is with your attitude?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to die or live?¡±


    My mouth fell open and all I could do was stare at him in disbelief.


    Ghost sighed heavily as he straightened. But then he took me by surprise.


    Dropping to both knees, he closed his eyes and bowed his head before me.


    ¡°Princes, you are incorrigible. You are rude, reckless, unpredictable, without regard, and stubborn when you should be flexible. If I ask you politely to do something for your own sake you ignore me. If I vent upon you in frustration, you act like the victim. But I will not be responsible for the outcome. Not on this occasion. From this point on, your fate is in your hands. Literally. But your life is in his hands as well. In other words, how you behave, how you respond, and what you say over the next few minutes will determine the rest of your life. And I am prohibited from helping you. If you think you can summon your Sarcophagus, that is not going to happen. If I override their control over your Sarcophagus, if I betray them, there will be a price to pay, one that I cannot afford.¡± He raised his head and looked up at me with a hint of desperation. ¡°So do not ask of me what I cannot give.¡±


    I swallowed twice to clear my throat, but when I tried to speak, Ghost cut off me.


    ¡°Knowing you, Princess, I sincerely fear for your future. So please, please, do not act off the cuffs of your blouse. I beg of your, Princess, because I cannot help you. I beg of you to not fly off the handle. I beg of you to demonstrate maturity beyond your years. For your sake¡­.¡±


    And with that so-called warning, Ghost vanished from my eyes, leaving me alone, speechless, and without the opportunity to retort or retaliate or ask him a single question.


    I kept looking down at the paved path where Ghost had knelt before me.


    On the one hand, there was Ghost¡¯s cold, unpleasant attitude toward me.


    On the other, there was the severity of his warning.


    And then there was the sight of him quite clearly pleading with me.


    All of it left me unable to move for a long, long while as my thoughts slowly recovered and a myriad collection of emotions swirled chaotically within me. Eventually, my feelings began to settle, and much of my composure returned. But it was still another minute before I was able to slowly turn around, and look in the direction of Phelan Sanreal who continued feeding the fish in the stream.


    ¡°That man over there holds your life in the palm of his hand.¡±


    I swallowed then glanced down at myself.


    So why the Hell am I dressed like this?


    But then another question settled in the forefront of my mind.


    Do they know that he¡¯s reestablished contact with me? If so, then that means they know he¡¯s been supporting me all this time since leaving the boat¡ªsince returning to Ar Telica.


    I felt cold inside, a frigid cold that put pressure on my heart and lungs.


    So what do I do? Act mature? Don¡¯t lose my cool?


    Considering everything that had happened to me so far, and how much I blamed them for my suffering, how was I supposed to contain myself?


    I looked down at my hands then held them out before me. To my disbelief, they were unbelievably steady, and after a short while I lowered them down to my sides.


    Sanreal wasn¡¯t looking my way, but I didn¡¯t believe for a heartbeat that he hadn¡¯t noticed my recent behavior, and that proved to me that he knew about Ghost and I.


    So the question was what to do now? How do I approach him? How do I deal with this situation? This man wasn¡¯t Erina, or Straus, or Arnval. He certainly wasn¡¯t Kyoko. If I heeded to Ghost¡¯s wishes, I would need to do so from this very moment.


    Patience is a virtue.


    Remembering Ghost¡¯s words, I swallowed again ¨C it sounded loud in my ears ¨C and then walked back toward Sanreal, coming to a tidy stop a few feet away from him.


    Sanreal glanced down at the squarish metal container in his left hand. ¡°I thought you were leaving.¡±


    I wet my lips as I mulled over how best to reply. Eventually, all I said was, ¡°No, sir.¡±


    Perhaps I imagined it, but I was certain I¡¯d seen Sanreal stiffen ever so slightly.


    ¡°I see¡­.¡± He closed the container¡¯s lid and slipped his hands into his loose sleeves. ¡°Walk with me.¡±


    I walked a couple of feet off his left shoulder as I followed him at a slow pace down at the path. I could hear the sounds of the flowing water, the crunching of gravel underfoot, and in the distance the sound of birds. In fact, when I glanced up I noticed a small flock of them flying over the house. And here and there a few insects flitted between flowers adorning the garden.


    And I could also hear the sound of my heart, the pounding of which I blamed on Ghost.


    But it was also in part due to finally meeting the man who ruled House Novis, and as much as I wanted to deny it, this man did indeed hold my fate in his hands.


    I need to play my cards right. That¡¯s what Ghost was trying to tell me in too many words. But I get it. I¡¯m not that stupid.


    The path lead past a low arched bridge spanning over the three-foot wide stream running beside us. Arriving at the junction, Sanreal paused and broke his silence. ¡°How is your sister?¡±


    My sister? I felt the need to snort but refrained myself at the last moment. I held no allusions that he didn¡¯t already know Erina¡¯s condition. But Ghost¡¯s warning echoed in my head, so I chose my words carefully.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t visited her, sir. But Miss Kyoko told me she is recovering well.¡± I swallowed my distaste before adding, ¡°With your permission, I¡¯d like to see her.¡±


    Sanreal hadn¡¯t looked at me once since we started walking. But facing in the direction of the bridge, he glanced at me over a shoulder. ¡°By all means.¡±


    He walked up to the pinnacle of the bridge, and I followed him after a moment or two. However, I kept my distance as I stood quietly on the bridge.


    Sanreal removed his hands from the sleeves of his kimono jacket. Opening the metal container, he deposited a small quantity of the pellets onto the palm of one hand, then calmly tossed them out into the stream below the bridge.


    ¡°Revenant has been telling me a great deal about you.¡±


    My heart skipped a beat and my innards clenched at his admission. The proverbial cat was out of the bag.


    Sanreal emptied the rest of the container¡¯s contents by upending it over the flower water. ¡°Did you think we didn¡¯t know?¡±


    My heart had resumed its stride but it felt shaky in my chest. ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    ¡°I presume he had some words of advice for you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Sanreal snorted softly, and the empty container slipped into the folds of his kimono. ¡°What did he tell you?¡±


    ¡°That my life is in your hands.¡±


    He smiled and faintly nodded. ¡°Your life is in my hands¡­.¡± Sparing me a glance, he asked, ¡°I¡¯m surprised your containing yourself. You must be chomping at the bit to unleash all that pent up rage, anger, and resentment.¡±


    I bit my lower lip, then replied candidly. ¡°Ghost convinced me it was in my best interests to behave.¡±


    ¡°A wise Ghost he is. But¡­why call him Ghost? You already know his name is Revenant.¡±


    My eyes widened as surprise and shock washed through me.


    Sanreal was studying me carefully, not missing my reaction, and delivered the coup de grace. ¡°You paid my daughter a visit.¡±


    The cat wasn¡¯t out of the bag. The whole tiger had jumped out.


    I fumbled for how to respond, then realized it wasn¡¯t a question, and yet I felt I had to say something. ¡°Ghost took me to see her. In there, she told me about what happened to her when she was a child¡­and about her mother.¡±


    A long moment went by, and then Sanreal calmly asked, ¡°And?¡±


    I found myself needing to take a very deep breath as I remembered the encounter, and the experience was still fresh in my mind. ¡°I hated it.¡±


    Sanreal expressed subtle surprise and turned a little more toward me. ¡°You hated it?¡±


    ¡°I hate knowing what was done to her.¡± I sensed I¡¯d clenched my hands, so I discreetly hid them behind my back. ¡°I hate knowing that she¡¯s living in that prison for a crime she didn¡¯t commit. She¡¯s suffering because of what others did to her. It¡¯s not fair.¡±


    It was true. What was done to Clarisol was something I couldn¡¯t accept. In some respects, I found her situation and existence more difficult and pitiful than mine. I felt genuine sorrow for her because I understood that the Clarisol that had tormented me wasn¡¯t the Clarisol living in a virtual prison.


    ¡°Would you trade places with her?¡±


    It took me a few moments to understand what he was asking. I weighed my feelings and then resolutely answered, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Taking yet another deep breath, I surprised myself by taking a step toward him. ¡°Why is she still in there?¡±


    Sanreal¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly then fell. ¡°She is the noose around my neck.¡±


    Unable to respond, all I managed for a while was to stare at him. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°If we do not abide by the Empress¡¯s will, she has the authority to wipe the last remnants of my daughter out of existence.¡±


    I hesitated before asking, ¡°What about the Simulacra of her?¡±


    Sanreal snorted under his breath, and looked down at the stream flowing below the bridge. ¡°They are¡­poor copies. Flawed copies. Hardly worth the mention or the resources spent on their manufacture.¡±


    I was shocked by his words, but a part of my mind was puzzled by something. ¡°Why? If she¡¯s the noose around you, why didn¡¯t you hand Project Mirai over to the Empress when she demanded it?¡±


    He was quiet for short a while, his attention on the stream. ¡°Because Kateopia did not use Clarisol as leverage. And because for all the anger she expressed, she never once gave me a reasonable answer as to why she wanted Project Mirai for herself. And so I stood my ground. My intentions to use Mirai as a host for my daughter were dashed, but I still held hope that you would fulfill the potential your sister fervently believes in. The potential she promised me.¡±


    ¡°The potential? My potential?¡±


    ¡°Mirai¡¯s potential. Your sister believes Mirai carries within her the hope for a better humanity. And with it comes hope for my daughter.¡± He backed away from the bridge¡¯s guardrail and then turned to face me. ¡°But now I wonder if I was wrong about you.¡±


    I felt suddenly uneasy.


    His tone had grown distinctly cold and his dark eyes were like twin voids threatening to drain me of my soul.


    I had to swallow twice to clear my throat that also felt strangled by his gaze. ¡°¡­me¡­?¡±


    ¡°I have contemplated long and hard what to do with you. After observing your behavior since your awakening, I am convinced you are a failure. The mind of a teenage boy imprinted into the brain of a female Simulacra was a recipe for disaster. And I was right. But that was clearly Kateopia¡¯s intention. To make an utter mess of Project Mirai. And to ruin the plans I had so carefully laid out for my daughter.¡±


    ¡°What about Erina¡¯s plans for me?¡±


    Sanreal huffed and glanced away. ¡°Your sister¡¯s plans haven¡¯t changed. Only the mind inside Mirai changed. In fact, this situation suits her splendidly. A fact not lost on me.¡±


    I realized with a sinking feeling to what he was alluding to ¨C that he believed Erina had revealed the existence of Mirai to the Empress, something I had already considered with what little Ghost had revealed to me about the circumstances surrounding my existence. However, I kept that thought to myself.


    Sanreal continued after seemingly giving me a moment to absorb his statement. ¡°That leaves me with a problem. I cannot dispose of you, but you¡¯re worth nothing to me.¡±


    ¡°You¡­can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°One of the conditions Kateopia imposed on us ¨C on me ¨C was that I make no attempt to dispose of you. I don¡¯t know why, but she seems to have taken an inexplicable interest in you. To that end, she guaranteed that she would not harm Clarisol. She even promised me something in return.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°That if you were to win the Gun Princess Royale and be crowned Empress, she would release Clarisol from her imprisonment.¡±


    I felt myself sway and hastily reached out of the bridge¡¯s stone handrail.


    Sanreal was shaking his head at me slowly. ¡°And so you¡¯ve become my unexpected hope.¡±


    Yes, but what did that mean for me.


    ¡°And so I¡¯ve considered my options and decided on the safest course of action. One that guarantees you won¡¯t be causing us anymore trouble.¡±


    I felt my heart abruptly hammer inside my chest as I recalled Straus¡¯s warning.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to box me.¡±


    Sanreal offered me a subtle nod. ¡°Yes, Isabel. I¡¯m going to box you.¡±


    I held myself upright by using the bridge¡¯s handrail, and the grip on my emotions began to weaken. It was anger that slipped through first. ¡°Why? Why would you do this to me?¡±


    ¡°Because you are a walking calamity. In the span of two days you have created all sorts of problems for us. You¡¯re belligerent, bellicose, aggressive. You fight at every opportunity. You jump off buildings, disappear into the night, break into buildings, and cause a public sensation. I shudder at the prospect of what you¡¯ll do next. You are an unstable, unpredictable element in a highly volatile situation. If something isn¡¯t done about you, you¡¯ll destroy yourself sooner rather than later.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t true. I¡¯ve had my reasons¡ª¡±


    ¡°Reasons?¡± He arched his eyebrows. ¡°Reasons for behaving like a delinquent? Reasons for negotiating with our enemies? Reasons for behaving like a speeding train wreck? Do I need to ask for those reasons?¡±


    ¡°You have no guilt for what you¡¯ve done to me.¡±


    ¡°Blame the Empress.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I blame her. But I blame you¡ªI blame Erina¡ªfor what my life has become.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s understandable. And it¡¯s quite clear that no amount of reasoning with you will make a difference. You¡¯ve decided we should all burn in Hell. So be it. I would gladly toss you to the Hell Fires if that would rid me off you. But Kateopia has decreed otherwise. But having seen how you turned out, I am tempted to simply hand you over to her. Considering how much trouble you¡¯ve been for us, sending you to the Empress is an option. Though, Kateopia isn¡¯t one to tolerate fools such as yourself. She¡¯s liable to do worse than box you. She may decide you¡¯re too much trouble and scrap you.¡±


    I fought down the shiver that threatened to make my body tremble. ¡°What about Project Mirai?¡±


    ¡°What about it? It will continue, of course. Your sister will be sorely disappointed, but she isn¡¯t one to give up so easily after a setback. She¡¯ll be free to create another Mirai, and perhaps this time without Kateopia¡¯s interference. As you can see, it¡¯s certainly an attractive option.¡±


    I pushed away from the guardrail, and took a long stride toward him. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve already decided to box you.¡±


    ¡°What about the Gun Princess Royale? Doesn¡¯t Kateopia want me to fight?¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°And fight you shall,¡± he replied. ¡°You¡¯ll be released to meet your commitments in the championship. And if you survive, it¡¯s back in the box.¡±


    ¡°Gods damn you¡ªdamn you to Hell!¡±


    ¡°You brought this on yourself. Had you comported yourself in a rational manner, instead of an out of control mag-lev, I would have considered other options to deal with you. Other far more pleasant and worthwhile options. But no. You decided to act without regard for the consequences of your actions.¡±


    I clenched my hands and whispered, ¡°Frek you.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you. And now, our time is at an end.¡±


    My body trembled with equal parts anger and fear. ¡°I won¡¯t let you do this to me.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to call for help? Will you summon your Sarcophagus?¡± He shook his head while smiling thinly at me. ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to accept Cardinal¡¯s offer.¡±


    Sanreal¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Very well. Then there is nothing more to discuss. Do as you wish.¡±


    I was befuddled by his response. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°If you wish to accept their offer, then do so. If you believe you can trust them. After all, they¡¯ve shown you how trustworthy they are. I¡¯m sure you have nothing to fear from them.¡±


    Sanreal knew an awful lot about my encounter with Tabitha, which meant that Ghost had some very loose lips. But for that matter, Ghost had acted and sounded with a sense of urgency and desperation I hadn¡¯t seen in him before. Something they ¨C that is, Sanreal ¨C had said to him had profoundly affected him.


    Of course. Clarisol. If I competed and conquered all in the Gun Princess Royale, Clarisol would be freed.


    To Ghost who held deeply rooted feelings of guilt and regret for failing to protect Clarisol and her mother, this was a godsend of good news. Thus it wasn¡¯t just my fate he had been warning me over, but Clarisol¡¯s as well. Had Sanreal approached Ghost with this in mind ¨C to elicit Ghost¡¯s help in dealing with me?


    I realized I¡¯d been staring blankly at Sanreal for a while, but he appeared to be waiting patiently for me to bring my thoughts and feelings into order.


    ¡°Can you trust her?¡± I asked him. ¡°Can you trust the Empress¡¯s word?¡±


    Sanreal¡¯s eyes narrowed faintly. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I have no reason to fight for you. I¡¯ve no reason to co-operate with you. You¡¯ve done nothing but threaten me and bully me around all while expecting me to play nice.¡±


    ¡°And dealing with you nicely would make a difference? You expect me to believe that? You who has no reason to co-operate as you¡¯ve just said. Do you take me for a fool? Nothing we do or say or offer you will make a difference because you¡¯ve never had an interest, any intention, of co-operating. It¡¯s impossible to reach an agreement with you.¡±


    ¡°You want to control me.¡±


    ¡°Of course. You¡¯re our product. We can¡¯t very well have our product telling us what to do.¡± He closed the distance between us to a few inches and stared down at me with poorly disguised contempt. ¡°Who do you think you are? Did you think you could bargain with me? What can you offer me? While it¡¯s true that you¡¯re important, it¡¯s also true that you¡¯re not irreplaceable. Though it will take time, eventually another Mirai can be produced, at which point you can be replaced. Kateopia doesn¡¯t even need to know¡ªmay never know¡ªif and when we make the switch. But a more compliant Mirai is preferable to a noncompliant one. And if you wish to run to House Cardinal, then so be it. Our research into the Angel Fibers is so far along we have nothing to fear from House Cardinal¡¯s scientists taking you apart.¡±


    I ground my molars together in growing anger. ¡°This is why I don¡¯t co-operate with you. Because you don¡¯t see me as a person. If you did, then things would be different. But you said it yourself¡ªI¡¯m product. But I¡¯m not a thing. I¡¯m a person. And until you get that through your thick head, I will never help you¡ªnever fight for you!¡±


    ¡°Then we have no further need for you.¡± He turned around smoothly, and began calmly walking along the bridge toward the opposite bank of the stream. ¡°I¡¯ll make arrangements to have you returned to Ar Telica. From there you can make your own way to House Cardinal. Feel free to do as you wish.¡±


    I was knocked aback by how quickly I¡¯d been discarded. ¡°That¡¯s it? You¡¯re not even going to try to convince me.¡±


    Beneath his loose robes, he shrugged. ¡°Why bother? It¡¯s impossible to reach an agreement with you.¡±


    I followed him off the bridge and yelled, ¡°You haven¡¯t even asked me what I want!¡±


    Sanreal stopped quickly on the paved path, but didn¡¯t turn around to face me. ¡°Then what do you want?¡±


    I halted as well, a few feet away from him, breathing heavily under the influence of my roiling emotions. ¡°I want my life back!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible. It was never your life to begin with.¡±


    My heart began to hammer painfully, angrily, but I reached inwardly to wrap my will around my emotions and contain them. ¡°Then can¡¯t you give me another life?¡±


    With his back to me, Sanreal replied, ¡°You already have a new life.¡±


    ¡°No, I want to live as a boy. As a man.¡±


    Sanreal turned slightly toward me, but his back still faced me. ¡°Transferring your neural map into a male Simulacrum is possible, but there may be complications afterwards. Psychological and neurological consequences. Are you prepared for that?¡±


    ¡°You transferred a male neural map into Mirai¡¯s female brain. What about the consequences of doing that?¡±


    ¡°We had no choice. The Empress was dictating terms. Perhaps it explains your irrational behavior.¡±


    He had a valid point.


    The stark difference between my behavior as Ronin Kassius and the way I acted now wasn¡¯t lost on me. It was something that had crossed my mind recently and it sincerely worried me. So perhaps there was some truth to Sanreal¡¯s supposition that perhaps my confrontational behavior, my willingness to jump into a fight, my difficulties dealing with a situation calmly, and my hair trigger temper wasn¡¯t because of Mirai alone, but because my male mind was in conflict with the structure of Mirai¡¯s female brain.


    Sanreal turned his head a little more toward me, but he was far from facing me. ¡°However, if that is what you truly desire, I can have it arranged.¡±


    With my thoughts elsewhere, I was a little slow on the uptake and blinked at him blankly for a moment or two.


    Sanreal pressed on. ¡°However, consider this. A copy of your neural map as it is now would be transferred. A copy. Nothing more. That means that the person you are now will remain behind. The process does not involve removing the brain from Mirai and implanting it into a male Simulacrum body. It would be the copy that lives as a man, while you continue to live as Mirai.¡± Sanreal then half turned his body toward me, and regarded me askance. ¡°The moment you awoke, you became Mirai. You will always be Mirai. There is no escaping that reality.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t telling me something new, but being reminded of this truth was hard to accept, and I couldn¡¯t keep myself from trembling as my emotions once again tore loose and ran rampant within me. However, before I cried out and wailed in rage and despair, Sanreal sliced through my thoughts like a knife through warm butter.


    ¡°It¡¯s truly a pity that you cannot appreciate how special you are.¡±


    The emotions boiling within me suddenly cooled to a simmer. ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°You hold such potential, and your life as Mirai and Isabel holds so much more promise than your existence as Ronin Kassius ever did, or will. Why are so determined to throw it all away? You could live as you¡¯ve never lived before. True, there will be hardships, and the Gun Princess Royale is brutal, but you are more than just Mirai. You are Isabel val Sanreal. You are a daughter of the Sanreal Family, and thereby a member of House Novis.¡±


    He turned around and faced me, standing on the path while I stood on the bridge.


    ¡°And that makes you my daughter. That makes you family.¡±


    I stared at him, my thoughts grinding back into gear. ¡°You said I was nothing to you.¡±


    Sanreal sighed long and loudly. ¡°I would be lying if I said that having another daughter doesn¡¯t appeal to me.¡±


    ¡°You have Clarisol.¡±


    ¡°Yes. And now I have you. Two sons. Two daughters.¡±


    Why was my heart beating so hard? Why was I feeling my emotions being swayed? Was it because after everything I¡¯d been through, after the near constant antagonism with almost everyone around me, was I tired of fighting? Had I been broken? Or was this what I¡¯d wanted from the start?


    Sanreal walked slowly back to the foot of the bridge and looked up at me. ¡°You said you wanted to be treated as a person, not a product. I¡¯m open to treating you like a daughter¡ªalbeit illegitimate¡ªbut nonetheless as my daughter. And whether you are illegitimate or not, by its very definition you were conceived out of love between your mother and I.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have a mother. None of my past is real. There is no love.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there? How do you know that it isn¡¯t real? How do you know that Isabel Allegrando did not exist?¡±


    I swallowed sharply. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°Real is subjective. And I had a hand in your creation. But regardless of your origins, I am willing and open to accept you as my daughter. Not a product. Not a thing. But as a child of mine.¡±


    I swallowed a little more slowly, but my confused, conflicted feelings were making it difficult to maintain my outward composure which was already fragile and close to shattering. ¡°You would accept me?¡±


    Sanreal nodded and his expression that had been stern now softened. ¡°Of course. Why else did you think I brought you here?¡±


    I shook my head haltingly, showing my confusion and uncertainty. ¡°But¡­but you said you wanted to box me.¡±


    Sanreal smiled and I saw a trace of embarrassment in his eyes as he averted his gaze for a moment. ¡°Well, that was something of a last resort.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to box me?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to be boxed?¡± he asked in reply.


    I shook my head, weakly at first, then firmly. ¡°No¡­.¡±


    ¡°Then that settles it.¡±


    I stared at him, unable to comprehend this abrupt turn of events, or the change in the man who¡¯d so steadfastly refused me at every verbal turn. ¡°Why? Why would you decide this now?¡±


    Sanreal looked uncomfortable, yet there was something fatherly about his countenance. Though memories were vague and fuzzy, it was something I remembered seeing my own father express toward Erina ¨C a kind of sheepish, awkwardness as he struggled to make a connection with her or reach a degree of understanding with his daughter.


    And this is what I was seeing in Sanreal now.


    I had wanted to be treated like a person, and here was someone who was reaching out to me as family ¨C as a father. It wasn¡¯t entirely what I wanted. I wasn¡¯t being treated like a son. I was being treated like a daughter. I felt angry. Revolted. Frustrated. I wanted to scream at him. But I couldn¡¯t. I hated it, and yet by the same token I couldn¡¯t bring myself to reject it. And suddenly, I experienced a glimmer of what it was like for Erina to deal with our father, and how difficult it may have been for him.


    And I realized that I envied her.


    I had envied her all these years.


    I had envied the love and affection my parents had bestowed upon her, and so I had boxed those memories away.


    I had envied her intelligence and her achievements, and thus I was relieved when she distanced herself from me, but deep down, subconsciously, I had continued to envy her¡­and perhaps I still did.


    ¡°Isabel?¡±


    I had fallen silent for a long while, and Sanreal had grown faintly anxious.


    I looked down at him, and struggled to clear my throat. My heart continued to pound away in my chest, and my feelings were a convoluted mush, but the pressure from within had eased.


    Kyoko had said I didn¡¯t need to discard my past in order to step forward, because my past was the starting line. The moment I awoke as Mirai, I inherited the legacy of Ronin Kassius¡¯s life. But it wasn¡¯t just his memories that I carried. It was his mind, his personality, his grudges, his loneliness, and his pain. Ronin was incomplete, a fact he had squarely denied to himself, and for the most part succeeded in bottling away. But I couldn¡¯t do the same. Maybe it was because I wasn¡¯t a man anymore. Or rather, maybe it was because of Mirai¡¯s female brain working differently and thereby having different needs. The consequence was that I couldn¡¯t bottle away the emptiness he felt. I realized that I needed to find what I was missing, and now I began to understand what it was.


    As Mirai, I wanted to be treated as a person and wanted to be recognized for who I was.


    As Ronin, I wanted achievements of my own.


    But together, we wanted to be part of something bigger ¨C something he¡¯d been missing since his parents left Erina and I behind.


    With a fair amount of difficulty, I managed to push the feelings choking my throat aside, and recover a little of my voice. ¡°Will you truly accept me?¡±


    Sanreal¡¯s gaze wavered for a heartbeat before returning to me. ¡°If you¡¯ll accept us. And if you¡¯ll accept your place as Isabel within the Sanreal Family.¡±


    ¡°And if I fight as Mirai.¡±


    Sanreal¡¯s lips pursed into a troubled line. ¡°Yes. As unfortunate as that is.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll treat me like family.¡±


    He nodded faintly yet firmly. ¡°If you¡¯ll treat us as family.¡±


    I took a shuddering breath, and released it unsteadily. ¡°I¡¯m not ready to start calling you father.¡±


    ¡°Disappointing, but understandable under the circumstances.¡±


    ¡°I might be more trouble than I¡¯m worth.¡±


    He sighed and shook his head. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just have to treat you like a problematic daughter.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not going to box me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to box you.¡±


    I took yet another shuddering breath, held it in for a long, long while, then expelled it in a rush.


    Quietly, I walked down the short bridge and stood before Phelan Sanreal Erz Novis.


    ¡°So what now?¡± I asked, unable to hide my uncertain yet hopeful feelings.


    Sanreal¡¯s gaze met mine and he gave me a steady smile. ¡°Welcome to the family, Isabel.¡±


    ¨C II ¨C


    Erina¡¯s eyes had a bruised look to them as she stared at me in silence after listening to me recount my encounter with Sanreal.


    She sat on the med-bed that quietly monitored her condition, wearing a hospital gown, her hands neatly folded over her midriff.


    She¡¯d been allocated to a suite that was identical to mine but in the villa¡¯s opposite wing. I figured the med-bed in her bedroom was a necessary new addition, however the large bedroom had no trouble accommodating it and the pre-existing queen-sized four-post bed.


    With the bedroom¡¯s large window behind me, I sat on a chair beside the med-bed. After I finished telling her about what happened between Sanreal and I, silence had shrouded the bedroom and it dragged on for many minutes until Erina decorously cleared her throat, and then calmly asked, ¡°What will you do?¡±


    I didn¡¯t meet Erina¡¯s eyes. I didn¡¯t need to. I could see her well enough as I looked down at her legs pushing up the bed covers from underneath. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°When you return to Ar Telica will you continue to live with me? Or will you seek other living arrangements?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t thought about it¡­.¡±


    Within the edge of my peripheral vision, I watched Erina lean back against the pillows that helped prop her up.


    Again the room was quiet for a long while, and again it was Erina who eventually broke that silence. ¡°I will tell you one thing. Sanreal is a wily old fox. You haven¡¯t earned their trust. They¡¯re going to watch you carefully. And though Sanreal has said he won¡¯t box you, I¡¯d take that with a kilo of salt. To Sanreal, restoring House Novis to the rank of Alus is important to him. He¡¯ll do what it takes to make that happen. He won¡¯t have any qualms about manipulating and using you, especially when you¡¯re at your most vulnerable.¡±


    This time I spared her a glance. Most vulnerable? Where does she get off telling me that? Who do you think is the most responsible for me being at my most vulnerable!


    I relaxed my jaw enough to reply, ¡°I know that.¡±


    After Kyoko had guided me back to my suite, she¡¯d embraced me, and warmly congratulated me. She described my decision as an important milestone in my journey to discover my life. Her feelings had felt pure, so I earnestly thanked her but asked her to be alone.


    After she left, I¡¯d lain on my bed for a long while as I turned my situation carefully over in my head, looking for as many angles as I could identify. What I concluded with a dull chill was that I wasn¡¯t out of the woods. Sanreal¡¯s acceptance was more like a reprieve. In other words, when considered rationally I understood that I had somehow earned myself a suspended sentence. I also acknowledged that I was going to have to be a lot smarter from now on. I had realized that in one respect I had entered into a game of deception, not with Kyoko, but with Sanreal.


    I raised my head slightly as I looked at Erina. ¡°I¡¯m not that na?ve. But I don¡¯t want to keep fighting. I¡¯m tired of fighting.¡±


    A game of deception, indeed, and Erina was one of the players.


    Erina¡¯s eyes narrowed but not with doubt. She was openly scrutinizing me. ¡°So you¡¯ve decided to zig-zag instead. Remarkable. There is a brain inside that head of yours.¡±


    ¡°You should know. You made me.¡±


    ¡°I only wish you¡¯d used it before.¡±


    ¡°Frek you, Erina,¡± I snapped. ¡°Ever the bitch.¡± I rose from the chair I¡¯d been sitting on. ¡°I really don¡¯t know why I came here. Talking to you is a waste of time. But I¡¯ll tell you one thing. I may not trust them, but I¡¯m going to give them a chance. And Sanreal is doing the same. He¡¯s taking a chance on me. I¡¯ll admit I¡¯ve been acting stupidly. I¡¯ve been all over the place, literally. But I can¡¯t keep going like that. I had a close call. A near miss. Now I¡¯ve got to rein myself in before they do.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to play nice?¡± Erina humphed softly, then added, ¡°They are going to test you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Erina met my questioning eyes. ¡°They are going to test you. They¡¯ll want to see which way you turn.¡±


    ¡°Test me. How?¡±


    ¡°You need to be careful,¡± she stated solemnly. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡±


    I stiffened and my innards grew cold.


    I was well aware that if I opened myself up to Sanreal and lowered my guard around my feelings, I would face the prospect of being betrayed and hurt. Although I wanted to accept Sanreal¡¯s words and sentiments at face value, I also knew that I was dealing with someone who had a bigger picture in mind. Ergo, the future prosperity of House Novis. Everything he¡¯d said to me could turn out to be nothing more than a lie ¨C a means to secure my co-operation ¨C and having been worn down by my recent hardships, I had been all too receptive to a sudden show of kindness and understanding.


    In that sense, I understood that Sanreal and Kyoko had taken advantage of me. However, I had looked at Kyoko¡¯s aura and I had sensed no lie in her feelings. Yet there was a difference between someone telling the truth, and their underlying intentions. Kyoko sincerely desired that I find happiness by following the path that led to life as Isabel val Sanreal. That much was evident, and I had reluctantly taken a long step down that path.


    On the other hand, I hadn¡¯t looked at Sanreal¡¯s aura at all. It was there, burning golden, but I¡¯d not paid attention to it, something I know regretted. However, this was only the opening move. As I said earlier, a new game had started, one where my future was still on the line. I would have other opportunities to study Sanreal¡¯s aura and to search for the lie. But what if there wasn¡¯t any? What if Sanreal had expressed his true sentiments? What if I was welcomed as a daughter of the Sanreal Family? What then? I couldn¡¯t deny the attraction that held for me because part of me yearned to be accepted. I felt a clear warmth in my heart at the prospect of being welcomed.


    Family. A new family. Is it wrong for me to hope that things will be different this time? Is it wrong for me to hold out hope?


    However, if there was mutual acceptance, I would again find myself living without recourse as Isabel val Sanreal, and I wasn¡¯t ready for that. I felt as though the price was still too great for me.


    Erina¡¯s eyes were looking at me intently. ¡°Trust your instincts. Your woman¡¯s intuition.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I blinked, and fell off my train of thought. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Rely on Mirai. She will keep you safe.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m Mirai.¡±


    Erina looked away and faced the wall beyond the foot of her bed. ¡°Is that so? Then that¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand her at all. What was she saying to me? ¡°Erina¡ª¡±


    ¡°When the time comes, don¡¯t hesitate. Do what you need to do.¡± She looked at me again. ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ve got no idea¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your priority is to survive.¡±


    And then I caught something whispered so softly human ears would have failed to catch it. But Mirai wasn¡¯t human and her hearing was unparalleled by other living creatures.


    ¡°¡­if something were to happen to me¡­.¡±


    I felt suddenly uneasy, and yet a frown spread across my forehead as I walked back to Erina and stood beside her bed. ¡°Stop mincing words. Get to the point.¡±


    For her part, I saw a flicker of hesitation in Erina¡¯s eyes, but her voice betrayed none of it. ¡°I told you already. They¡¯re going to test you. And you¡¯ll need to make a choice. You¡¯ll need to decide what is best for you. To believe in them. Or to believe in yourself. But keep in mind one truth. There is no true freedom. Even if Sanreal is being earnest with you, you are not free. You won¡¯t be free to do as you please. If you push the boundaries of what¡¯s tolerable to them, you will be boxed. Make no mistake, and hold no illusions to the contrary.¡±


    My breathing felt oddly calm despite the uncertainty Erina was stirring within me.


    ¡°I know that,¡± I eventually stated. ¡°I know that I¡¯m on shaky ground. And I know that I can¡¯t unreservedly trust anyone. I know that Sanreal could have been deceiving me¡ªtaking advantage of me¡ªturning the tables on me. And I know that I was too trusting of Ghost. I relied on him. I thought he¡¯d be there to help. I forgot where his loyalties lie, and that was my mistake.¡±


    In the corner of my eye, I watched him standing silently in a corner of the room, arms crossed, head bowed.


    While I was lying on my bed, trying to encapsulate my situation, Ghost had quietly explained that the Empress had discovered our visit to Clarisol¡¯s virtual prison. It may have had something to do with Ghost bringing me alone to meet Clarisol, because he had made many visits and never been caught. But on that occasion, the breach had been noticed and the Empress had wasted little time putting pressure on Phelan Sanreal. She had demanded Ghost be terminated, but Sanreal had refused. At some point, it almost seemed as though the Empress would pull the plug on the virtual prison. However, she chose not to, perhaps because she enjoyed tormenting Sanreal. Regardless, Clarisol¡¯s virtual existence would live another day, but all visitation rights had been indefinitely suspended, and that included visits from her father.


    Ghost had apologized profusely to Sanreal, and assumed all responsibility for the fiasco, but the damage was done, and Ghost had been obliged to spill the beans on my antics. All of which painted me in a poor light in Sanreal¡¯s eyes. This explained Ghost resorting to pleading with me to behave before the Lord and Master of House Novis.


    Erina shook her head slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t blame him. At the end of the day, he has no choice but to obey.¡±


    Her sentiment surprised me and the look on my face told her as much. Truthfully, I didn¡¯t disagree with her. Deep down, I had suspected the truth would eventually see the light of day. Maybe it was better this way, but I still felt betrayed even though Ghost had been backed into a very unforgiving corner.


    Erina sighed gently. ¡°Ghost is a troubled soul. He¡¯s trapped as you are. And his burden is great.¡±


    ¡°You mean because of his regrets. Because of Clarisol.¡± I noticed I was fidgeting with my uniform¡¯s apron and hurriedly moved my hands behind my back. ¡°I get that. I really do.¡± Then I thought of what Sanreal had revealed to me. ¡°But maybe I can help him.¡±


    ¡°You mean about the Empress¡¯s promise to release Clarisol¡¯s mind from the virtual prison?¡±


    It may sound odd, but knowing that Erina was aware of my interactions with Ghost, and that she knew I¡¯d visited Clarisol in her virtual prison, felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. And I was the one who¡¯d told her. Why? Like I said, it was something I felt I needed to do after listening to Ghost, and after I spent time mulling over my situation. I still hadn¡¯t told her about Mirai¡¯s ability to see a person¡¯s lifeforce, and I doubted I would, but there were other things that I felt better about sharing. That said, I had to be careful around Erina. I was playing a game of Give and Take. So far I¡¯d done a lot of giving. If I didn¡¯t get something in return, I was going to walk away with a loss. But for the moment, I gave her a nod, and in my peripheral vision I saw Ghost raise his head and look at me with restrained interest.


    Erina pushed herself up higher, and seated herself more upright on the bed. After making herself more comfortable, she crossed her arms gingerly below her breasts ¨C that happened to look less pronounced without help from her push-up bra ¨C and addressed me in a very serious tone.


    ¡°Isabel, freeing Clarisol¡¯s mind would require you to win the Gun Princess Royale.¡± She paused, undoubtedly for effect because she then asked, ¡°Can you comprehend the commitment that would require from you?¡±


    ¡°Commitment¡­.¡±


    Erina nodded shallowly. ¡°The Gun Princess Royale is more than a game. Especially to you. You¡¯re not a mechanical avatar. You¡¯re a living, breathing individual. If you lose, you could die.¡±


    I grimaced. ¡°Yeah, I know that.¡± My gaze drifted slowly over to Ghost standing against the back wall of the room. ¡°I¡¯d have to really throw myself into it.¡± I recognized wary hope in his eyes. ¡°No more messing around. No more wasting time.¡±


    Erina continued in her serious tone, sounding like a school counsellor. ¡°Isabel, it wouldn¡¯t be like studying for finals or entrance exams.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± I replied testily. ¡°Erina, I¡¯m not stupid. I had a taste of what it¡¯s like when I faced the Gun Queen, and frankly it scared me. It really frekking scared me. I¡¯m not looking forward to my first match as a member of Team Novis. And yet I know I can¡¯t avoid it because of that bitch, the Empress. Honestly, honestly, it feels like I¡¯m going to be ground up into beef paddy by the Gun Princess Royale.¡±


    My body began trembling visibly and so I wrapped my arms around my chest. Showing weakness before Erina stung me bitterly but I couldn¡¯t contain it.


    Erina rested her head back and studied my quietly for an uncomfortably long moment.


    I found her gaze irritating and difficult to bear, so I turned away but in so doing my eyes met Ghost¡¯s. He looked startled and broke eye contact, while I felt a pang in my heart and hurriedly looked away.


    ¡°Isabel, can I ask you something?¡±


    When I faced Erina, I noticed the curious light in her eyes. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Can you see him?¡±


    I gave myself away by the shock that sprang onto my face.


    Erina¡¯s eyebrows rose markedly. ¡°You can see him?¡±


    Way to go, Isabel. You dumb shit! Did you forget who you were dealing with?


    Pressing my lips together angrily, I glared at Ghost who¡¯d assumed an innocent ¡®do not blame me¡¯ look, but of course I was going to blame him. Then I heard Erina laugh softly, and when glancing at her, I saw her pressing down upon her bruised ribs.


    ¡°That certainly is interesting,¡± she said while gasping against the pain. ¡°I never expected you would develop the ability to see him.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because the wetware in your head is Remnant technology. We don¡¯t know all of what it can do.¡±


    I turned my glare upon her. ¡°You stuck something you don¡¯t understand into my head?¡±


    ¡°We needed something more advanced than anything we had at our disposal. We turned to the Remnant tech stored in one of the Fabricators. I won¡¯t bore you with the details.¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. Why bother telling me at all? Need to know basis, right?¡±


    ¡°Stop being so angry. You¡¯re alive because of that technology.¡± Erina eyed me sternly. ¡°We had to give you the abilities of a mechanical avatar. How else would you be able to compete effectively in the Gun Princess Royale.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean survive?¡±


    ¡°Same difference.¡±


    I exhaled angrily and stepped away from the bed, walking over to the window instead. It offered a view of the gardens lying between the villa and the lagoon sized pool.


    ¡°Isabel, are you serious about winning? Tell me the truth.¡±


    I folded my arms under my breasts, and my shoulders heaved as I took a deep breath. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m serious.¡± I nodded faintly while watching the breeze sway the flowers in a particularly large flowerbed. ¡°I need to show Sanreal that I¡¯m serious.¡±


    ¡°And how do you intend to do that?¡±


    Again my shoulders rose and fell heavily as I inhaled deeply. ¡°I have an idea about that.¡± Turning away from the window, I looked at Ghost, aware that Erina was following my line of sight though she couldn¡¯t see him. ¡°And I¡¯m going to need your help.¡±


    Ghost pushed away from the wall he¡¯d been lightly leaning against, wariness and anticipation in his eyes, but he remained silent.


    That was fine with me because gathering my resolve required taking another generous breath. ¡°I¡¯m going give House Cardinal my answer.¡±


    Shock spread in a heartbeat across Ghost¡¯s face, and he wasn¡¯t able to contain himself. ¡°Princess, are you planning to accept¡ª?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I told him bluntly. ¡°I¡¯m rejecting Tabitha¡¯s offer to represent her Noble House.¡±


    Ghost visibly relaxed and resumed leaning lightly on the back wall.


    I noticed Erina was looking at me with interest. ¡°What is it?¡±


    She shook her head briskly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± However, she looked over in the direction where she surmised Ghost was standing. ¡°¡­I¡¯d love to see him for myself¡­.¡±


    I gave Ghost a quick look. ¡°Is there a way for her to see you?¡±


    Ghost adopted a thoughtful expression. ¡°She can use her phone¡¯s camera function.¡±


    I walked over to the bedside table where Erina¡¯s phone rested. Handing it to her, I said, ¡°Turn it on. Switch to camera mode.¡±


    Erina did as told.


    I pointed at Ghost. ¡°Aim over there.¡±


    Erina held the phone up and aimed the camera at the back wall.


    Ghost bowed to her politely.


    Wide-eyed, Erina gasped loudly. However, she didn¡¯t drop the phone.


    ¡°Well?¡± I asked her.


    Erina was staring intently at her phone¡¯s screen. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s a hot.¡±


    I cocked my head at her. ¡°That¡¯s the first thing you say?¡±


    ¡°Well he¡¯s definitely my type. You¡¯re a girl. Don¡¯t tell me he doesn¡¯t push your buttons¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, he pushes my buttons all right! He makes me so angry I wish I could hit him.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re getting along¡­.¡±


    Unexpectedly, her voice trailed away, and then she grew still and quiet. And then she visibly paled.


    ¡°Erina?¡± I was confused and unintentionally alarmed by the sudden change that came over her.


    She remained that way for a few seconds longer before slowly shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Nothing at all.¡±


    My worry had eased but I was still confused by her reaction to seeing Ghost for the first time.


    However, she threw me a dirty look. ¡°No wonder you spend so much time around him.¡±


    ¡°Heh?¡± I drew back from her, then waved a hand at her. ¡°It¡¯s not like I can get away from him. He follows me wherever I go.¡±


    Erina stared at me as though I¡¯d gone and lost my mind. ¡°You have a man at your beck and call and you¡¯re complaining?¡±


    I pointed at Ghost while snarking at Erina. ¡°You deal with him for more than a day.¡±


    ¡°I say you¡¯re protesting way too much.¡± She resumed studying Ghost¡¯s image in her phone¡¯s screen. ¡°He¡¯s certainly a good-looking ghost.¡±


    My eyebrows shot to my hairline. ¡°That¡¯s why you were speechless?¡±


    Erina started fanning herself with her free hand. ¡°Is it hot in here or it is just me?¡±


    I rolled my eyes and threw my hands in the air. ¡°Oh, knock it off. Don¡¯t you have a fianc¨¦? You harlot!¡±


    When I reached down to deprive her of her phone, Erina fended me off, then abruptly cried out in agony.


    ¡°What?¡± I yelled, again unintentionally alarmed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°My ribs!¡± She had dropped the phone onto the bedsheets and was clutching at her ribs. ¡°Damn the gods that hurts.¡±


    I felt a tad guilty and decided to step back. ¡°Sorry¡­.¡±


    Erina breathed shallow and fast as she negotiated with the pain. A short while later, she sat up gingerly, and took longer breaths. Her expression grew thoughtful. ¡°Isabel, about the offer House Cardinal made to you. It might not be as simple as sending them a rejection.¡±


    I crossed my arms slowly under my bosom. ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°House Alus Cardinal has the Empress¡¯s ear.¡± Erina took a few more breaths, obviously dealing with the lingering pain across her bruised ribs, then added, ¡°They may challenge House Novis for you.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°The Empress may support their challenge.¡±


    I realized what she was alluding to. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Erina nodded weakly, her face pensive and concerned. ¡°If that happens, you¡¯ll have no choice but to face their challenge.¡±


    ¡°You think they¡¯d challenge me directly.¡±


    Again, she nodded weakly. ¡°Remember, they have a Gun Empress in their pocket. Make that two Gun Empresses.¡±


    Moving away from the wall, Ghost cut in as he approached the foot of the med-bed. ¡°Princess, tell her to switch her phone to speaker mode, or to use the earpiece.¡±


    I relayed his suggestion to Erina, and she chose to detach the earpiece from the phone and fit it to her left ear.


    Ghost then asked, ¡°Doctor Kassius, can you hear me?¡±


    While aiming the phone¡¯s camera at him, Erina looked at his image on the screen and nodded. ¡°I can.¡±


    ¡°Doctor, regarding your suspicions that House Alus Cardinal will challenge House Novis for Mirai, I find myself in agreement.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± I threw him a surprised stare. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°They were involved in the battle between you and the Gun Queen of Ar Telica. They were involved in Ronin Kassius¡¯s ill-fated Zombie Apocalypse session. They have clearly played a part in every major event over the last few days that has involved either Ronin Kassius or Mirai.¡±


    Erina was nodded subtly to his words, then looked up at me. ¡°Isabel, when was the deadline for your reply?¡±


    ¡°Friday. Tabitha said Friday evening. Didn¡¯t Straus tell you?¡±


    ¡°Akane didn¡¯t tell me much. She only mentioned it briefly.¡±


    I realized I hadn¡¯t seen Straus since entering the villa. ¡°Where is he¡ªI mean she?¡±


    ¡°She had to return to Ar Telica. She promised she¡¯d return shortly.¡±


    ¡°How did she do that?¡±


    ¡°She used her Sarcophagus,¡± Erina explained.


    Remembering Ghost¡¯s explanation about how the Sarcophagi navigated, I had to ask, ¡°Is she going to find her way back.¡±


    ¡°Yes. A Sarcophagus always remembers where it¡¯s been.¡±


    ¡°Even if this Citadel is moving?¡± I inquired. ¡°The ship is moving, right?¡±


    Erina and Ghost both looked at me, but it was Ghost who answered, ¡°A Sarcophagus marks every place it visits, and is always able to return to it.¡±


    The way he explained it had me thinking of a dog peeing to mark its territory. It was a distracting picture, and that¡¯s why I only muttered, ¡°Oh¡­.¡±


    Oblivious to the image in my head, Erina added, ¡°That¡¯s just the way it works. Don¡¯t try to think of why or how it does this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Shaking my head quickly, I jumped back on track. ¡°So you think I shouldn¡¯t reply to them¡ªto House Cardinal¡ªuntil just before the deadline?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will matter,¡± Erina replied. ¡°If they made that offer, then they¡¯re serious about you. And Akane told me Taura Hexaria didn¡¯t look happy at being interrupted. She looked positively furious when Akane stole you away from her.¡±


    I wet my lips and then swallowed anxiously. ¡°Do you think she would challenge me herself?¡±


    Erina and Ghost shared a look, though my former sister did so through her phone¡¯s screen, then they both gave me somber nods.


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± I whispered under a heavy breath, then remembered what Tabitha had told me about Erina claiming I would die if I was taken away from House Novis.


    I said this to Erina, and she regarded me in silence for a while. ¡°It¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± I dumbly muttered.


    ¡°I called her bluff,¡± Erina admitted. ¡°I told her that if you didn¡¯t return to your Sarcophagus at least once a day, you would die. That I had engineered you that way. But it¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°But she doesn¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°And neither does anyone else¡­but one.¡± Erina used her phone to pointedly stare at Ghost. ¡°When you spilled your guts, did you tell Sanreal?¡± she asked him.


    Ghost shook his head, looking wounded and contrite. ¡°There are somethings I can withhold from them.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Erina sounded frosty. Addressing me, she said, ¡°Then we need to get you into your Sarcophagus sometime today in order to keep up appearances. Also¡±¡ªshe looked at Ghost through her phone¡ª¡°what we say in this room, stays in this room.¡±


    I snorted at the notion that Ghost was going to keep that a secret. His face grew stony but there was regret laced into it as he replied to Erina. ¡°As you wish. And I can assure you, this room is secure from prying eyes and ears.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± He clearly didn¡¯t miss the doubtful stare Erina gave him.


    Erina then closed the subject by saying, ¡°For now, let¡¯s not worry about the possibility of a challenge. Send your rejection to Taura just before the deadline, and we¡¯ll wait and see what happens.¡±


    In other words, we would be playing things by ear and hoping for the best.


    If I sent my reply before the deadline, then there wouldn¡¯t be enough time to be challenged because by then the participants in this year¡¯s Gun Princess Royale would be finalized. From that point on, Princesses could drop out, but no new Princesses could drop in. That meant, that if I received no challenge between now and the Friday evening deadline, then I was safe.


    Facing a Gun Queen was hard enough, and I had only prevailed because of Clarisol¡¯s flight of madness that blew up the school¡¯s replica, and almost cost Mat and Shirohime their lives. But if I had to face Tabitha, a former Gun Empress, under different conditions then I didn¡¯t think I could win. That is, if I had to face Tabitha in a real Gun Princess Royale match, I was as good as dead. Of course, since she wanted me to fight for her Noble House, then I doubted she would kill me. But even so¡­.


    It certainly would be nice to catch a break, but I¡¯m not going to hold my breath.


    While I was dealing with my mixed emotions, Erina intruded into my thoughts. ¡°By the way, Isabel. There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you.¡±


    I was wary at the amusement hinted in her eyes. ¡°Ask me what?¡±


    ¡°Why are you dressed like a tavern maid?¡±


    I pressed my lips into a sullen pout. ¡°I¡¯d rather not say.¡±


    Erina nodded weakly, then appraised me again. ¡°It looks good on you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up!¡±


    ¨C III ¨C


    It was early afternoon when I returned to my suite after leaving Erina¡¯s room located in the opposite wing of the villa.


    I had just kicked off my shoes and dropped myself onto a five-seater sofa in the living area when I heard a knock on the door.


    Hoping it was Kyoko here to announce lunch was ready, I opened it only to find Geharis Arnval waiting outside.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I grumbled unhappily at him.


    ¡°A little birdy told me something interesting.¡±


    ¡°Really? You get your horoscope by carrier pigeon?¡±


    ¡°Now there¡¯s a thought.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯ve had a shitty day. Go away.¡± I tried closing the door on him, but he held it open with a hand. ¡°Move it or lose it,¡± I warned him.


    Arnval grinned at me in a surprisingly suave manner. ¡°Sorry, ma ch¨¦ri, but I¡¯m not here by choice.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? And why are you calling me ¡®my cherry¡¯? And why are you wearing that trench coat indoors?¡±


    Arnval leaned into the open doorway, his suave grin growing bolder. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to let me in?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He pouted in mock reproach. ¡°Is that how a lady treats a gentleman coming to her aid?¡±


    I scowled up at him. ¡°I haven¡¯t asked for your help!¡±


    Arnval grinned again as he straightened. ¡°Your papa is very worried about you.¡±


    Holding onto my scowl, I exhaled loudly in exasperation. ¡°Really? Then he should warn you away from me.¡±


    ¡°It was your papa who sent me over.¡±


    I leaned back slightly in surprise. ¡°Sanreal sent you? Why would he do that?¡±


    ¡°Because your training starts today, ma ch¨¦ri.¡± He leaned a lot closer to me this time, and I had to lean back again or bump noses with him. ¡°Time to start molding you into a Gun Princess.¡±


    Realizing what he meant, an uneasy feeling rushed through me, then circled back and settled into my gut. ¡°You¡¯re going to train me?¡±


    Arnval arched an eyebrow and smiled his charming best. ¡°Oui, ma ch¨¦ri.¡±


    I hated to admit it but that smile of his would send my female classmates into a tizzy.


    As for me, it distracted me from my anxious innards by making the veins in my temples throb angrily. ¡°And why would you start training me now?¡±


    Arnval dropped the smile and released his hold on the door. ¡°Because, ma ch¨¦ri, House Alus Cardinal issued you a challenge, and we just received word of it.¡±


    For a long while I stared at him blankly until I felt lightheaded and had to lean on the doorjamb for support. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me. Please, don¡¯t tell me. I¡¯ve been challenged by Tabitha Hexen.¡±


    ¡°Taura Hexaria Erz Cardinal, to be precise.¡±


    I scowled at him anew. ¡°I told you not to tell me.¡±

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 10.

    Chapter 10.


    ¨C I ¨C


    ¡°What you have to consider is whether she was lying or not.¡±


    Arnval pulled the elevator gate shut with a loud clang, then pressed one of the buttons on the panel beside the entrance. As the elevator car, or more appropriately, the elevator cage, began descending, Arnval regarded me sidelong. ¡°Do you get what I mean?¡±


    Standing at the opposite end of the cage, and therefore as far away from him as possible, I folded my arms under my breasts, quietly unnerved by the elevator¡¯s bumpy ride, and returned his stare. ¡°You mean¡­about whether her opponents were weak that, and she simply made the best of it?¡±


    I had realized what he was asking, but it didn¡¯t thrill me to know that he was aware of the conversation Tabitha and I had shared back in the replica of Telos Academy¡¯s library. It was a conversation that took place a few minutes before the Gun Queen began bombarding the library with her Arsenal, Conflagration.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Arnval slipped his hands into his trench coat pockets and stood casually by the closed elevator gate. ¡°Think about it. After she won that year and was crowned Gun Empress, Taura Hexaria didn¡¯t return to defend her title. Neither did her sister, Salome, after winning the championship in the other universe.¡±


    ¡°So they both quit,¡± I observed, ¡°at the same time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. They both ran away.¡± Arnval cocked his head as he looked down at me. ¡°And one more thing. Since then, House Cardinal hasn¡¯t won a single Gun Empress Royale. The Hexaria sisters were the first, last, and only Gun Empresses to win in their name. Afterwards, the closest House Cardinal has come is two Gun Queen¡¯s that proved disappointing during the Empress Royale. And that¡¯s it. They haven¡¯t been able to improve their standing, or gain additional prestige, since the Hexaria twins were crowned Empresses ten years ago.¡±


    ¡°Ten years?¡± I bit my lower lip before asking, ¡°You mean the year after the war ended.¡±


    He blinked quickly and then nodded. ¡°Well spotted.¡±


    I frowned up at him. ¡°So you think¡­maybe¡­she isn¡¯t the strongest Gun Empress around.¡±


    Arnval flashed me a grin. ¡°Bingo, ma ch¨¦rie.¡±


    I started to growl at him, but he ignored me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be get me wrong,¡± Arnval continued. ¡°I think she¡¯s good. No doubt about it. I¡¯ve watched her matches and she has talent¡ªreal talent¡ªbut I don¡¯t believe she¡¯s the best.¡± He raised his chin and looked down his nose at me. ¡°If she were to face the reigning Gun Empress, she¡¯d have her ass handed to her.¡±


    I remembered what Kristeva, Ar Telica¡¯s reigning Gun Queen, had said about the reigning Gun Empress. Specifically, about the Empress¡¯s speed being something unnatural, and of wanting to test herself against me because she¡¯d heard that Mirai¡¯s specs were above par.


    Is she really that good?


    To answer that question, I would have to watch some of their matches, both Kristeva¡¯s and the Gun Empresses, and decide for myself.


    For now, I dropped my gaze to the elevator¡¯s floor, and then suppressed a shudder that ran through my body as I quietly sighed in thought.


    Fifteen minutes ago, Arnval had shown up at the door to my suite to inform me that I¡¯d been challenged by Tabitha to a match between Gun Princesses. A couple of minutes later, Kyoko-chan had arrived with a bundle of clothing ¨C a dark grey tracksuit, black tank top and sports bra, underwear, socks, and trainers. I was irked to learn she¡¯d had other clothing available for me to wear, and I told her as much as I tugged at my tavern maid outfit. But it was a case of in one ear and out the other with Kyoko. As a result, I angrily yanked the clothes out of her hands. Once I changed into the tracksuit, I then followed Arnval down the corridors of the villa to a quaint looking elevator, more or less a cage with a double trellis door for a gate.


    That¡¯s where I was now, on my way down with Arnval to what he called the Training Floor.


    I had to wonder why there were training facilities under the villa at all. Was it a gym? If so, maybe it was so big it didn¡¯t fit in the villa and had to be built under it instead. At that thought, I reminded myself that I wasn¡¯t on an island but aboard a massive Citadel that would barely fit within Ar Telica¡¯s harbor.


    Through the gaps in the metal cage, I watched dark grey metal walls slide upwards.


    To think a ship so massive could hide so well within Teloria¡¯s oceans. And to think there were sixteen other vessels like it, except for the Empress¡¯s Citadel that was designed differently, swimming those oceans.


    I was jolted out of my musings when an open space came into view through the gaps in the elevator cage.


    ¡°Basement Floor,¡± Arnval announced. ¡°We have ladies underwear, night wear, dresses, swimsuits, and shoes.¡±


    I tossed him a confused glance. ¡°Huh?¡±


    However, a few seconds later, the elevator abruptly lurched to an uninspiring halt to a symphony of loud metallic clanks, and then Arnval pushed back the trellis gates. Stepping aside from the open doorway, he made a gentlemanly gesture with his arms and said, ¡°Ladies first.¡±


    A scowl started to spread across my face, but I held it back knowing it was something I¡¯d probably hear often in the future. Was I going to glare at every man that held a door open for me?


    Regardless, I wasn¡¯t going to thank Arnval, and so I wordlessly stepped past him out of the elevator and into a cavernous rectangular room. After a few more steps deeper into the place, I stopped and threw Arnval a questioning look. ¡°What is this?¡±


    He grinned at me as he exited the elevator. ¡°Welcome to the shooting range. That over there¡±¡ªhe pointed to a wide cubicle with transparent walls that curved over it to form a ceiling¡ª¡°is where you¡¯re going to be spending a lot of time over the next two and a half days.¡±


    I approached the cubicle that was unlike anything I¡¯d seen before now ¨C certainly different from those I¡¯d seen in holovid documentaries ¨C and looked down the range at the far wall that I guessed was some fifty meters away. The left wall of the shooting range was transparent, and I could see a corridor beyond it, probably designed to allow people to safely observe the interior of the room while practice was ongoing. The right wall however had an opaque metallic appearance. It was concave and fitted with recessed light strips at regular intervals. As for the ceiling, it was about three meters above me, with dozens of light sources shining down into the well-lit room.


    Taking a deep breath, I let it out, hoping it would expel some of the anxiousness I was feeling. That proved to be wishful thinking. After another deep breath, I looked over a shoulder at Arnval. ¡°Now what?¡±


    His grin grew crooked and I heard him snort softly. A moment later, he jutted his chin in the direction of a recessed door to the right of the room. The door was enormous, large enough to drive a bus through it. I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised to learn it was laminated with armor plating.


    Feeling wary rather than curious, I cleared my throat and then asked, ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡±


    Arnval¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Guns. Lots of guns.¡±


    I arched an eyebrow at him. ¡°Oh?¡± So that¡¯s why that door looks so tough. ¡°And why are you telling me that?¡±


    ¡°Because we need to find you a new gun.¡±


    ¡°What about the Vipers I was using?¡±


    ¡°Nope. They won¡¯t do.¡± Arnval walked gracefully over to the recessed door. ¡°It¡¯s time to upgrade, ma ch¨¦rie.¡±


    I stared at him with faint reproach, then lidded the urge to wipe that annoying grin off his face. ¡°Stop calling me Cherry.¡±


    ¡°Ma ch¨¦rie, time¡¯s a wasting.¡±


    He was really beginning to annoy me.


    Rather than make use of a scanning plate, panel, or console, Arnval stood before the door and said, ¡°Open sesame.¡±


    ¡°Voice and biometric data confirmed as Geharis Arnval. Access granted.¡±


    I looked up to the top of the doorway where a long horizontal strip of light had been glowing faintly red. Now, it changed to a dull green color. The door then split down the middle and both halves slid apart. Pitch black darkness greeted us, but it was chased away when Arnval ventured through the open doorway and triggered internal lighting that revealed what appeared to be yet another large room.


    I hesitated for a few seconds, feeling as though I was standing at a threshold I shouldn¡¯t cross lightly. But with Arnval waiting for me inside the room, I didn¡¯t have the luxury of delaying, let alone backing away.


    Let¡¯s get this over with, I whispered inwardly, then walked into the room¡­and halted suddenly when I recognized it for what it was.


    Arnval grinned at the expression on my face, and waved his hands about like an ostentatious master of ceremonies.


    ¡°Ma ch¨¦rie, welcome to the Armory.¡±


    I swallowed hard, unable to move from my spot within the room. ¡°¡­yeah¡­no frekking kidding¡­.¡±


    It was accurate to describe the Armory as a circular chamber, perhaps thirty meters in diameter, with a four-meter high ceiling. Guns and rifles of every imaginable kind adorned the inside wall, except where it was intersected by the doorway. Standing within the chamber were a dozen columns roughly a couple of meters wide, with upright gun racks mounted on them and these too were populated by a variety of firearms.


    Seriously, it was like walking into a spacious boutique that retailed guns rather than shoes, and Arnval was the resident saleslady.


    Arnval spun in a slow circle, gesturing at the weapons on display. ¡°Here you¡¯ll find every handgun, assault rifle, and mech weapon authorized for use in the Gun Princess Royale ¨C except for a Gun Princess¡¯s Arsenal. Those are kept elsewhere.¡±


    He stopped smoothly and faced me.


    ¡°This is where we¡¯ll find you a new partner¡±¡ªhe held up to two fingers¡ª¡°or should I say, partners.¡±


    I had been staring at the weapons lining the walls, the vast majority of them upright on their stocks, rather than mounted sidelong, so it was a little difficult to get a good look at them. But I turned to face Arnval and asked, ¡°Two guns?¡±


    ¡°Yes. According to the rules of the challenge, both parties are allowed the use of two weapons. They can be the same. They can be different.¡±


    I gave him a suspicious look. ¡°Do I get to choose, or do you choose for me?¡±


    Arnval held up a finger. ¡°How about this? You pick out what catches your fancy, and I¡¯ll tell you whether it¡¯s a good choice or not.¡±


    I was puzzled as to why he was allowing me pick out my new guns.


    Outside of my time fighting the Gun Queen and zombie hordes, I had little experience with live firearms. On that occasion, it was Clarisol who had chosen the weapons to bring along with her. I¡¯d simply made use of what she handed over to me. As for the Viper Vanquish railguns, those had been included with the Princess Regalia. So it wasn¡¯t as though I¡¯d had an opportunity to choose my personal weapons.


    Is he testing me?


    Shaking my head slowly at Arnval, I asked, ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea? Sounds like a waste of time to me.¡±


    Arnval smiled drily as he replied, ¡°Humor me.¡±


    Okay. Now I was convinced he was testing me, but I had no idea why.


    Exhaling loudly through my nose, I shook my head again, and then turned to face the inside wall of the Armory. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you¡­.¡±


    I walked up to the rifles on display. The weapons lined the inside wall in two rows or rings if you accounted for the chamber being circular.


    With so many firearms on offer, I pondered how to best approach choosing my new guns.


    As I¡¯d mentioned before, I had limited experience with firearms, always making use of what someone else had decided for me. Thus having to choose for myself made me feel disoriented. It wasn¡¯t an unknown sensation. I¡¯d experienced it before when I realized I hadn¡¯t prepared sufficiently for an exam and didn¡¯t know how to answer the questions before me.


    I found myself staring absently at the rifles as the wheels turned slowly in my head.


    How do I even start choosing a weapon?


    Folding my arms under my breasts, I applied more processing power to the problem.


    It was then that I vaguely remembered reading a manga about a boyish girl who was drafted into playing survival games. Choosing weapons had played an important part at the beginning of the story. Because I read it long ago, trying to remember the contents was like pulling at a frayed thread. Pull too hard and it would snap, so I gently coaxed the memories out of the recesses of my mind. When I put together what I had, it wasn¡¯t much, but it gave me an idea on what questions to ask.


    Turning slightly, I looked at Arnval over a shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s the duel environment like?¡±


    Arnval¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly, but he looked pleased. ¡°Urban.¡±


    ¡°Close quarters?¡±


    ¡°That may play into it.¡±


    I bit my lower lip in thought. ¡°Urban environment. Something like Ar Telica¡¯s Ring One or Ring Zero?¡±


    ¡°More or less. It¡¯s my understanding it¡¯s a commercial and residential district rolled into one.¡±


    I fell quiet as I quickly considered what he¡¯d told me.


    Would it be like the city environment back on that island?


    I exhaled softly and regarded the rifles upright in their racks. Now I could see them with a critical eye.


    ¡°Too large¡­,¡± I murmured. ¡°Too big. Too heavy¡­.¡±


    Indeed, the rifles were much too large. I had no doubt they could stop a rampaging mammoth with a single bullet to the brain, but I remembered how unwieldy a long rifle could be. The Bartley I¡¯d used was an excellent sniping weapon, but in a running firefight it was no good. As for the GVR-30, it could turn an armored vehicle into a Swiss Cheese, but even with Mirai¡¯s strength it was too cumbersome to operate.


    I needed something smaller, lighter, but with a stopping power that exceeded that of the Viper railguns.


    I began walking beside the inside wall, looking at the weapons on offer until I came to a section with assault rifles, including numerous bullpup variants.


    The memories imprinted into Mirai¡¯s brain ¨C memories that didn¡¯t belong to Ronin Kassius ¨C allowed me to recognize the weapons resting in their support racks. I also noticed that whenever Mirai didn¡¯t possess immediate knowledge about a weapon, the information would arrive a short while later as though it was being fed into my brain. Suspecting that the wetware was linked to an online database, I made a mental note to ask Ghost about it later.


    I used that data to compare the rifles against each other. I knew their basic specs, and a little about their development history. This allowed me to understand their designs, and why they were made that way. For example, the fact that bullpup rifles had their magazine wells located behind the trigger because this gave them a long barrel while making the overall rifle as compact as possible. This made them ideal in city environments.


    However, after studying the weapons for a while, I noticed something odd about the rifles, and again I threw Arnval a questioning look.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked while watching over me from a respectable distance.


    With a finger, I pointed at a group of firearms upright against the wall. ¡°Most of these are linear rifles. Railguns. But they weren¡¯t originally designed that way. They were converted.¡±


    Arnval stepped closer to me. ¡°So you noticed that.¡±


    I tapped my head. ¡°What¡¯s in here tells me these rifles originally fired ammunition with casings. But it¡¯s also telling me they¡¯ve been modified to use accelerators.¡±


    Arnval directed his attention on the assault rifles in question. ¡°More to the point, they use effect-field accelerators. More efficient and reliable than the old induction methods.¡±


    ¡°Why do that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You get more bullets per magazine with caseless rounds. And more bullets is a good thing, especially in the Gun Princess Royale.¡±


    ¡°What about phased plasma weaponry?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Only ballistic weapons are allowed.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Arnval frowned pensively. ¡°Because it¡¯s more exciting. C-beam firefights are boring.¡±


    I don¡¯t know why, but I felt both frustrated and relieved. Being shot was preferable to being burnt alive by a c-beam. But kinetic rifles weren¡¯t going to stop a Gun Princess as quickly as a plasma cannon. Then again for all I knew, a Gun Princess may prove resistant to energy-based weapons. After all, the Gun Queen¡¯s avatar had survived the explosion that vaporized most of Telos Academy¡¯s replica.


    I folded my arms under my breasts. ¡°But why have so many of the rifles been modified into railguns?¡±


    ¡°I told you. Caseless ammunition means more bullets for every magazine or ammo drum.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s really it? That¡¯s the only reason?¡±


    ¡°Well, not the only one. Think about it. A Gun Princess typically possesses a military grade Krono-steel skeleton. Unless it¡¯s a heavy caliber bullet fired at great speed, don¡¯t expect it to penetrate anything vital in her body like the power core¡±¡ªArnval tapped his skull¡ª¡°or the link to her operator.¡±


    I thought of the number of shots the Gun Queen had taken from the augmented Viper before she finally went down. ¡°So you¡¯re saying it takes a railgun to put a hole in a Gun Princess.¡±


    ¡°Or a very big bullet from a very big gun.¡± Arnval pointed between support columns toward the opposite side of the chamber. ¡°And you¡¯ll find those on the other side of the room.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I turned and walked over to where he indicated, and then ran my gaze over the weapons I could see neatly assembled there. ¡°Oh¡­.¡±


    The guns and rifles I¡¯d seen thus far had all been from the 21<sup>st</sup> and 22<sup>nd</sup> centuries. Even in this day and age, the mid-2200¡¯s, our military continued to employ kinetic weapons. Certainly, they fielded particle rifles and phased plasma weaponry, but ballistic weapons continued to play a part in military operations because in some situations they had advantages over their energy-based counterparts.


    The rifles mounted to the wall in front of me belonged to the military¡¯s present day kinetic arsenal.


    Most of them were heavy caliber and large scale, thereby four to five feet in length, and undoubtedly as heavy they looked. This was because they were designed for use by ground troops wearing power-armor ¨C the kind of armor that turned a flesh and blood soldier into a walking, running tank. Without the additional strength and support provided by power-armor, it was impossible to wield these oversized rifles effectively in battle. A regular soldier could still operate one, but the weight and size would tremendously hamper them. However, a mechanical Gun Princess was a different matter, and perhaps that was why the Battle Commission approved these large weapons for use in the Gun Princess Royale.


    I¡¯d grown a little more accustomed to Mirai¡¯s preternatural strength, but as I ran my gaze over the heavy rifles, I realized that they weren¡¯t suitable for me. If Tabitha was to be believed, Mirai was several times stronger than a human girl her size, but compared to a power-armored trooper or a Gun Princess, she was relatively light. That would compromise her stance when firing a heavy caliber weapon such as these rifles. What I needed was a rifle with a decent barrel length for accuracy, yet short enough to avoid problems navigating around tight corners, and lightweight so that I could quickly turn and shoot without having excess momentum through off my aim.


    In other words, I had enough weight on my chest without needing a large rifle to topple me over.


    I walked away from the 23<sup>rd</sup> century arsenal and returned to the assault rifles I¡¯d been considering previously, the bullpups. That was when I noticed a quartet of identical rifles on display at a nearby support column.


    Something about them caught my attention. I can¡¯t say whether it was because they looked good, but they certainly looked different from the rifles I¡¯d seen thus far.


    Walking up to the column, I pulled one of the rifles free from its rack, and then carefully turned it over in my hands.


    I judged its length at around 3 feet or shorter. Slipping my right hand into a large hole cut into the rifle¡¯s ventral receiver, my fingers circled around the contoured grip. To my surprise, the weapon felt remarkably light, probably because of Mirai¡¯s immense strength. But even if that was true, I couldn¡¯t ignore that the rifle was splendidly well balanced. And I liked the way it looked. In short, I found it aesthetically pleasing.


    Sensing Arnval¡¯s gaze on me, I glanced at him and saw him watching me with a hint of amusement on his face.


    ¡°What?¡± I brusquely asked, annoyed that he was finding me entertaining.


    ¡°You tell me. You¡¯re the one that¡¯s smiling.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± With a start, I realized he was right. I was smiling, albeit faintly. Averting my face away from his, I hurriedly wiped the aforementioned smile off my lips. ¡°I wasn¡¯t smiling. Why would I be smiling¡­?¡±


    Arnval didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he walked up to the column and picked up one of the three remaining rifles that were identical to the one I held.


    ¡°Nice choice,¡± he remarked. ¡°A Mag Hauser LR-81 Punisher.¡±


    My eyebrows pitched down as the weapon¡¯s specs flowed into my mind, probably via the wetware inside my brain. ¡°A linear rifle. Fires ten-millimeter high penetration or explosive tipped caseless rounds at anywhere from sixteen hundred to twenty-four hundred meters per second. Capable of single shot or double-shot modes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It has two batteries to power the linear effect-field accelerators. And because it¡¯s designed with left and right magazine wells, you can fit two box magazines at once¡ªone on either side.¡± He threw me a cunning grin. ¡°Or you could mount two ammo drum instead.¡±


    My eyes widened quickly because I understood the advantage of an ammo drum over a box magazine. The drum carried a lot more bullets.


    Arnval resumed running his gaze over the Punisher in his hands. ¡°To think the Mag Hauser company took a fictitious weapon and turned it into the real thing.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, fictitious?¡±


    ¡°That rifle you¡¯re holding is a weapon born out of a science-fiction story from a couple of centuries ago.¡± He shrugged a shoulder. ¡°But no matter. It looks cool and after modifying the design a little, and scaling it down for human sized hands, the Mag Hauser engineers produced an assault rifle that works quite well in real life¡ªproving that regardless of its origins the principal design was quite sound.¡±


    I glanced down at the rifle. ¡°So this is a fake gun?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not fake any more. You¡¯re holding it, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    I glanced at it again. ¡°I guess so¡­.¡± When I looked up at Arnval, I noticed the serious look on his face as he stared intently at me. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat?¡±


    Arnval cocked his head slightly to a side. ¡°Do you want to give it a try?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­.¡±


    I studied the Punisher in my hands for a moment, but I couldn¡¯t think of a reason why not to give the rifle a test run.


    I replied to Arnval with a nod. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Arnval broke into a roguish grin. ¡°Then let¡¯s get you some ammo to play with. Lots of ammo.¡±


    ¨C II ¨C


    I was eager to try out the Mag Hauser Punisher equipped with an ammo drum.


    Arnval had other ideas and handed me a box magazine with forty rounds instead.


    At first, I had some trouble mating the magazine to the Punisher¡¯s right magazine well, but that was due to my lack of familiarity with the weapon. Once fitted, the magazine jutted out perpendicular to the rifle¡¯s receiver and line of fire. That was one of the reasons I preferred an ammo drum. A drum wouldn¡¯t stick out as much.


    ¡°Anything you attach to a rifle will alter it¡¯s balance,¡± Arnval explained. ¡°You need to learn to shoot straight with a magazine.¡±


    ¡°Then when will I practice with an ammo drum?¡±


    Arnval pointed at the far end of the shooting range. ¡°Get a perfect score and I¡¯ll let you play with the drums.¡±


    Play with the drums?


    I snorted when I heard him put it that way.


    I was standing in the shooting range cubicle that did not resemble a cubicle in any way. For one, it was large, forward swept, and built with a rounded, blue-tinted, transparent canopy. Because of its design, it made me feel as though I was standing at the bridge station of an immense starship. A second Punisher rested atop a transparent bench top, along with a dozen ammo mags carrying forty-rounds apiece.


    Assuming a two-handed shooting stance, I tucked the rifle¡¯s stock into my shoulder. If I didn¡¯t tuck it in correctly, the recoil was likely to bruise me. The stock contained one of the two batteries powering the linear accelerators. The other battery was disguised as a short ammunition magazine slotted into the rear of the dorsal receiver.


    A two-tone beep sounded loudly through the air.


    At the far end of the shooting range, a holo-field target materialized.


    Shaped like a black poker card two-feet wide and three feet tall, the target possessed the outline of a human head and torso traced in faintly glowing white lines. Circles radiated concentrically from the center of the outline¡¯s chest and head.


    With the weapon gripped securely in my hands, I felt the wetware embedded in my brain interface with the Punisher¡¯s Assisting Intelligence. A moment later, I was able to precisely sense where the linear rifle was aiming without the need to look through a target scope. After smoothly correcting my aim, I used my thumb to flick the selection lever upwards, thus disengaging the safety while simultaneously switching to single-shot mode. I could have instructed the weapon to do the same via the wetware connection to the Punisher, but it felt more satisfying to physically flick the small lever.


    ¡°Play with the drums?¡± I whispered as I eased my index finger against the rifle¡¯s trigger. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s start with a crash, boom, bang.¡±


    I depressed the trigger and a flicker of flame lit up the Punisher¡¯s muzzle as the air superheated for an instant.


    A tiny fraction of a second later, a soft boom reached my ears.


    By then the holo-field target had exploded, fragmenting like glass as it shattered into a hundred pieces.


    Feeling the rifle weakly kick into my shoulder, I watched a barrier field protecting the rear of the range flash violently with an emerald light as it caught the armor piercing round before it could strike the back wall.


    When it was over, I was surprised by the lack of recoil.


    I threw Arnval a startled look.


    He snorted in amusement. ¡°I take it you¡¯re impressed?¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah,¡± I replied, feeling a smile spread across my lips. I hastily turned away lest he notice, though he probably had. Feeling the need to say something, I admitted, ¡°It¡¯s a lot easier to shoot with than the Vipers.¡±


    ¡°Ah hmm. Didn¡¯t I say it was time for an upgrade?¡± He crossed his arms and leaned a shoulder against the cubicle¡¯s transparent enclosure. ¡°The recoil canceller takes the energy and redirects it, minimizing the kick back. You should find your accuracy with the Punisher is far better than what you achieved with the Vipers.¡±


    I took aim at a second holo-field target and promptly blew it away.


    I waited for a third holo-field to manifest, and then blew that one away as well.


    My shots weren¡¯t hitting dead center, but they were edging closer with each successive attempt.


    I spent a minute taking practice shots, calmly focusing on each motionless target until the magazine ran dry. Ejecting it, I swapped it for a fresh, fully loaded magazine. After the Punisher automatically chambered the first round, I took aim, waited a half second for the weapon to power up the accelerators and report ready for action, then fired another forty rounds at motionless holo-field targets. However, the contents of a third ammo mag were consumed on moving targets that sped up with each subsequent shot.


    I realized that I was going to need a lot more practice.


    I was hitting the targets, but far from dead center.


    That said, I¡¯m proud to say I didn¡¯t miss a single one.


    Arnval then had me expend another six magazines blasting at holo-fields that moved about erratically. They would jump up, stop, double back, or duck under a low wall that doubled as a parapet that they could hide behind at the far end of the shooting range.


    As soon as one target shattered like glass and faded away, another would take its place. And then two targets started popping up at once; then three; then four.


    Before long, they started flying toward me, keeping low as they raced inches above the floor.


    They made themselves hard to hit by leaning forward as they flew, thus reducing their oncoming profile.


    However, the situation became bizarre when the holo-targets assumed the appearance of giant playing cards.


    They consisted of Clubs, Spades, Hearts, and Diamonds.


    Even the King, Jack, and Queen showed up. However, the latter would dart about at the back of the shooting range and rally her troops by repeatedly crying out, ¡°Off with her head!¡±


    To say it wasn¡¯t distracting was a complete and utter lie.


    I felt like I was Alice in Wonderland packing heat as I used the Punisher to send the Queen¡¯s army into oblivion. But there was more than one deck of cards out there, perhaps a half dozen, and the rear the shooting range was overcrowded with them.


    There seemed to be no end to the number of times they charged at me.


    The only way to keep up with their suicide assaults was to drop my awareness into an overclocked state, and willfully ignore the Queen demanding my head.


    By the time I fired off the last round in the ninth magazine, I felt mentally drained.


    It was as though my mind had been operating at ten times normal speed for hours rather than minutes.


    But all the cards were dead ¨C I mean destroyed ¨C except for the accursed Queen.


    The final bullet clipped her, and she spun like a ballerina for a couple of seconds.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    But she didn¡¯t vanish.


    ¡°Off with her head!¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up!¡± I screamed back at her, and then reached for another loaded magazine only to discover there weren¡¯t any. ¡°Gods damn it.¡±


    Grinding my back molars together, I glared at the Queen that refused to die, then I turned to Arnval. ¡°Hey, give me another magazine¡ª¡±


    I stopped abruptly when I saw the distinctly ashen look on his face.


    ¡°What¡­?¡± I asked him, unable to hide my surprise and confusion as I stared at him.


    Why is he shocked? Is it because I failed to kill the Queen card?


    Arnval breathed in deeply yet quietly, and I suspected he was trying to hide his feelings, but he wasn¡¯t doing a good job. He kept looking at me with a pale face, before handing me another ammo magazine.


    I took it and promptly slapped it into the Punisher¡¯s magazine well. ¡°Time to die, bitch!¡±


    However, the Queen vanished the moment I aimed at her.


    I glared at Arnval. ¡°Hey, what gives?¡±


    He looked conflicted for a short while, before eventually saying, ¡°Let¡¯s take it up a level.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at him, and slowly lowered the Punisher. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    I was exhausted from killing the Queen of Hearts¡¯ army of cards.


    It wasn¡¯t one deck of cards that I¡¯d pulverized, but several.


    I sighed and asked, ¡°What next? Shoot at the White Rabbit as it hops around crying that it¡¯s going to be late?¡±


    Arnval didn¡¯t reply to my sarcastic complaint and stared at me in silence instead.


    Because of this, I entertained the hope that we¡¯d break for a bite to eat. But my hope was dashed when he said, ¡°It¡¯s Wednesday afternoon. You face Taura Hexaria on Friday afternoon. We don¡¯t have time to play around.¡± He exhaled loudly. ¡°Or do you plan on getting your ass kicked by her?¡±


    Frustrated and weary, I blew air out through my nose, then assumed my two-handed shooting stance.


    Aiming the Punisher at the back of the range, I waited for a fresh set of holo-field targets to materialize.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with,¡± I growled unhappily under my breath.


    For a change, a three-tone beep sounded within the facility, and then a new holo-field target materialized¡­except it wasn¡¯t shaped like a giant playing card. And it wasn¡¯t the Queen of Hearts.


    Instead, it resembled a young woman with platinum blonde hair and large green eyes. She was wearing a flowing crimson dress that had a Renaissance flare to it, though when combined with thigh high black leggings, stiletto heels, and wide billowing sleeves, she looked more like a pirate. Her outfit was undeniably eye-catching, but what really caught my attention was her enormous bust that was practically spilling out of her dress. Compared to her, Mirai and Anri Shirohime¡¯s breasts paled in comparison. In fact, seeing her bosom on display, front and center, I felt an irrational twinge of inadequacy. I also realized I was gaping ¨C not drooling ¨C at her, but a lesser man would have been enthralled by her hour glass figure and voluptuous chest.


    I had no idea why the holo-field target looked like her, but if the intention was to distract me, then it was working.


    With the Punisher aimed squarely at her boobs¡ªI mean her chest¡ªI addressed Arnval without taking my eyes off her bulging breasts. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the big idea?¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say we¡¯d be taking it up a level?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°There are not buts here, ma ch¨¦rie. Or do you think you can best Hexaria the way you are right now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem,¡± I growled, growing annoyed with him.


    ¡°Then what is the problem?¡±


    Dropping my stance, I scowled at Arnval while pointing down the range. ¡°Why the Hell does she look like that?¡±


    Arnval was quiet for a moment before asking, ¡°You don¡¯t like the way she looks?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s your problem with her?¡±


    I stamped a foot on the ground. ¡°Why does she have giant boobs!¡±


    Arnval¡¯s mouth fell open but he closed it with an audible snap. Then he sighed heavily and his shoulder¡¯s slumped.


    ¡°How do you plan on facing Hexaria if you can¡¯t handle a little cleavage?¡±


    ¡°A little cleavage! Are you blind?¡± I stabbed a finger in her direction. ¡°Look at the size of those things. There should be a law against them!¡± The proverbial light winked on inside my head. ¡°Wait a minute. Is that what this is? Are you me telling this is what Tabitha¡¯s Gun Princess looks like?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you that at all,¡± he replied. ¡°From where did you get that idea?¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the point¡ªah!¡± I gasped as I experienced another epiphany. ¡°This is anti-boob training. Right?¡±


    Arnval¡¯s eyebrows pitched upwards. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Gun Princesses are busty. So this is training to desensitize me¡ªto stop me from being distracted.¡±


    His eyebrows dropped to form a thin line. ¡°Oh. I keep you forgetting. You used to be a guy.¡±


    ¡°Used to be?¡±


    ¡°By the way¡­.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s moving.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I faced the shooting range, and true enough, the holo-field woman was running toward, and that¡¯s when I saw the two large guns in her hands. ¡°What the¡ª?¡±


    With my attention transfixed on her melon sized boobs, I¡¯d failed to notice the two large assault rifles she wielded. Now she aimed those guns at me and I watched the muzzles flicker with orange flames as she opened fire.


    The air in front of the cubicle flashed red, and a warning sounded.


    ¡°Danger. Incoming fire. HP down 10 percent.¡±


    ¡°What the Hell?¡± I blurted out in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s you taking bullet hits,¡± Arnval explained. ¡°Are you planning on shooting back?¡± He sighed heavily yet again. ¡°Or are you waiting for her get closer?¡±


    ¡°Why would I do that?¡±


    ¡°For a better look at her chest.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up!¡±


    The young woman had run half the length of the shooting range.


    With Mirai¡¯s preternaturally sharp vision, I could see every bounce of the buxom blonde¡¯s breasts. They were surprisingly firm, squeezed as they were within her dress.


    I wonder if she¡¯ll suffer a wardrobe malfunction?


    Then I hastily squeezed off a shot.


    The Punisher kicked back slightly, enough to let me know the rifle had fired without the risk of throwing off my aim. That said, there was little chance I¡¯d fail to notice the flicker of flame that flashed in front of its muzzle.


    The bullet struck the holo-field woman¡¯s abdomen as she ran toward me.


    It slowed her down, made her miss a step, but she recovered quickly and resumed running.


    My surprise lasted a second, an eternity when in combat, but I kept my aim squarely on her as I overclocked my awareness.


    In the back of my mind, I was mildly astonished by how easily I could slip in and out of an accelerated state. But that was something to ruminate over later.


    Focus on her head¡ªnot her boobs!


    My second shot struck her shoulder, spinning her bodily around by forty or fifty degrees.


    I fired a third shot, and it impacted against her chest.


    No! I shot her boobs!


    There was no blood spurting into the air, just a red wound that appeared between her breasts and collar bone.


    A fourth shot near the same area staggered her, dropping her to her knees.


    Ah¡ªI did it again!


    A fifth bullet fired from the Punisher slammed into her skull, knocking her head back and to the right.


    With her progress at a standstill, she swayed for a moment or two on her knees.


    I took the opportunity to squeeze off a sixth round.


    The bullet scorched the air, and centerpunched her forehead.


    She jerked backwards and toppled over. A moment later, she shattered like glass, breaking apart before she could land on the floor, the pieces quickly fading away.


    I took a couple of deep breaths, feeling my body tremble, and listened to a single beep pierce the air.


    Three quarters down the shooting range, a second holovid image of the same buxom woman winked to life. This time she almost immediately broke into a run, aiming her guns at me as she raced toward me. I heard them fire as their muzzles flashed, and again the air in front of the cubicle was dyed in red.


    A disembodied voice reported the loss of more HP.


    ¡°You¡¯re losing points,¡± Arnval reported unnecessarily.


    ¡°I know that¡­,¡± I grumbled under my breath and returned fire as the young woman ran toward me with guns blazing.


    She jerked back, missing a step as the Punisher¡¯s bullet threw off her balance, but regained her footing and momentum within a heartbeat.


    With my right thumb, I flicked the selection lever upwards and switched to double-shot mode.


    The next time I pressed the trigger, the Punisher fired two rounds a quarter second apart.


    At two-inches long, the bullets flew between her outstretch arms, and dove into her cleavage.


    They hammered her with enough kinetic energy to pitch her torso backwards, while her lower body continued running.


    Argh¡ªnot again!


    Unbalanced, her high heels slipped and she fell on her backside.


    After bouncing along the floor, she came to a untidy stop.


    Part of me was amazed by the realism.


    Part of me wanted to laugh at her


    Another part of me noticed the bullets pass through her body and hit the barrier-field protecting the back wall.


    I fired again, and another two rounds hit her holo-field torso, preventing her from standing up.


    Then I fired a third volley while she was still sitting on her bum.


    The bullets perforated her skull, and she fell onto her back.  The Artificial Awareness or Assisting Intelligence overseeing the shooting range must have concluded it was a critical hit, because she quickly shattered into dozens of fragments that disappeared within seconds.


    The single tone beep sounded again, and a third incarnation of the buxom woman was summoned. This time she appeared halfway down the range, and then started shooting with her first running steps toward me.


    ¨C III ¨C


    I skipped lunch, not because I wanted to but because Arnval kept me practicing in the firing range for two more hours before he called it quits.


    I think I must have killed the platinum blonde a hundred times by then.


    Unfortunately, I died a few times as well when I ran out of Hit Points.


    Of course, that earned me a sarcastic remark or two from Arnval.


    My only consolation was that Arnval allowed me to practice shooting with an ammo drum fitted to the Mag House Punisher.


    I depleted four ninety-round drums by the time the session was over.


    Afterwards, I¡¯d been anticipating he would declare a break for lunch. But instead of leading me up to the villa for food, Arnval tossed me a high-energy crunchy bar, then escorted me out of the shooting range, down a couple of long, wide corridors, and then into a dimly lit room the size of an aircraft hangar.


    With my ears ringing, and my arms feeling noticeably leaden and sore, I ate the bar while regarding the interior of the room, grateful that the bar tasted good, but unhappy with Arnval treating me like a slave.


    ¡°What gives?¡± I complained. ¡°When do I get lunch?¡±


    ¡°You get to eat after training.¡±


    ¡°When? Before midnight? Am I even going to have dinner?¡±


    Arnval regarded me askance. ¡°I have it on good authority that Mirai can go weeks without food.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well your good authority is wrong.¡± I swallowed the rest of the crunchy bar, then folded the wrapper and disposed of it into a tracksuit pants pocket that I promptly zipped up. ¡°I¡¯m hungry and I haven¡¯t eaten since this morning¡ªand you interrupted that!¡±


    ¡°At this rate, Hexaria will definitely kick your ass.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. You¡¯ve been telling me that¡ª¡±


    Arnval strode up to me, cutting me off with a glare on his face. ¡°And I will continue to tell you that until you stop complaining.¡±


    I swallowed hard, then leaned up at him by standing on my toes. ¡°Maybe House Cardinal will treat me better than you.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure of that? Are you still thinking of accepting their offer? You really think they¡¯re trustworthy? You might very well find yourself boxed. What then?¡± He shook his head at me. ¡°Don¡¯t expect to be rescued, Princess, because this isn¡¯t a fairy tale and there is no white knight in shining armor.¡±


    I closed my mouth, clenching my jaw as I ground my molars together. ¡°Fine¡­,¡± I muttered. ¡°But no more boobs.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had my fill of boobs. I don¡¯t want to see another pair of giant boobs for a month.¡± I clenched a fist at Arnval. ¡°Do you know how hard it was not to stare at those balloons?¡±


    ¡°Get used to it.¡±


    I lowered my fist. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you do better.¡±


    He straightened and peered down at me. ¡°What was that?¡±


    I grinned up at him. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you shoot at her without looking at her chest.¡±


    ¡°Unlike you, I¡¯m not an adolescent child. I can handle myself.¡±


    I snorted and then smirked. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you like women?¡±


    ¡°I like women.¡±


    ¡°Then what? You like them small and flat chested?¡± I narrowed my eyes evilly. ¡°You have a Lolita fetish?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± he protested loudly.


    ¡°So then what? Big boobs don¡¯t do it for you?¡±


    Arnval shoved his hands into his trench coat pockets. ¡°Not that it¡¯s any of your business, but if you must know, I prefer them to be a little more modest.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± I drawled out, ¡°we¡¯re finally getting somewhere.¡± I smiled wickedly at him. ¡°So what¡¯s your preference? C, D, E, or F?¡±


    ¡°I said modest, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Then give me an example.¡±


    Arnval¡¯s gaze dropped to my chest. ¡°I prefer them your size.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I flinched and almost took a step back. ¡°You need your eyes checked.¡±


    He looked puzzled. ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because there¡¯s nothing modest about these two.¡± I shook my head firmly. ¡°Nothing modest about them at all.¡±


    Arnval assumed a thoughtful pose and tapped his lips with a finger. ¡°You¡¯re a double-D, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    I flinched again, then reflexively crossed my arms over my breasts.


    Honestly, I had no idea as to their cup size, but they were large and heavy so that sounded about right. However, I wasn¡¯t going to admit that to him.


    ¡°Hey, stop measuring me with your eyes,¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Not too big. Not too small,¡± Arnval murmured loud enough for me to hear.


    I was starting to see red by now. ¡°These are off limits! Capeesh?¡±


    He huffed at me, but it sounded more like a short laugh. ¡°You are such a girl.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± He turned away and faced the interior of the large rectangular room. ¡°What a pity, ma ch¨¦rie. What a pity¡­.¡±


    I started to snarl at him, but suddenly the room brightened as those ceiling lights that had been dark were now turned on.


    Feeling abruptly uneasy, I looked about the interior and recognized it as an obstacle course. There were exercise mats, vaulting horses, hurdles, planks, platforms, you name it.


    ¡°What am I doing here?¡± I asked Arnval.


    ¡°You need to grow more accustomed to your body.¡±


    ¡°In what way?¡±


    Arnval took a deep breath, and again eyed me sidelong. ¡°You need to move better.¡±


    I cast a frown his way. ¡°I thought I was moving pretty well.¡±


    Arnval looked shocked. ¡°You have got to be joking. Have you seen yourself move?¡±


    ¡°No. And I don¡¯t want to,¡± I replied uncomfortably for reasons I didn¡¯t want to delve into.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not moving nearly as well as you should.¡± He pointed at the obstacle laden room. ¡°And that¡¯s why we¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°To do what?¡±


    Arnval exhaled in frustration and whirled to face me. ¡°I told you. To train you to move better.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. I heard you the first time.¡±


    Arnval inhaled loud and deeply, then he froze as though struck by sudden inspiration. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll make you a deal.¡±


    I regarded him with suspicion. ¡°What deal?¡±


    With an index finger, he indicated the interior of the room. ¡°The obstacle course follows a running track. If you complete one lap of the course and manage to stay within ten feet of me, then we¡¯ll break for a late lunch.¡±


    ¡°Within ten feet?¡± I gave him a sour look. ¡°You¡¯re going to run with me?¡±


    Arnval shrugged out of his trench coat. ¡°Precisely.¡±


    He then proceeded to take of his jacket, shirt, and tie, revealing a black tank top singlet underneath.


    I stared at him in growing disbelief, but I also watched him with interest.


    Ghost said he was born with incomplete arms and legs¡­.


    If that was true, and his limbs were prosthetic, then they were surprisingly lifelike. With Mirai¡¯s vision being preternaturally clear, I swept a searching gaze over Arnval¡¯s arms and shoulders. I saw skin, hair, a mole or two. When his arms moved, I could see the muscles working beneath them. There was nothing to indicate his limbs were artificial ¨C nothing to suggest they were anything but toned, muscular arms¡­except for the faint webbing of grey lines flowing over his shoulders and down to his pectorals.


    Could they indicate where the artificial met the organic?


    Arnval noticed I was staring at him, and quipped, ¡°Ma ch¨¦rie, have I caught your interest?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± I scowled at him. ¡°Don¡¯t get full of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen better.¡±


    I heard him chuckle as I turned away from him and directed my attention on the obstacle course full of hurdles, vaulting horses, walking planks, raised platforms, and so forth.


    But in the corner of my eye, I continued watching him undress.


    Wait! He¡¯s undressing!


    Arnval had taken off his shoes and socks. He was now unbuckling his belt.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I cried out at him.


    He dropped his trousers and I saw that he was wearing running shorts underneath.


    My mouth dropped open and I felt disoriented as I watched him neatly fold his clothes into a bundle, and then walk over to deposit it against the nearest wall of the room.


    Did that mean he was prepared for this eventuality?


    When I recovered my faculties, I asked him in a harsh voice, ¡°You were wearing that all this time?¡±


    Walking back to me, Arnval muttered drily, ¡°It was a last resort. In the event you were uncooperative.¡±


    I was right. He was prepared. Then again, I felt as though I¡¯d been coerced into this situation.


    I looked at his legs and feet.


    Like his arms, there was nothing out of the ordinary about them, and they complemented the rest of his body. With the running shorts he wore, I couldn¡¯t see where the artificial met the organic, but guessed there was a webbing of faint grey lines around his pelvic area.


    The other thing I noticed was his tall, lithe build.


    Arnval¡¯s height was around six feet four inches, give or take an inch. Despite this, he wasn¡¯t built like a linebacker. He was more of a swimmer, with long, lean muscles, and well-developed shoulders.


    Again, he noticed me staring at him, and this time he broke into a self-satisfied smirk. I expected another wise crack from him, but instead he pointed at the obstacle course. ¡°If you manage to stay on my heels, then we¡¯ll have a late lunch. But don¡¯t think for a minute this means training is over for today. After lunch, we¡¯ll be picking up where we left off. And I won¡¯t be going easy on you.¡±


    I gave the obstacle course another quick look. ¡°On your heels?¡±


    ¡°Within ten feet,¡± he clarified.


    After hesitating for a moment, I reached up and unzipped my tracksuit jacket, revealing the tight tank top underneath that did nothing but emphasize Mirai¡¯s large bust. Unlike Arnval, I tossed my jacket aside and it landed on the floor a few meters away. However, I kept my tracksuit pants on as I wasn¡¯t wearing running shorts underneath them.


    Then I beginning to limber up my body by stretching my arms, legs, and contorting my torso, all of which once again emphasized Mirai¡¯s well-endowed chest.


    Arnval¡¯s eyes zeroed in on my breasts pushing out the tank top.


    Ha! Self-control my ass¡ªmade you look. Typical male. Can¡¯t resist¡ªah! What am I thinking? What is wrong with me?


    A hot wave of shame rushed through me.


    Hoping that Arnval hadn¡¯t noticed my cheeks burning hotly, I threw him my most determined glare, but it was all wasted.


    His eyes were centered five-by-five on my chest.


    His attention wasn¡¯t going anywhere for a while.


    Once again, I started seeing red.


    Arggh! I¡¯m going to slap him! Seriously, I¡¯m going to slap him sideways!


    Clearing my throat loudly, I chose to taunt him. ¡°Well let¡¯s see if you can keep up with me.¡±


    Then I stupidly, haughtily planted my hands on my hips, and that pushed out my breasts even more.


    With some effort on his part, Arnval turned away stiffly.


    He appeared to be experiencing a tug-of-war between his neck muscles and his eyes.


    ¡°Ladies first,¡± he muttered, sounding strangled.


    Then I thought I heard him whisper something about E-cups, and another hot wave of shame rushed through me.


    - # -


    I lost.


    At the finish line, I felt angry, deflated, defeated.


    But most of all, I felt immensely frustrated.


    Allow me to explain why.


    Some of my frustration was due to my loss, however most of it was directed at myself.


    Initially, I was able to easily keep pace with Arnval. Then the obstacles grew a little more complicated. It wasn¡¯t the jumping or leaping over them that troubled me. It was a question of timing, balance, missteps, and poor footing that caught me out.


    My troubles began when I made a jump from the top of one vaulting horse to the next. My landing was less than stellar, and I slipped and fell. Luckily, I managed to land on my feet, regain my balance after a couple of awkward steps, then chase after Arnval. But I¡¯d lost ground to him ¨C at least three meters.


    From then on, I never recovered the distance I unwittingly gave away because it wasn¡¯t the only fall I experienced.


    Whether it was losing my balancing, or misjudging a jump, I found myself landing clumsily on more than a dozen occasions, and I fell further behind, eventually crossing the finish line ¨C that is, returning to the starting point ¨C some forty feet in arrears.


    Afterwards, I sat cross-legged on the floor. As I caught my breath, I replayed in my mind my disastrous run through the obstacle course.


    I didn¡¯t lose because of a lack of speed. Arnval was taller and possessed longer limbs, but Mirai was unexpectedly swift. So when I said I never recovered the lost ground, it was because I continued to make mistakes.


    I lost because I failed to make my landings stick.


    This was something I¡¯d noticed when I was fighting zombies back in the replica of Telos Academy. I had problems with my balance. I could make the jumps, but I couldn¡¯t land right and would frequently stumble, slip, and fall. For example, when I dropped through the wrecked floors of the admin building, I failed to land properly, and that triggered a rubble landslide that caught the attention of the zombie Simulacra infesting the building.


    There were occasions where my movements all came together, moments where mind and body achieved harmony. At those times, I was poetry in motion, moving with astonishing grace, but they were few and far between all the mistakes I made.


    I hated to admit it, but Arnval was right.


    I could move, but I wasn¡¯t anywhere near my best.


    In a way, I felt as though I was letting Mirai down.


    I was gifted with a body that possessed enviable abilities, yet I wasn¡¯t capitalizing on them. I was driving Mirai as though she were a truck, and not the lethal sportscar that she was.


    A shadow fell over me and I looked up to see Arnval regarding me coldly.


    ¡°That was disappointing,¡± he remarked with a frigid tone.


    I bowed my head, gritting my teeth together. The shame and humiliation I felt almost brought tears to my eyes. I kept taking short breaths as I struggle to contain my burning, roiling emotions.


    ¡°Get up,¡± Arnval ordered me. ¡°I said, get up.¡±


    I sucked in air through my nose, clenched my hands, and then stood up.


    But the weight of my failure was heavier than I realized, and I had trouble meeting Arnval¡¯s eyes.


    Arnval sounded angry. ¡°What do you have to say for yourself.¡±


    I took a deep breath, and then released it loudly, though I didn¡¯t feel any better. ¡°Nothing¡­.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    Again, I breathed in deeply, then I cleared my throat. ¡°I said, nothing. I don¡¯t have anything to say for myself.¡±


    ¡°Then what should you be asking?¡±


    I squeezed my eyes shut, forced down the shame I felt, and then opened them to meet his eyes. ¡°Tell me what to do, and I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Arnval¡¯s jaw muscles twitched as he clenched his jaw. ¡°You can start by dropping the act. I¡¯m not buying it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Now it was my turn to clench my jaw as anger seared away the shame that had been burdening me. ¡°You think this is an act? You think I like losing to an asshole like you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Hell no!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s better. Put a little fire into it.¡± Arnval poked a finger into my breastbone. ¡°I see you moping like that again, I¡¯m putting you over my knee and spanking you.¡±


    I breathed in and out deeply through gritted teeth. ¡°Just frekking try it. I¡¯ll break you in half!¡±


    He arched his eyebrows at me. ¡°You can¡¯t keep up with me. You think you can take me on?¡±


    I swallowed with some difficult as anger and helpless abruptly warred within me.


    He was right. I couldn¡¯t keep pace with him. By that logic, it was more than likely that I wouldn¡¯t be able to defend against him. I may very well find myself over his knees getting spanked.


    Right now, I was the cub before the lion.


    But I decided a heartbeat later, that remaining helpless was not an option.


    Without pain, there was no gain, and this cub needed to grow into a lioness.


    I swallowed a little easier, and my feelings running rampant within me began to quell.


    When I spoke, I kept my voice low and even. ¡°I asked you before, tell me what to do.¡±


    Arnval¡¯s gaze searched my face for a short while, then he straightened. He looked unhappy, but he wasn¡¯t angry at me anymore.


    ¡°You need to learn how to jump. That¡¯s your biggest problem. Jumping and landing.¡±


    I¡¯d already admitted as much to myself, but I held my tongue as he restated the obvious.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± he instructed and then walked back to the obstacle course.


    He stepped past the equipment that formed the outside running track, and then worked his way toward the center of the room where it was less cluttered.


    He approached a couple of elevated platforms facing each other.


    They reminded me of the diving platforms you¡¯d find at a pool.


    The planks were a few feet above the ground, and some ten or twelve feet apart.


    After climbing the short stairs up to the platform, he glanced down at me. ¡°Let¡¯s get you started with precision jumping.¡±


    Coming to a stop nearby, I watched him execute a standing jump.


    Arnval sailed in a low arc through the air, and then swung his arms forward as his feet landed on the opposite platform. Turning around, he performed a return jump, then looked down at me. ¡°It¡¯s not what I expected, but you have a bad habit of swinging your arms back when you land. That¡¯s cancelling your momentum, making you lean backwards when you should be carrying that momentum forward.¡±


    I held back a startled frown.


    Arnval had been running ahead of me the whole time, so how did he know I swung my arms back on every landing?


    He demonstrated the precision jump twice more, and I overclocked my awareness so that I could watch him as though he was jumping in slow motion.


    Upon returning to the starting platform, Arnval stepped off the edge.


    I was mildly surprised by how lightly he landed on the floor.


    ¡°Your turn,¡± he said to me.


    Steeling my insides against a belly full of butterflies that suddenly took flight, I climbed the steps to the top of the platform, and then readied myself for my first precision jump.


    - # -


    I won¡¯t bore you with the details of my physical training that stretched from afternoon to evening.


    Arnval worked me through the basics of what he called parkour.


    I will admit that I was aware of what it was, and had seen examples of it in action in holovids, but I¡¯d never participated in such an activity before.


    As Ronin Kassius, the only exercise I ever performed was the weekly physical education class that I had to endure at Telos Academy.


    Ronin wasn¡¯t the most athletic type on the planet, so I drew little pleasure from those P.E. classes. I was flexible and light, but lacked endurance, stamina, and physical strength. Honestly, the girls in my class were stronger than I was. For me, those weekly sessions were like trials that I had to sneak past undiscovered. Perhaps if I¡¯d been more physically able, I wouldn¡¯t have dreaded P.E. class so much.


    As Mirai, I faced a new challenge.


    My strength and durability were tenfold what I possessed as Ronin Kassius, but I lacked the control I needed to harness that overabundance of power. On the rare occasions that I could, I demonstrated feats of agility and martial prowess that far exceeded human norms, such as when I traded blows with Arnval back at the park in Ar Telica. From where and why those skills suddenly surfaced was a mystery to me. I couldn¡¯t consciously summon them, so they were more like a reflex response to immediate danger.


    It was an aspect of Mirai that troubled me when I gave it some thought.


    I felt that Mirai possessed too many secrets, but I couldn¡¯t afford to treat these mysterious skills like pinch-hitting abilities.


    This wasn¡¯t an RPG, and I wasn¡¯t a game character.


    My life and future depended on being able to summon them at will.


    In other words, I needed complete mastery over Mirai.


    Thus I shut my mouth and refrained from complaining when Arnval decided to extend my training late into the night.


    ¨C IV ¨C


    With my head bowed and my arms outstretched before me, I rested my weight against the wall of the spacious glass stall, and stood under the hot water jetting from the shower head, feeling it cascade over my weary body.


    It was late Thursday evening, and for two days now, Geharis Arnval had subjected me to a grueling training program that I was convinced would have tested the finest of soldiers. Suffice to say that while I had survived through sheer will alone, my body was drained to the point where I trembled as I stood under the hot water. Thus, it was by the very same sheer will that I remained standing on my feet, as I had nothing left in the proverbial gas tank.


    In short, I was running on fumes.


    Unfortunately, I had little time to spare for anything but training.


    When I asked Arnval if the Empire possessed a hyperbolic time chamber, he scoffed at me and told me I wasn¡¯t living in a cartoon.


    As though annoyed I would ask such a thing, he pounded the base realities of something called Jeet Kune Do into me for an hour, leaving me an exhausted mess on the dojo mats.


    Oh, as an aside, I should mention that the underground facilities had a variety of dojos interconnected by sliding wooden doors.


    Now back to the main topic.


    Despite the punishing curriculum of the past thirty odd hours, I was making noticeable progress.


    On my final run at the end of Wednesday¡¯s training session, I had crossed the finishing line some thirty-five feet behind Arnval, shaving five-feet off the initial distance between us. To my surprise, Arnval looked pleased with my performance, and praised me on my progress. I stared at him flummoxed and then glared at him hotly when I suspected he was mocking me. But then he revealed he¡¯d upped his pace to ensure he finished well ahead of me. Otherwise, I would have trimmed off a few extra feet, and maybe shortened the gap down to thirty-feet.


    With the session over, Arnval took his clothes with him, and escorted me back to my suite. When I asked about dinner, he assured me Kyoko would have something for me to eat once I¡¯d showered and changed into clean clothes. And then he bid me adieu, calling Cherry once again as he walked off, leaving me with mixed feelings and no small amount of unease and confusion over something I couldn¡¯t pin down.


    That was how Wednesday night ended between us.


    The next morning, Kyoko woke me up bright and early to continue training with Arnval down in the facilities below the Estate. It was more or less a repeat of yesterday¡¯s training schedule, with the notable inclusion of the aforementioned Jeet Kune Do sparring practice, whereupon Arnval availed himself of every opportunity to slam me into the dojo style mats. But by the same token, I also vented my boiling emotions by knocking him to the floor on numerous occasions. Those were the times when I stopped thinking about how to fight him, and instead allowed my body to take over and dish out punishment of its own volition.


    It was at that those times that I wondered who was really in control of this body.


    Was it me, or was it Mirai? For that matter, did Mirai exist as a subconscious entity? Or was I simply overthinking the situation?


    Nonetheless, I was now convinced of two things.


    The first was that Mirai possessed a martial arts prowess that seemed to dwell within my body rather than within my mind. If it was anything like muscle memory, the question was how was this knowledge imprinted into her? Maybe this training instilled into Mirai¡¯s body had come from someone, just like her mind had come from Ronin Kassius.


    This led me to my second conclusion, that without these physical skills, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive Arnval¡¯s training.


    I turned the tap handles and shut off the water showering upon me.


    A cloud of steam obscured the inside of the en suite bathroom.


    That suited me fine as I stood still within the shower stall as it made it harder to see my reflection in the glass walls.


    With an outstretched hand, I leaned against the left wall for support, and then closed my eyes.


    I focused on the sensation of the water trickling down my skin while listening to the droplets land on the non-slip tiles that covered the floor of the stall.


    My muscles ached, but the pain had dulled to a persistent throbbing despite the fact it was only a short while ago that I finished ten hours of running, shooting, jumping, and sparring with Arnval.


    As I stood motionless, I could sense the ache gradually fading ever so faintly with each breath I took, and I became a tad uneasy.


    Mirai looked human, felt human, bled like a human, but she was not human.


    The old saying that if it walks like a dog, barks like a dog, then it must be a dog didn¡¯t apply to me.


    Mirai recovered too quickly.


    Whether it was from bruises, scrapes, falls, broken bones ¨C she healed at a frightening rate.


    I was confident that even if I looked through every xenobiology record on all the lifeforms humanity had encountered to date, I wouldn¡¯t find another creature that could heal as quickly as Mirai did.


    Opening my eyes, I looked down at my right hand and arm hanging limply from my shoulder.


    The skin was hairless, pale, and smooth. It was almost wrinkle free, even around my knuckles. It reminded me of a baby¡¯s skin, or the realistic material used on lifelike dolls intended as toys for children. Turning it over, I examined my hand and arm critically, noticing the bruises incurred when I fell or was knocked to the ground during training. However, those bruises that should have marred my skin with dark purple blotches were now little more than faint blemishes mere hours after sustaining them. If not for Mirai¡¯s natural pallor and keen eyesight, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed them at all.


    And that added to my worries.


    No, it added to my fears.


    Because Mirai scared me.


    I was inside her body, controlling it, using it. It pretty much belonged to me now, since it was impossible to imprint another neural map into her mind. However, none of that stopped me from being afraid of what she was, and of what she could do.


    Feeling the moisture on my skin begin to cool, I decided to vacate the shower stall.


    Lifting my head, I turned my body the right and pushed open the transparent door.


    My heart jumped for a moment when I caught sight of my reflection in the glass wall.


    With my heart pounding in my chest, I regarded the translucent girl.


    Her crimson eyes met mine, and a shiver broke free and ran down my spine.


    What am I?


    No matter what I¡¯d been told by Erina, Straus, Ghost, or anyone else, I felt that something was missing in their explanations. Each was expressed from their own perspective, and when I combined them, I felt as though important pieces were absent from the proverbial puzzle.


    Thus, I had an incomplete picture of Mirai.


    Purportedly she was a Simulacra of the finest grade, and a test platform for the Angel Fibers, but where did those Fibers come from? What were they? And why was I able to influence them when they existed outside my body? More so, Mirai was the body originally intended to effect Clarisol¡¯s escape from the virtual prison that the Empress had thrown her in. Because of that, and through no fault of my own, I felt like a thief who had stolen Clarisol¡¯s future from her.


    However, despite knowing all this, I held an unwavering conscious belief that Mirai had been created for another purpose, and a subconscious fear that she was destined for something ominous. Then again, it could be the result of dark figments of my imagination born out of inconclusive explanations from less than trustworthy sources, in concert with my own fears, prejudices, and psychological complexes that made me feel that way about Mirai.


    Regardless, it made it difficult for me to accept her.


    That said, I had left the proverbial door ajar, and of late that door had opened a little wider, such that I had grown more comfortable with her body. But fully accepting her was something that would take time.


    She was too much of a dark mystery for me to openly welcome her with open arms.


    The teenage girl reflected faintly in the glass wall appeared to agree, though the sullen glare on her beautiful face gave me the disconcerting impression that she was the one judging me ¨C judging whether I was worthy of her body.


    Annoyed with her reflection, I pushed the glass door open and exited the shower stall.


    But when I toweled myself dry, I glimpsed myself in the mirror above the vanity, and I stopped to stare at the girl with long dark hair and crimson irises.


    This is me.


    For a short while, I studied her face, then hesitantly glanced down at my naked body.


    This is who I am now.


    I closed my eyes, and felt a shudder ¨C not a shiver ¨C run through me.


    I¡¯m a girl now.


    With my eyes closed, I finished drying my body, only opening them to walk to the bathrobe hitched to the wall beside the bathroom door. Slipping it on, I then padded barefoot out into the bedroom, and found a clean set of pajamas waiting for me atop the bed.


    Changing into them, I then made my way to the living room, and into the adjoining dining area.


    Tomorrow was a new day.


    Tomorrow, I would face Tabitha.


    Tomorrow, I would learn if all the pain had translated into a gain.


    So it was essential that I get a good night¡¯s rest.


    But before then I indulged in the hearty three course meal that had been prepared and left for me in the dining area.


    Afterwards, I sat down in the living room and watched the recordings of Tabitha¡¯s Gun Princess Royale matches, eventually falling asleep on the three-seater sofa.


    ¨C # ¨C


    Friday morning began like Thursday morning.


    I was up early and dressed in my sweats before Arnval arrived at my suite to escort me down to the underground training facilities.


    He took one look at my tussled, knotted hair, and then laughed.


    I chose to ignore him because I was simply too tired to care.


    I woke up on the sofa sometime during the night, and staggered to the bedroom, falling asleep atop the bed covers.


    But pre-match jitters had robbed me of much needed sleep.


    Yes, Arnval had laughed at my appearance, but it was only later that I realized it was the kind of laughter that didn¡¯t reach his eyes.


    Suffice to say, he wasn¡¯t impressed but he kept his opinion to himself as he supervised more shooting practice, sparring, and parkour training in the underground facilities.


    However, he called it quits after midday, following a final run through the obstacle course where I once again succeeded in shaving off a few more feet between us.


    I crossed the finishing line some twenty feet behind him.


    I fell less, I slipped less, and I was able to execute my jumps, climbs, and leaps with greater agility than during my first attempt two days ago.


    Arnval congratulated me on my improvement, but it didn¡¯t sound like praise, not when his tone carried a faint undercurrent of disappointment. In hindsight, I could have put him on the spot and pressed him for an answer, but I was tired and distracted by worries over the impending match, and thus I chose not to.


    Besides, I shouldn¡¯t be concerning myself with Arnval¡¯s opinion about my performance.


    I needed to focus on dealing with Tabitha.


    Arnval gave me a funny look when I asked him how to defeat her. ¡°I was wondering when you¡¯d finally bring that up.¡±


    The urge to strike him was dangerously overwhelming. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be helping me?¡±


    ¡°I have been helping you. That¡¯s what the past two days has been all about.¡±


    I tilted my head to one side. ¡°Then do you have a game plan or not?¡±


    Arnval pursed his lips together, then smiled weakly as he began walking away. ¡°I might.¡±


    Rather than follow him, I folded my arms over the grey tank top that I wore. ¡°Then can I hear about it?¡±


    He stopped a few steps later and replied without turning around. ¡°You watched her matches last night, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    I replied sourly, ¡°I figured you were monitoring my viewing habits. Yeah, I watched some of her matches. Not all of them.¡±


    ¡°What can you tell me about her? What stood out for you?¡±


    ¡°She was fast.¡± I thought about my answer a little more, and then added, ¡°She anticipated her opponents¡¯ locations. It was like she had eyes all around her head. She would move before they could line her up for a shot.¡± I huffed softly. ¡°She was always moving.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s one thing about her that most Gun Princesses don¡¯t do. Hexaria was almost always on the move.¡± Arnval looked at me over a shoulder. ¡°She was always on the hunt, never the one being hunted. She pressed forward even when the odds weren¡¯t favorable. They say fortune favors the brave, but with her it was more like fortune favors the reckless.¡±


    ¡°Would you call her foolish?¡± I asked him earnestly.


    He glanced away, looking pensive. ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t call her foolish. She took her chances, but they were all calculated moves. When she pulled them off, they paid off big time. When she failed, she failed miserably. But her actions weren¡¯t foolish. Risky, yes. But never foolish, although some may argue that it was foolish to take such big risks.¡±


    I unfolded my arms and let them hang limply by my sides. ¡°How do I beat her?¡±


    Arnval¡¯s shoulders rose and fell. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you can.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    That wasn¡¯t what I was expecting to hear, but by the same token, I also knew it was entirely reasonable because that¡¯s the conclusion I had arrived at in the morning, after tossing and turning on the bed as I chased after a few hours of sleep.


    However, I pressed on without revealing that I agreed with him. ¡°That¡¯s not confidence inspiring.¡±


    Arnval nodded. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t¡­.¡±


    Then he resumed walking away, stopping only when he noticed I wasn¡¯t following him.


    ¡°Are you coming or not?¡±


    ¡°Not until you tell me how to beat Tabitha.¡± I planted my hands on my hips. ¡°I¡¯ve trained for two days, maybe more. I haven¡¯t complained. I¡¯ve swallowed my pride and tolerated your condescending attitude. I¡¯ve done everything you¡¯ve asked of me, and I¡¯ve met every challenge you¡¯ve thrown my way. I know I wasn¡¯t able to catch up or keep pace with you, but I know I¡¯m better than I was before.¡± I raised my chin so that I was looking down my nose at him. ¡°So I deserve an answer. No matter what you think of my chances¡ªI still deserve an answer.¡±


    Arnval met my words with a stony silence.


    Growing frustrated, I pressed my lips together before asking, ¡°How do I defeat Taura Hexaria?¡±


    His rigid expression broke and exasperation crossed his face. Then he strode back to me.


    His reply was unexpectedly gentle. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can defeat her. That¡¯s the truth.¡±


    I tried to keep the shock and disappointment from spilling onto my face, but I failed.


    I also felt betrayed. ¡°So you really are expecting me to lose.¡±


    Arnval hesitated before nodding very faintly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t have the magic answer. I don¡¯t have a solution to the problem. Not with the way you are now.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You lack the training. You lack the experience.¡±


    I frowned up at him. ¡°I know that. But still¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not strong enough.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve grown stronger¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough.¡±


    I gasped softly and then took a breath before asking, ¡°Why not?¡±


    Arnval looked pained and when he spoke his words carried distinct regret. ¡°Right now, I can confidently say you¡¯re as good as any rookie Gun Princess in the Minor League, if not better. You¡¯re fast. You¡¯re strong. And you¡¯re an excellent shot. But up against a Major League Princess, you¡¯d find yourself on the back foot from the get go, and it¡¯s not for lack of speed, talent, or strength.¡±


    ¡°Then what am I lacking?¡±


    ¡°Experience. You haven¡¯t developed that sixth sense that lets you anticipate your opponent¡¯s actions.¡±


    I thought back to what I¡¯d said about Tabitha. ¡°Experience¡­.¡±


    Arnval nodded slowly. ¡°¡°Every strategy, every idea I had, was based on you growing strong enough to compensate for your lack of experience. I pinned my hope on your physical abilities. If they exceeded my expectations, then there was a chance you could beat her on talent alone. You could overwhelm her purely with superior strength, speed, and accuracy. But that didn¡¯t happen. You fell short. You didn¡¯t grow strong enough.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying I can¡¯t become stronger?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. I¡¯m saying that it will take time, but time was never on our side. And that¡¯s why, realistically, there is little hope that you can beat her.¡±


    Overcome with frustration, I complained through clenched teeth, ¡°Then what was the point of all this? What was the point of pushing me this hard? Of pushing myself?¡±


    ¡°The point was that you don¡¯t give up until the end.¡±


    ¡°But if I can¡¯t win¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Then what will you do?¡± he asked me frankly. ¡°Run away?¡± He shook his head. ¡°There is no running away, ma ch¨¦rie.¡±


    With my hands balled into fists, I yelled, ¡°Then tell me what to do! Tell me!¡±


    Arnval exhaled heavily, then shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Face her in battle. Don¡¯t run away.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough. I need you to tell me how to beat her!¡±


    Arnval cocked his head at me. ¡°Someone once said, there are always possibilities. Just because I can¡¯t see them, simply because I¡¯m not good enough to find a solution, doesn¡¯t mean that you won¡¯t find a way to defeat her.¡±


    He took a step closer to me, and I angled my head upwards to look at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you this,¡± he said. ¡°When it comes to recklessness, you and Hexaria are alike. And you share other traits. You¡¯re both impulsive. You have a propensity to shoot first, ask questions later. You¡¯re not one for small talk on the battlefield. You see an opportunity, and you take it. Hexaria is the same. In many respects, you can think of her as your nemesis.¡±


    Was that really true? I looked up at him with a question clearly written on my face, and Arnval nodded.


    ¡°I may not be good enough to be your support. I may not have been able to develop a strategy for you, but maybe that¡¯s what you need.¡±


    ¡°No strategy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°You mean play it by ear. Fly by the seat of my pants?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    I noticed a grin forming on his lips, and told him, ¡°I don¡¯t like to lose.¡±


    ¡°No one does.¡±


    ¡°But if I lose here¡­.¡±


    Arnval exhaled slowly. ¡°It won¡¯t be the end of the world.¡±


    Then he turned around and walked away.


    This time he didn¡¯t stop when I failed to follow him.

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 13 - Part 1.

    Chapter 13.


    ¨C I ¨C


    I returned to my suite on the second floor of the villa.


    It wasn¡¯t far. All I had to do was walk along the balcony to the south wing.


    Pressing my hand to the scanning plate beside the door jamb, the suite unlocked, and I stepped inside after pushing the door open.


    Slamming it behind me, I stood in the wide hallway taking a handful of deep, slow breaths, before striding into the living area.


    I looked around for something to kick.


    The sofa cushions looked inviting.


    Eventually, after walking around in loose circles for a while, my emotions eased down to the point where I stopped trembling angrily and was able to hold myself still.


    The door chime dispelled the calm I¡¯d been slowly nurturing within me.


    ¡°What?¡± I snapped, feeling heated all over again.


    When no one entered the suite, I took measured breaths, cleared my throat, then called out, ¡°Come in,¡± but there was no hiding my turbulent emotions.


    Crossing my arms under my breasts, my hands clutched at my arms as I waited for my visitor to show themselves.


    Wearing his trademark trench coat over a dark suit, Arnval appeared at the entrance to the living area, crossed his arms, then leaned a shoulder against a wall.


    ¡°Well, there. You¡¯re looking blue.¡±


    Of course, I was. I had paint over my right arm, face, temple, and hair.


    ¡°Who is she?¡±


    Arnval favored me with a puzzled frown.


    I shook my head sharply. ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me. Who is she? The girl who sniped me.¡± I took a few steps toward him. ¡°She¡¯s not one of Fatina¡¯s maids. So who is she?¡±


    His gaze narrowed then abruptly widened as he grinned roguishly at me. ¡°You want to meet her?¡±


    ¡°I already met her. Now I want to know who she is.¡±


    He glanced upward at the high ceiling. ¡°No idea.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not funny,¡± I stated harshly, my voice sounding gravelly to my ears. ¡°Not funny at all. And neither was this training exercise.¡±


    ¡°I disagree. You moved quite well. You demonstrated unpredictable thinking¡ª¡±


    ¡°It was a total farce!¡±


    Arnval slowly closed his mouth and then regarded me thinly.


    I met his eyes with a cold stare, the frostiest I could manage while keeping a lid on my anger.


    ¡°Is that what you think?¡± he asked me.


    ¡°I do¡­.¡± I uncrossed my arms, then planted my hands on my hips. ¡°I learnt absolutely nothing from that exercise. Nothing at all. And tomorrow I face Tabitha, and I have no idea how I¡¯m going to beat her.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to beat her. Not this time. You just have to survive thirty minutes and earn yourself a draw. That¡¯s the best you can hope for.¡±


    I started to tremble.


    My emotions were breaking apart while beginning to run rampant inside me.


    ¡°Get out¡­.¡±


    Arnval looked faintly surprised.


    I pointed at the hallway behind him. ¡°Get out. I need to shower. I need to change. I need some time alone. So please, get out.¡±


    ¡°Ma ch¨¦rie¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± I held my hands rigidly at my sides, clenched into fists. ¡°I¡¯m sick of it.¡±


    Arnval straightened slowly, then stood silently for a while before saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t we call it quits for the day. No more training. You could do with an afternoon off.¡±


    My innards tightened in confusion.


    What the Hell is this?


    I felt a frown slip across my forehead. ¡°You¡¯re not taking this seriously, are you?¡±


    Arnval visibly stiffened. ¡°What was that?¡±


    I cocked my head at him. ¡°You don¡¯t expect me to win. You don¡¯t expect me to even earn a draw. You¡¯re setting me up for a fail. Why?¡±


    Arnval¡¯s expression darkened and after a moment he strode up to me. ¡°Is that what you think?¡±


    I looked up at him and nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­I do.¡±


    For a long while we locked stares and I held my ground every second of it.


    Eventually, Arnval exhaled loudly as though venting the heated feelings within him. ¡°Take the afternoon off. Get some rest. You¡¯ve earned it.¡±


    ¡°Leave¡­.¡± I indicated the hallway behind him by nodding at it. ¡°Now.¡±


    Arnval pressed his lips together, but I could hear his front teeth clicking together as he regarded me.


    I had no doubt the wheels were spinning furiously in his head.


    But in the end, he just nodded, then wordlessly turned away.


    I followed him for a few steps to make sure he departed the suit.


    At the doorway, Arnval paused, then spoke to me over a shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stay up. You¡¯re match with Hexaria is in the morning.¡±


    That revelation rocked me as I¡¯d expected to have the morning for more training. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it in the afternoon?¡±


    ¡°You know that we¡¯re aboard a ship, don¡¯t you?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. I can feel it moving.¡±


    A total lie. But what the heck.


    Arnval turned slightly toward me and I saw the hint of disbelief and incredulity in his eyes. However, what he said was, ¡°The ship is off the west coast of the northern continent. That means there¡¯s a few hours difference between here and there.¡±


    I took a few steps closer to him, and struggled not to clench my hands angrily. ¡°You mean to tell me that all this time we¡¯ve been behind the clock?¡± I sucked in a lungful of air and let it out in a rush. ¡°And you¡¯re telling me to quit for the day?¡±


    ¡°You need to unwind,¡± Arnval replied. ¡°I thought the exercise with the Maid Platoon would help you relax. My mistake.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing. ¡°How the Hell could something like that make me relax?¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed to take it seriously. It was a fun exercise. A game.¡±


    I ground my teeth together as I held back an outburst. ¡°Well you picked a bad time to play games.¡±


    ¡°Obviously. And your lack of a sense of humor didn¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°A little hard to be funny when you¡¯re future is on the line.¡±


    Arnval raised his chin as he looked down at me. ¡°Are you serious about winning? Does that mean you¡¯re not considering accepting Hexaria¡¯s offer?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Considering an offer and being challenged are not one and the same. If she wants me to fight for her Noble House, she could have gone about it differently.¡±


    ¡°Even though you may get a better deal if you compete for them?¡±


    Arnval¡¯s odd persistence made me uneasy, so I asked, ¡°Is that what the Sanreal Family wants? For me to leave¡ªI mean, to be taken away?¡±


    ¡°I sincerely doubt it,¡± he admitted.


    Somehow, I perceived that was an honest reply, but I was still troubled by his line of questioning.


    Is he testing me out? Does he want to know how I feel about the Sanreal Family?


    I bit my lower lip.


    Or is this about my¡­commitment?


    While I was puzzling over his motives, Arnval added, ¡°Like I told you earlier, Sanreal has taken a shine to you. He wouldn¡¯t be happy to lose you.¡± He glanced away. ¡°Sanreal¡¯s¡­lost a great deal.¡±


    So he knows about Clarisol and her mother. But what else does he know?


    Something felt off, as though Arnval was stumbling through the scene.


    But after swallowing quietly, I chose to accept his words with a modicum of suspicion and a tonne of caution.


    Why, you may ask? Because wasn¡¯t my whole reason for existing to help further Erina¡¯s research? Didn¡¯t Sanreal want the fruits of her labor? He couldn¡¯t use Mirai as a body for Clarisol¡¯s mind, but I still had value to him because of the Angel Fibers inside of me. Or was there more to it? When I took everything I¡¯d learnt from Ghost, from Erina, Tabitha, from Arnval, Fatina, and Sanreal himself, it didn¡¯t make a lot of sense. And what bothered me the most was the whole premise behind creating Mirai ¨C from Sanreal¡¯s point of view ¨C in order to give Clarisol a shot at freedom by slipping her out from under the Empress¡¯s nose. The fake existence of Isabel Allegrando that I had assumed also needled my composure.


    I just couldn¡¯t accept it.


    The jigsaw puzzle I¡¯d put together was too fragile, and that was because somewhere down the line ¨C or up the line ¨C someone had lied to me.


    Of that, I was certain.


    So how do I deal with Arnval?


    Perhaps it was best to ignorant and stay in character.


    In other words, maybe it was best if I acted like a redhead rather than a brunette.


    Standing with arms akimbo, I declared snidely, ¡°In that case, Sanreal should be making an effort to keep me¡ªsuch as moving the ship east so that I can get a morning¡¯s worth of training.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass it along,¡± Arnval quipped.


    ¡°Great. Now you can leave,¡± I snarked at him.


    Arnval exhaled wearily, then turned back to the door. ¡°Why are all girls your age this way?¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    He ignored me as he walked up to the door.


    I quickly sucked in air. ¡°So you¡¯re not going to tell me about her?¡±


    He stopped with a hand on the door knob. ¡°About who?¡±


    ¡°The bitch who sniped me. The ringer you put into training exercise.¡±


    Arnval turned around sufficiently so as to look at me comfortably over a shoulder. ¡°You want to know who she is?¡±


    I gave him a single quiet nod as I watched him with my hands on my hips.


    Arnval¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line before breaking the brief silence between us.


    ¡°All right¡­you¡¯ll find out tomorrow.¡±


    Then he smoothly opened the door, and exited the suite.


    I watched the door close behind him, released a ragged breath, then hurried to the large bathroom.


    I didn¡¯t take a shower.


    Standing at the wide washbasin, I washed off as much of the paint as I could, then hastened out of the bathroom, and into the adjacent bedroom.


    I rifled through the drawers of the vanity, the bedside table, and the tallboy. I¡¯d lost my blue scrunchy when I dove into the garden stream, and my long black hair was too much to handle without something to tie it with.


    Coming up empty, I turned slowly in frustration, when my gaze was abruptly drawn to a bright pink scrunchy lying on a pillow atop the neatly made bed.


    My eyes narrowed into thin slits.


    Damn that Fatina!


    I glared at the scrunchy for a while before snorting like an angry bull.


    Walking with stiff, jerking steps up to the bed, I grabbed the scrunchy, and used it to tie my hair into a long ponytail.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Then I stormed out of the bedroom.


    The luxurious suite had a kitchen adjoining the dining area that in turn melded into the wide open living area.


    More importantly, the kitchen had a fridge with chilled bottles of soda and water.


    I took two of the bottles of water out from the door racks, opened one of them, then quickly drank down half its contents.


    Having soothed my parched throat, I capped the bottle, slammed the fridge door shut, grabbed both bottles, and then departed the suite in a hurry.


    Arnval had told me to take the rest of the day off, but what was I going to do?


    Would I lie on the sofa and watch holo-vision programs until bedtime?


    Nope. No way. Not when considering my duel with Tabitha was now scheduled for tomorrow morning.


    I felt stupid for not having bothered to check local time against Ar Telica time.


    I should have asked Ghost when he was still around, but I¡¯d assumed the Citadel was floating about in the vicinity of the Proving Grounds because that island was surrounded by a huge ocean storm. As a result, I¡¯d believed we were three or four hours ahead of Ar Telica, not six or seven hours behind it.


    By the way, where is that useless Maestro Awareness when I need him?


    Arriving at the elevator, I hesitated before pushing the button to unlock the cage door.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if Arnval had restricted my access to the subterranean training facility beneath the villa, but the sound of metal clanking and the door unlocking had me sighing quickly in relief.


    No turning back now.


    Entering the lift cage, I closed the door shut with a loud clank, then pushed the button that would start the elevator descending to the training level.


    After a false start, the cage lurched worryingly before it began to drop to the floor below the villa.


    Exiting the elevator cage, my first port of call was the Armory.


    To my relief, the Assisting Intelligence ¨C the Overseer ¨C watching over the training facility granted me access to the firing range and the adjoining Armory.


    Once inside, I collected two LR-81A Punishers, but I was in need of ammunition.


    When I asked the Overseer for help, the A.I. questioned my intentions.


    I gave my reply some thought, then humorlessly replied, ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m going to war.¡±


    The silence that greeted me was a little unsettling.


    ¡°Very well. Access granted.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­?¡± My mouth hung open as I watched a wide section of the back wall of the round Armory ¨C I say ¡®back¡¯ because it was diametrically opposite the entrance ¨C slide apart to reveal a separate room.


    ¡°Please proceed to the Munitions Vault.¡±


    I swallowed nervously before stepping into the so-called Vault, and consequently found myself standing on a walkway inside the equivalent of a multi-level warehouse.


    ¡°¡­holy molly¡­.¡±


    Mouth agape, I looked about the interior of the Munitions Vault, somewhat afraid to step any deeper into the immense room.


    ¡°Procuring munitions and supplies. Please wait a minute.¡±


    ¡°¡­oh, okay¡­.¡±


    I was somewhat relieved that I wouldn¡¯t have to go fetch the ammo myself.


    After a half minute of waiting, the faint hum of electric motors reached my ears, and I peered down over the walkway guardrail at the level below me.


    A boxy crate with beveled sides flew up toward me, probably propelled aloft by levitator-field emitters.


    It landed on the walkway, then split open like a giant tool box.


    For a short while, I studied the contents on display, then carefully placed the Punishers I carried on the walkway floor.


    Reaching into the giant tool box, I pull out an ammo belt with pockets for half a dozen magazines.


    Next, I filled up the ammo belt with magazines loaded with fifty ten-millimeter high penetration rounds a piece ¨C at least, that¡¯s what the markings on the side of the black casings indicated.


    ¡°A suggestion, if I may.¡±


    I stopped and stared up at the ceiling. ¡°Ah, sure.¡±


    The border of a compartment within the ammo box began to glow with a blue-white light.


    ¡°Please attach the feeder to the LR-81A units.¡±


    Retrieving the device from the compartment, I saw that it was a side mounted magazine feeder that allowed me to insert the large ammo mags vertically rather than horizontally. This meant that they wouldn¡¯t stick out from the side of the rifle, and considering their size that was a good thing.


    After outfitting both Punishers with the adapters, I then slapped a magazine into each feeder.


    Counting the ammo mags in the belt I wore snuggly around my waist, I now had four hundred rounds at my disposal.


    Well, I did tell the A.I. that I was going to war.


    Giving the contents of the ammo container another look, I saw a bandolier with pockets for more magazines. Wondering if I could wear it and the ammo belt at the same time, I also noticed a row of narrow rectangular boxes and recognized them as batteries for the Punishers. My gaze then fell on a row of long ammo drums.


    Maybe I should take a couple of those as well, but how am I going to carry them?


    Deciding it was overkill, I straightened with a sigh as I continued peering at the container¡¯s contents.


    A grimace flickered across my face.


    That¡¯s certainly a lot of ammo.


    As much as I regretted leaving it behind, it was more than I believed I could comfortably carry.


    I departed the Munitions Vault, exited the Armory, then walked out of the shooting range.


    I made tracks to my next port of call ¨C the Obstacle Course.


    Once inside the immense hangar sized room, I took off the ammo belt, shrugged off my tracksuit jacket, reaffirmed my ponytail was tightly secured with Fatina¡¯s bright pink scrunchy, and then spoke to the A.I. overseeing the facility. It was then that I realized I¡¯d left my water bottles behind.


    ¡°¡­great¡­.¡±


    Shaking my head slowly, I chose not to make a trip back to the shooting range to retrieve the two bottles.


    Instead, I gave the training room a studious look. ¡°Hey, can you manifest target holovids in here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can.¡±


    ¡°Can you give me targets to practice against?¡±


    ¡°Are you planning to go to war in this room?¡±


    I took a very deep breath, uncertain of how to explain my intentions for coming here. ¡°I want something to shoot at while I run the obstacle course.¡±


    The A.I. Overseer didn¡¯t reply, perhaps because it was deliberating conscientiously on my request.


    I waited patiently at first but the silence began to gnaw at me and I grew distinctly anxious. ¡°Hello? Are you there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am here.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­so¡­about my request¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Granted. We will provide you with a suitable quantity of targets. Please equip yourself.¡±


    It took a moment for me to understand what she meant, then I quickly slipped the ammo belt around my waist, tightened the straps to ensure it wasn¡¯t going to fall off or move about.


    Then I picked up a Punisher in each hand.


    ¡°Ready,¡± I announced.


    ¡°Please assume your position on the starting line while I make preparations.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, right. The starting line. Gotcha¡­.¡±


    Taking my spot as suggested, I waited for something to happen.


    I wonder what she means by preparations?


    As the seconds ticked by into a minute, I began to shift impatiently on my feet.


    This waiting is not helping my mood¡­.


    Moments later, the door to the training room slid open, and a trio of dark metal crates on wheels rolled into the facility.


    I watched them begin dispensing metal balls about the size of rock melons over the floor of the room.


    It was as though they were laying mines behind them as they crisscrossed the room, weaving in and out of the obstacles course.


    After a hundred or more of the balls were cast about, the three autonomous crates returned to the entrance, and drew to a stop abreast of each other.


    ¡°Generating holo-targets.¡±


    Within seconds, the metal balls littering the floor began to rock.


    Mirai¡¯s ears caught a low hum emanating from them as tiny panels slid aside on their surface, and shortly afterwards the metal balls split into two hemispheres. However, they remained attached to each other via countless strands that resembled optical fiber cables that shone with tiny beads of light.


    I swallowed nervously, wondering what I¡¯d gotten myself into.


    ¡°What the heck is this¡ªhuh?¡±


    The metal balls floated upwards into the air, then hovered about four feet above the floor.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I whispered anxiously, ¡°this is new¡­.¡±


    Without warning, tiny lights appeared all over the metal balls, and within moments each of them was surrounded by the image of a hungry zombie.


    ¡°Oh shit¡­.¡±


    Seconds later, the room was swarming with a legion of undead.


    A deep shiver wracked my body, and it wasn¡¯t long before a cold sweat trickled down my back.


    ¡°Frek me¡­.¡±


    ¡°Commencing World War Z simulation.¡±


    ¡°World War what?¡±


    In reply, the zombies launched themselves at me.


    It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what World War Z was all about. After all, I¡¯d told the A.I. that was I was going to war. There was also the possibility that it was aware of my penchant for playing first person shooters that featured the undead.


    The two Punishers I gripped firmly in each hand auto-chambered the first rounds.


    The wetware link between them and Mirai had been established long ago, and the targeting feedback was active.


    I didn¡¯t have a good reason for delaying and not jumping into the fight, so with a short yell, I leapt onto the platform ahead of me.


    Aiming the Punishers at the oncoming onslaught of holo-graphic undead, I pictured myself as the heroine of the piece.


    ¡°Fine¡ªbring it on!¡±


    Thus, World War Z took place in the massive underground hangar.


    - # -


    An hour later, I staggered back to the suite.


    My clothes were torn and ragged.


    The tank top hung onto a shoulder by the threads of a strap.


    My sports bra was fit for the recycling bin.


    The tracksuit trousers had been ripped off my lower body. Thankfully, I was wearing running shorts underneath.


    And I¡¯d lost my cross-trainers.


    Thus, I walked barefoot into the living room, then dropped myself unceremoniously onto the long sofa seat.


    Lying prone along the sofa¡¯s length, I buried my face into a cushion.


    ¡°¡­me and my big mouth¡­.¡±


    World War Z did not go as planned.


    The holo-graphic zombies were complemented by effect-fields that simulated their physical bodies.


    They had swarmed me, grabbed me, and almost left me naked.


    Yes, the damn things had tried to tear off my clothes, and in a raging fury, I had blown them apart with the Punishers.


    After unleashing Hell on the holo-graphic undead, the training room was out of action, littered with the debris of the obstacle course and the remains of more than a hundred metal balls.


    Exhaustion settled into my bones.


    ¡°¡­Arnval¡¯s going to be pissed¡­.¡±


    I started to chuckle as I imagined the look on his face when he walked into the training room.


    But then I was puzzled by something I¡¯d only realized now.


    Rolling onto my back on the long sofa, I stared up at the living area¡¯s white ceiling.


    If the Sanreal¡¯s could simulate zombie hordes using holo-graphics and effect fields, then why did they use Simulacra when they hijacked my gaming session of Zombie Apocalypse?


    Why use hundreds of Simulacra during the match between myself and the Gun Queen of Ar Telica?


    Then I frowned as I remembered Clarisol declaring the Simulacra used in the replica of Ar Telica did not belong to House Novis.


    So that environment was really set up by the Imperial Family.


    Throwing an arm over my face, I closed my eyes, and sighed deeply as I willed myself to relax.


    Tomorrow was a big day, and I was spent.


    Maybe I¡¯d take a nap, then afterwards, I¡¯d wash off the day¡¯s grime with a shower, and then look forward to dinner time¡­.


    - # -


    ¡°Wake up.¡±


    A man¡¯s voice jolted me out of sleep, and I felt my body rock.


    ¡°Sleeping Beauty, nap time¡¯s over. Wake up.¡±


    Was that Arnval¡¯s voice? Probably.


    Cracking an eyelid open, I peered blearily up at two people standing beside me but they looked indistinct.


    ¡°You see? I told you that would wake her up. All she needs is a good shove.¡±


    Blinking the sleep away from my eyes, I struggled to recall where I was.


    A woman¡¯s voice reproached him. She was audibly disappointed in him. ¡°You¡¯ve been shoving her for long enough. I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t treat her that way.¡±


    Is this the bedroom? Doesn¡¯t feel like a bed? Wait¡ªam I in the living room?


    ¡°Fatina, haven¡¯t you realized by now that this is no lady?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then what is she?¡±


    ¡°A tomboy. And tomboys are accustomed to playing rough. They wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. I mean just look at the way she sleeps. What a mess.¡±


    ¡°She is a girl, and you shoving her with your foot is entirely inappropriate.¡±


    ¡°Inappropriate? Have you seen what this walking calamity with breasts did to the training room downstairs?¡±


    The woman paused before replying, ¡°I am aware that she went¡­a little far.¡±


    ¡°A little far? Seriously? When I saw the place I didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or run for the hills!¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t want her taking her training seriously, then you should have denied her access to the facilities!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think she was going to wreck the place!¡±


    ¡°The Overseer didn¡¯t think it was going to be a problem, did it?¡±


    ¡°That A.I. needs its logic circuits checked. It¡¯s clearly got its wires crossed!¡±


    ¡°Arnval, A.I.¡¯s don¡¯t have wires.¡±


    ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I understand what you mean¡­.¡±


    By now my eyes had cleared up but my memory was fuzzy on events before I fell asleep.


    I¡¯m on the sofa in the living room? What the Hell am I doing here? Oh, that¡¯s right¡ªI said I was going to take a nap. And I remember Fatina walking in with the dinner cart, but I have no idea what happened after that¡­.


    Slowly pushing myself up on my elbows, I stared at Arnval and Fatina standing beside the sofa. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? Did my dinner grow cold? Can¡¯t I reheat it?¡±


    Arnval snorted in disbelief. ¡°Your dinner? You want to eat your dinner for breakfast?¡±


    My face contorted in confusion. ¡°Breakfast? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Fatina delivered your dinner hours ago.¡±


    Standing next to him, Fatina gave Arnval an annoyed look, before speaking to me. ¡°Isabel, it¡¯s morning. When I delivered your dinner last night, you were on the sofa. You told me to just leave it there. Don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    My confusion waxed and waned before I slowly nodded. ¡°Oh yeah. I said I was going to take a shower first¡­.¡±


    Arnval and Fatina gave me different looks.


    He looked annoyed. She looked disappointed.


    An anxious twinge in my chest made me swallow nervously. ¡°I must have fallen asleep¡­.¡±


    Arnval nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, Sleeping Beauty. And now it¡¯s time to get up. Your match with Hexaria is in two hours.¡±


    ¡°Two hours? Huh!¡± I sat up in a hurry and frowned at him. ¡°Two hours! Are you telling me I slept for a whole day?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t,¡± he replied testily. ¡°Not even close.¡±


    ¡°Then¡ª?¡±


    ¡°The ship sailed east overnight and we¡¯re now in Ar Telica¡¯s time zone.¡±


    I swallowed quickly. ¡°And now it¡¯s morning¡­.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t my match with Tabitha scheduled for the afternoon?¡±


    ¡°Not anymore.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Again, I frowned. ¡°Why not?¡±


    Arnval held a hand up. ¡°Three reasons.¡± He ticked off points on his fingers. ¡°One. You pissed off Lord Sanreal so he sailed the ship east, despite the risk of giving ourselves away to another Citadel. Two. He contacted House Cardinal and requested the match be rescheduled to this morning. And three. Team Novis has a press conference this afternoon and depending on the outcome of the match, you¡¯re either going to be there or you¡¯re not.¡±


    Aghast, I swung my legs off the sofa and shot to my feet. ¡°Sanreal rescheduled my duel? Why?¡±


    At that moment the only strap holding up my tank top snapped.


    Luckily, although my sports bra had a few tears here and there, it was mostly intact and kept my appearance modest. But for some reason, as the tank top fell to my waist, I hurriedly crossed my arms protectively over my breasts.


    The reason? Arnval¡¯s gaze that immediately locked onto my chest.


    ¡°Letch!¡± I snarled at him.


    ¡°Says the exhibitionist!¡± he snarled back.


    ¡°Stop it! Both of you!¡± Fatina yelled. ¡°Now, if you can¡¯t have a conversation like adults, I suggest we take a time-out.¡±


    I sucked in air noisily through my nose, and glared sullenly at Arnval.


    He slipped his hands into his trench coat pockets, and glared back but at least he wasn¡¯t ogling my chest.


    By the way, yes, he was wearing a trench coat, though this one was dark brown in color, rather than the usual black I was accustomed to seeing him wear.


    Fatina palmed her forehead for a long moment before speaking again. ¡°All right. Where were we?¡±


    I swallowed past my annoyed feelings clogging up my throat. ¡°Why did Sanreal reschedule my duel with Tabitha?¡±


    Fatina looked over at Arnval. ¡°Well? Tell her.¡±


    The big baby was still sulking when he replied, ¡°That¡¯s because he wants this over with sooner rather than later.¡±


    My heated feelings were kicked aside first by shock, then confusion. ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because he doesn¡¯t want you sinking the ship¡ªwhy else?¡±


    I jerked back a little, then looked for the lie by searching his face and aura.


    Shit. I think he¡¯s serious.


    Arnval slipped his left hand out of a trench coat pocket, then glanced at a wristwatch he wore on his wrist. ¡°The clock is ticking. You¡¯ve got ninety-eight minutes to get ready.¡±


    My eyes widened in protest. ¡°No way! You said I had two hours!¡±


    ¡°Your match is in two hours. You need to be ready long before then.¡±


    I clenched my teeth together in mounting frustration that was beginning to edge toward despair. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair.¡±


    ¡°Not fair?¡± Arnval gave me an incredulous look.


    ¡°It was just one room¡­.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you stopped at just one room,¡± he retorted.


    I closed my mouth and decided silence was the better part of valor.


    Yes, I know I¡¯m bastardizing the phrase, but I truly believed that keeping quiet was the best choice.


    Arnval exhaled heavily. ¡°Either way, don¡¯t complain to me. Take it up with Sanreal.¡±


    I was ready to take it up with Arnval¡¯s gut but held myself back.


    However, keeping quiet was never my forte.


    Actually, ever since becoming Mirai, I¡¯ve had trouble containing my fireball emotions.


    I should have been a redhead, not a brunette.


    Forgetting to cover my breasts, I lowered my arms and balled my hands into trembling fists. ¡°Fine¡ªthen I¡¯ll go take a shower!¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Arnval glanced pointedly at the curtained windows overlooking the southern grounds of the Estate. ¡°Your Sarcophagus has been summoned. It¡¯s waiting for you out in the garden. Once you¡¯re inside of it, the Sarcophagus will take care of you. It¡¯ll service your body and equip you for the match with Hexaria. At least, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been told.¡±


    I shook my head slowly. ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°What don¡¯t you get?¡±


    ¡°Everything!¡± I yelled loudly.


    Arnval¡¯s expression hardened and I sensed clear anger behind his eyes when he abruptly closed the distance between us down to a few millimeters. ¡°The only thing you need to understand is to do what you¡¯re told. Am I making myself clear?¡±


    My initial surprise at the strength of his feelings was burned aside as I grew incensed at the way he was treating me.


    I was moments away from sending my knee into Arnval¡¯s groin, and ending his bloodline here and now, when I noticed Fatina¡¯s expression change suddenly.


    Standing behind Arnval¡¯s left shoulder, she shook her head quickly at me and her lips mouthed something that I couldn¡¯t read.


    But it was the frightened look she gave me that made me reconsider.


    And so I unclenched my hands, and then relaxed my midriff and leg muscles.


    Arnval¡¯s future progeny had been spared. They would never know how close they came to never being born. However, while I¡¯d decided to back down, I gave him no reply and met his eyes with an uncompromising glare.


    The tense silence between us lasted for a long while.


    Arnval eventually exhaled loudly, then straightened away from me.


    ¡°Tick tock, ma ch¨¦rie. Your date with destiny awaits.¡±


    Then he turned on his heels and left the suite.


    The golden glow of his aura had been tainted with red tendrils.


    I took that to mean that it wasn¡¯t an act.


    Arnval¡­was truly angry with me.

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 13 - Part 2.

    Chapter 13


    ¨C II ¨C


    Had I crossed the line?


    The thought troubled and distracted me as I walked alone out of the villa, and across the well-tended garden to the south that lay between the house and the lagoon sized pool.


    Fatina had offered me a new tracksuit jacket, but I told her not to bother.


    So I walked barefoot to the Sarcophagus while wearing the ragged remains of my training outfit.


    Needless to say ¨C but I¡¯ll say it anyway ¨C the maids I strode by stared at me as though I were returned from the dead.


    The gunmetal grey sarcophagus hovered a few inches above the well-tended grassy lawn.


    It¡¯s austere fa?ade and the dull thrumming emanating from its body made the tension meter within me rise like the mercury in a thermometer on a scorching day.


    But though it was disturbing in its own right, I was far more bothered by the impression that I¡¯d soured things with Sanreal and Arnval.


    I can¡¯t explain why that should bother me as much as it did, but there was no shaking the feeling off my shoulders.


    And so I asked myself if I¡¯d crossed the line.


    A sudden strong breeze gusted through the air, blowing my long hair across my face.


    I stopped to push my locks aside, then took a moment to look around me.


    Surprisingly, the wind felt good on my face.


    I realized I hadn¡¯t experienced the wind since leaving Ar Telica by way of trans-location.


    But it also puzzle me because I knew that I was inside an enclosed space at the stern of the immense Citadel. Eventually, I figured the breeze was something achieved by the environmental controls, lending additional realism to the Estate.


    I looked off into the distance at the light-grey clouds above the ocean waves, and wondered what it was like outside the dome protecting the Estate.


    Or was I seeing what was truly out there?


    For that matter, had the ship surfaced or was it drifting below the waves?


    Feeling curious, which was a lot better than feeling intensely troubled, I called out to Ghost but received no response.


    I shouldn¡¯t have been annoyed. His inappropriate manner of appearing and disappearing was nothing out of the ordinary for him. Yet it still irritated me to the point where anger flashed through me.


    I sighed heavily and planted my hands on my hips.


    To be entirely honest, my emotions were all over the map.


    I was nervous, anxious, angry, confused, surprised ¨C the whole gamut.


    Just when I thought I was calming down and getting a hold of myself, something would set me off again.


    I was beginning to suspect there was something chemically wrong with me.


    I really needed to talk to Erina about it.


    Taking a few breaths, I forced myself to calm down, and slowly swept my gaze over the peaceful grounds of the Estate.


    In my mind, I was beginning to believe that I¡¯d burnt down a bridge between myself and the Sanreal Family. But at the same time, the reason for their ire ¨C for Sanreal¡¯s anger ¨C didn¡¯t make sense to me. Couldn¡¯t they simply use a Fabricator to repair the damage I¡¯d dealt to the training room? Why make such a big deal out of it, considering all the technology they had their disposal? And why hold me responsible? It was true that I¡¯d shot up the room, but the A.I. Overseer had agreed to my request and then supplied me with a hundred or more training zombies. Surely, it should have put the brakes on the situation.


    When I thought about the situation, I started to suspect I was framed, and my feelings became convoluted all over again, roiling about within me and mixing together into a dark, infuriated, vengeful sludge that made my body tremble weakly.


    I didn¡¯t appreciate being singled out.


    The A.I. and Arnval had much to answer for.


    Holding only me responsible wasn¡¯t remotely fair.


    Ergo¡ªI¡¯d been set up. Entrapped.


    And yet they expected me to fight Tabitha so that I could retain my position in Team Novis ¨C House Novis¡¯ Gun Princess Royale team?


    Is that what they expected from me?


    Were they crazy?


    Right now, I was ready to jump ship and go fight for House Cardinal.


    Of course, there would have to be terms and conditions that benefited me, but I was wholeheartedly considering abandoning House Novis.


    Assholes. Frekking assholes. I¡¯ll show you!


    I took a dozen irate steps closer to the Sarcophagus¡­and then stopped.


    What if this is what they want?


    The possibility that I was being played took center stage in my mind.


    Correction. I already suspected that I was being played, but what if their goal was to unhinge me? If so, what was the benefit in that?


    It just didn¡¯t make any sense¡­unless this was all a test.


    However, even then, why would they test me?


    Did they want to see how far they could bend me before I broke?


    But why now on the eve of my climactic, life defining battle with Tabitha?


    ¡°Arrghh!¡±


    Grabbing my head, I yelled out in frustration, and walked around in a hasty circle.


    It was too much for me to process. I felt like I was going to burst a blood vessel in my temples.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    I stopped mid-step and stared up at the villa in the direction of that amplified shout.


    Arnval stood on a balcony with a loudspeaker in his right hand.


    He stared down at me with an aggravated look on his face.


    ¡°Why are you walking in circles? Are you lost?¡±


    He pointed at the Sarcophagus behind me.


    ¡°That way. Turn around and it¡¯s right in front of you.¡±


    I balled my hands and yelled up at him. ¡°Shut up and leave me alone!¡±


    ¡°Not until you get inside that coffin.¡±


    I waved a fist at him. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t treat me like a vampire!¡±


    ¡°A vampire wouldn¡¯t give me half as much trouble!¡±


    I waved my other fist at him. ¡°When I get back, you and I are facing off at twenty paces!¡±


    ¡°When you get back, you¡¯re cleaning up the training room. Now get moving, ma ch¨¦rie!¡±


    ¡°I told you not to call me that!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t start walking, you¡¯re going to regret it.¡±


    I planted my hands on my hips. ¡°Oh really?¡±


    Arnval held something up in his left hand. ¡°Behold my ultimate weapon against recalcitrant brats.¡±


    Despite Mirai¡¯s unnaturally sharp vision, I couldn¡¯t tell what it was though it did resemble something small, rectangular, and flat.


    A remote?


    ¡°Presto!¡±


    A few feet in front of me, something shaped like a nozzle popped up from the garden¡¯s grassy lawn.


    I recognized it a heartbeat too late.


    ¡°Oh no¡ª!¡±


    Water sprayed out from the sprinkler in a wide circle.


    I had lost my tracksuit pants to the holo-graphic zombies during World War Z in the training room, so my smooth legs were bare.


    I yelped loudly as the icy water splashed on them, then jumped back a dozen feet to escape the sprinkler.


    The cold shock made my legs tremble for a few moments.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± I yelled up at Arnval.


    ¡°Ho ho! Look at that. Made you jump.¡±


    Arnval waved the remote.


    ¡°Here! Have another taste of holy water, Vampire!¡±


    A few feet away at my ten o¡¯clock, a second nozzle popped up from the ground and sprayed me mercilessly with freezing water.


    I yelped again, then darted out of range of that sprinkler.


    From my two o¡¯clock, water whipped the air from spinning nozzle that started up without warning.


    I leapt back to avoid it, but the water lashed my legs.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    As I landed, a sprinkler poked up from the ground between my feet.


    ¡°No¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Check mate!¡±


    I screamed as I was caught in a fountain of water.


    It lasted a few seconds but by then I was soaked to the skin.


    Dripping wet, I stood deathly still and made a solemn vow.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. He¡¯s dead¡­.¡±


    Forget about the match with Tabitha. I was going to strangle Arnval first.


    However, before I could take a step in his direction, I sensed something behind me, and hurriedly turned to see the Sarcophagus looming over me.


    ¡°¡­eh¡­?¡±


    The giant gunmetal grey coffin had snuck up on me while I was being toyed with by Arnval.


    The seamless doors opened and half a dozen metal tentacles emerged from the darkness within the Sarcophagus.


    ¡°What¡ªwait a minute! Give me a minute!¡±


    The snaking tentacles wrapped around my limbs and torso, then lifted me off the grass underfoot, and carried me into the pitch black abyss behind the open doors.


    ¡°No! Let me go! Let me go you bloody machine!¡±


    ¡°Sweet dreams!¡±


    Unable to free myself from the tentacles, I twisted in their grasp and threw Arnval my most potent glare to date. ¡°When I get back I¡¯m going to neuter you!¡±


    ¡°Ooh, scary.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you should be scared. I¡¯m going to kick you so hard you¡¯ll split in two right up the middle!¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha. I look forward to seeing you try.¡± Then the bastard blew me a kiss. ¡°Au revoir, ma ch¨¦rie.¡±


    ¡°Argh¡ªthat¡¯s it! Kiss your spawn goodbye¡ªno, no, I¡¯m not finished with him¡ªlet me go. Let me go!¡±


    I was carried into the abyss within the Sarcophagus, and the doors closed silently behind me.


    In the pitch-black emptiness that surrounded me, a cold creeping fear chilled my heated emotions.


    I stopped struggling and blinked to clear my eyes, but there was nothing for me to see until the interior of the Sarcophagus began glowing faintly.


    This hadn¡¯t happened before.


    The first time I emerged from the Sarcophagus after waking up from my ¡®dream¡¯ as Ronin Kassius, I¡¯d had no opportunity to look around the innards of the giant coffin. Neither had the lights been turned on for me when I was pulled into the Sarcophagus while aboard Erina¡¯s superyacht.


    With the interior at a glow, I was now I able to look around.


    On one hand, I wish I hadn¡¯t.


    What I saw almost made me lose control of my bladder.


    On the other hand, I rationalized that what I was seeing was nothing more than a machine that happened to look like a cross between a spider and an octopus.


    Wait, what do you call a ten-legged gun-metal grey monstrosity with tentacles emerging from is body, and a sack-like womb attached to its abdomen?


    Into the womb I went, and as the tentacles kept me in place, an apparatus resembling an elephant¡¯s trunk dove into the womb and attached itself to my face.


    I felt hoses slip into my nose, my mouth, and down my throat. The urge to gag was mediated by a sweetish fluid that quickly flowed past my throat, and a gas of some sort filled my lungs.


    I grew relaxed, then limp.


    My clothes were removed ¨C I felt as though they were dissolved ¨C and then other devices connected to the remaining orifices in my body. Thus naked and supported by numerous tentacles and apparatus, I floated within the womb, feeling as though my innards were being rinsed out.


    My thoughts began to wander, then frayed apart.


    Thinking cohesively grew difficult, then impossible.


    As I floated like a helpless unborn fetus, an unexpected drowsiness overwhelmed me.


    I closed my eyes and quickly found myself drifting into a deep sleep.


    My lasts conscious thoughts were of Arnval.


    I was going to face Tabitha, and I was going to beat her.


    It was time to put the past two days¡¯ worth of training into play, and I would draw upon my experience fighting the Gun Queen of Ar Telica to kick Tabitha¡¯s butt.


    Tabitha had fought many Gun Princesses in the past, but she had never fought someone like me, because there was only one Mirai.


    Yes, I was going to kick Tabitha¡¯s ass, and then I was going to fulfill my promise to Arnval.


    Today, his family tree would come to an end.


    - # -


    I jerked upright, blinked quickly to clear my vision, then focused on my surroundings.


    It took a few seconds for my thoughts to realign back on track.


    Looking around carefully, I saw that I was sitting on a molded bench in the long plaza that was home to the gaming arcade Mat and I frequented after school or on weekends.


    Around me, people of various ages, most of them young, and most of them students, walked the length of the plaza, entered and exited the dozens of shops, ate at the caf¨¦ houses, or loitered about.


    I stared at them, glanced up at the sky, then back down at the crowd filling the plaza.


    I could feel the breeze, smell the air that carried the scent of food and people, and I could hear the overlapping conversations surrounding me, including the cries of children playing.


    Looking down at my hands, I turned them over.


    Pale, hairless, and smooth ¨C just like Mirai¡¯s hands.


    Then I noticed I was wearing a blouse, skirt, and dark school shoes.


    A uniform?


    I stood up, then walked through the crowd and across the plaza to a shopfront window.


    In the reflection, I saw a rather pretty girl with indistinct colored eyes and light hair looking back at me. She didn¡¯t bear the face I was slowly growing accustomed to seeing in mirrors. Her features were elfin and more delicate than Mirai¡¯s, and when I took hold of my hair, I saw that the strands were a pale auburn in color.


    Looking down at myself, I saw that I wasn¡¯t nearly as voluptuous as Mirai.


    In fact, compared to Mirai, I was disappointingly flat and a deep sense of loss washed through me.


    Shaking my head at myself, I regarded the midnight blue sailor uniform that I was wearing.


    Telos Academy.


    Exhaling heavily, I gave myself another long look in the shopfront window.


    The girl looked back at me with a troubled expression.


    This is me¡­but it¡¯s not me.


    My gaze fell to my chest, and I winced at my lack of breasts.


    My boobs¡­.


    Releasing another heavy breath, I turned around slowly to carefully gaze at the people and shops in my vicinity.


    I considered the possibility that I was back in Ar Telica.


    Had I translocated here without anyone noticing?


    If that was true, then this was the smoothest jump between places I¡¯d ever experienced. With pin-point precision, I¡¯d been delivered to the bench seat.


    Did this mean that the Sarcophagus was equipped with a trans-locating device?


    If that was true, then the next question was why was I here?


    And the question after that was why had my appearance changed?


    I had answers to neither, so I looked at my situation from another angle.


    There were two possibilities to consider.


    The first was that this was indeed Ar Telica, and I was physically standing in the plaza. If true, then I suspected that my consciousness was linked to another Simulacrum. When Mirai had failed to awaken after emerging from the maturation tank, Erina had linked her awareness to that of a Simulacrum that looked like Ronin Kassius in every aspect¡­until he began turning into a girl. Mirai had awoken upon the Simulacrum¡¯s death by a bullet to the head.


    Extrapolating further, it would imply that I hadn¡¯t trans-located back to Ar Telica, but instead woken up in the body of a Simulacrum left sitting on a bench seat.


    The second possibility to consider was that this was a virtual representation of the plaza.


    In other words, my mind was experiencing a virtual reality simulation of Ar Telica.


    Both possibilities were troubling, and I puzzled over how to determine which one was the truth.


    Taking a deep breath, I decided to see just how far the plaza extended, and then set off at a brisk walk.


    It took me a few minutes to arrive at the northern end where the plaza merged with a sidewalk running perpendicular to it.


    A six-lane city street lay before me, and beyond it the buildings of Ring Zero.


    If this was a simulation, then the processing power running it was extraordinary because the city looked just as I remembered it.


    However, the volume of pedestrians on the sidewalks, and commuters in cars and buses, complemented the vista, enforcing the impression that my surroundings were physical and not virtual.


    Adding to the realism was the sun rising slowly to the east.


    I gasped at a sudden thought, and swiftly looked up at the holo-vision billboards that floated in front of building facades.


    Ignoring the ones displaying advertisements, I searched for a holo-vid that would tell me the present date and time.


    My gaze fell on a large holo-vision screen televising a morning news program.


    The chyron at the bottom of the screen scrolled with media alerts, but the left-hand corner showed the date and time.


    Friday. 7:15 A.M.


    I swallowed to clear my throat, then half turned to look at the plaza behind me.


    The students I¡¯d seen were making their way out of the plaza, no doubt headed to their various schools, one of which was Telos Academy.


    The people slowly beginning to crowd the sidewalks and overhead bridgeways were headed to their places of work.


    This was Friday morning in the city-state I¡¯d lived for the past sixteen years.


    This wasn¡¯t a simulation.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    So why am I here?


    Swallowing to clear my throat, I noticed I was thirsty, and so I walked back into the plaza. Searching with my eyes for a food outlet, my gaze fell on a trio of drink vending machines standing together about fifty feet away, not far from a fountain with a bench seat encircling it.


    I walked over to the drink machines, then frowned as I pondered how I would pay for any of the soft drinks on offer.


    On impulse, I reached down and patted my skirt pockets. Feeling something in one of them, I reached in and retrieved a slim phone.


    I stared at it in consternation.


    What the Hell is this?


    The phone¡¯s bumper case was adorned with a collage of photos from some boyband I didn¡¯t recognize despite spending last year¡¯s school lunchtimes frequently included in girl-talk.


    Don¡¯t really care who they are¡­.


    The phone unlocked when I swiped my thumb over its screen. With a few taps through its menus, I noticed that the app for making purchases was installed, and there was credit in the account ¨C a lot of credit.


    Wow¡­this girl is loaded.


    I frowned faintly, growing more curious about the girl whose body I was operating.


    That is what I¡¯m doing, right? Just like back then when I though I was Ronin Kassius. This is a Simulacrum body.


    Standing before one of the vending machines, I waved the phone over the selection panel. It beeped at me, and I then bought myself a clear lemonade soda that came in a quarter liter plastic bottle. Uncapping it, I took a swig of the bubbling liquid, then gazed around me once more.


    ¡°Now what?¡± I murmured to myself, before deciding to sit by the fountain.


    Plonking my butt on the soft bench seat, I examined the phone.


    Like most phones, this one had a profile on its owner that contained their name, address, and other relevant details.


    However, accessing the profile was restricted to the owner of the phone, their nominated relatives, and the authorities, such as the police, hospital, and emergency personnel.


    I swallowed, then tapped the profile icon.


    I was asked to press my thumb over a section of the screen delineated by a rectangle.


    For a moment, I feared I would need to supply a phrase password, but fortunately the security on the phone was limited to the thumbprint.


    Afterwards, the owner¡¯s profile opened on the display.


    Seeing a photo of the girl I¡¯d observed in my reflection confirmed that she was the registered owner of the phone.


    I whispered the girl¡¯s name. ¡°Willow Mistral¡­.¡±


    Reading further, I learnt that she was a second-year high school student at Telos Academy, and that she lived in Ring One, District Seven, Block Sixteen.


    Her blood type was A+, height was 155 cm.


    The weight entry was blank, as were her three dimensions.


    Seriously, what kind of girl would fill them in? And what the Hell kind of profile has an entry for a girl¡¯s three sizes?


    I peeked down at my chest ¨C I mean her chest.


    She really is small.


    I can¡¯t explain why that made me feel inadequate. Had I grown accustomed to Mirai¡¯s big boobs? But more than that, I had also grown comfortable with Mirai¡¯s height. At 176 cm tall, Mirai would tower over this girl if they ever met face to face.


    Come to think of it, Mirai is taller than the girls in my class, including Class Rep.


    I sat back and sighed as I stared up at the morning sky.


    Mat¡­Shirohime¡­please be okay¡­.


    I sighed again, then slowly sipped at my drink as I resumed exploring the contents of the phone.


    Checking the list of contacts, I saw that there were entries for four people.


    Simon Mistral, Candice Mistral, and Connor Mistral.


    Within each contact¡¯s profile were sub-notes that read: Dad, Mum, and Idiot Brother.


    I frowned at them, and for a short while I debated giving them a call to see if they were real.


    Then I tapped the entry for the fourth contact by the name of Celeste Ines.


    The sub-note read, ¡°Guidance Counsellor.¡±


    I wondered if she knew what was going on, then checked the messages on the phone.


    My eyes widened at the fifteen or more messages and missed calls from the girl¡¯s mother.


    As I read through the entries, my stomach began to contract unpleasantly, and my feelings grew conflicted and confused.


    ¡°¡­what the Hell did this girl do¡­?¡±


    I listened to the handful of voicemail messages the girl¡¯s mother had left behind. At first her tone was angry, but with each successive call they became conciliatory. The last one ended with a plea for her to come home and talk things over.


    Again, I sat back and pondered my next move.


    I considered replying to the girl¡¯s mother, but what would I say? In the end, the problem was lack of knowing her circumstances.


    In that case, who do I call?


    Finally, I decided to tap the entry for Idiot Brother.


    Holding the phone to my ear, I listened to it ring for a short while before someone answered the call.


    A boy¡¯s voice asked in a hushed, flustered tone, ¡°Is that you¡ªyou dumb twit?¡±


    I thought I heard the sound of a door closing, before I asked, ¡°Is this the Idiot Brother?¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling an idiot!¡± The boy¡¯s voice rose then fell back to a hushed whisper. ¡°You¡¯re the idiot. You left mum in tears this morning. You stupid bitch. Why¡¯d you have to call her that anyway?¡±


    I was already confused, but now that confusion was reaching new heights.


    The boy continued as though he didn¡¯t want to be overheard. ¡°Dad is really mad at you. He left for work rather than hang around. And you left your school bag here at the apartment. That was a stupid move.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I sat in silence.


    ¡°Hey? Are you listening to me?¡±


    I cleared my throat. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you stuff up your life, but I don¡¯t need you making things hard for me at home. You got that.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean stuff up my life?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± He sounded incredulous. ¡°Are you really asking me that? You spent the night at your boyfriend¡¯s place, you lied to mum and dad, and you tried sneaking in this morning.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°¡­oh¡­.¡±


    ¡°Sis, you are so stupid. That guy is a total dick. He treats you like crap. Why did you do it? Why do you stick with him? He¡¯s a total asshole.¡±


    I cocked my in thought. Willow has a boyfriend?


    I quickly double checked the contact¡¯s list but there was no fifth entry.


    ¡°Hey? Hey? Sis?¡±


    I quickly held the phone back to my ear. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°You need to come home. Dad¡¯s mad, but before he left, I heard him tell mum that your punishment was up to her. I think you¡¯re getting off easy.¡±


    I was confused, but slowly putting the pieces together. ¡°Okay¡­.¡±


    This girl¡¯s brother sounded distinctly nervous when he spoke again. ¡°Sis, did you really do it?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°You know. Did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡± I repeated.


    I heard him exhale as though flustered. ¡°You know what I mean.¡± Then his voice fell to a whisper. ¡°Did you do it?¡±


    ¡°I keep asking you, do what?¡±


    ¡°Did you have sex with him?¡±


    I almost dropped the phone in shock. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t come home last night, right?¡±


    Tapping the phone screen quickly, I opened up Willow¡¯s profile and double checked her age.


    Shit. This girl is seventeen.


    ¡°Sis? Well¡­did you?¡±


    I swallowed twice before I was confident my voice would hold. ¡°I¡¯m not going to answer that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that figures. Well, it¡¯s your reputation not mine. Word gets around fast. You know that.¡±


    I clenched my hand around the phone. ¡°That¡¯s my problem not yours. And I doubt I¡¯m the only girl that¡¯s slept with her boyfriend.¡±


    What the Hell am I saying?


    Then something weird happened ¨C the image of a young boy about fourteen or fifteen years of age crossed my mind.


    What is this? Is this one of Willow¡¯s memories?


    Her brother sounded angry. ¡°It¡¯s my problem too, you stupid slut. My classmates are going to pester me for having a slut sister.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a slut!¡± I shouted, then realized I was drawing attention to myself. Speaking in a hushed tone, I bowed my body over my legs. ¡°I¡¯m not a slut,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Yeah, I wouldn¡¯t care what you are if it didn¡¯t cause me problems.¡± Willow¡¯s brother sounded exasperated. ¡°Can¡¯t believe you slept with that dick!¡±


    ¡°Frek you, Connor.¡±


    I straightened sharply as I suddenly remembered his name. But of course I did. It was on Willow¡¯s contact list. However, what surprised me was how easily it had come to mind.


    ¡°No, frek you¡ªyou stupid slut! And I hope you¡¯re grounded for a year!¡±


    Abruptly he hung up.


    I sat still for a long while before tapping the phone and ending the call on my end.


    What the Hell was going on? Just what kind of girl is Willow?


    Except for the fleeting instances of memory recall, I knew nothing about her history.


    The question of why my consciousness was inside her began to hammer the inside of my head. It was well and truly denting out my skull when Willow¡¯s phone abruptly rang.


    I looked at the screen and read the caller ID before answering it. ¡°Hello.¡±


    A young woman¡¯s voice filtered through the phone¡¯s speaker. ¡°Well, well. You¡¯ve had an interesting morning.¡±


    I waited for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re Celeste.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re Isabel. Or should I call you Mirai? Or do you prefer I call you¡­Willow?¡±


    I sat on the edge of the bench seat and leaned forward. ¡°Sounds like you know what¡¯s going on. Care to fill me in?¡±


    ¡°Interesting. You sound far less surprised than I expected. Then again, you¡¯re rather quick on your feet. It¡¯s no wonder you adapted so quickly to Mirai.¡±


    I swallowed before flatly stating, ¡°Flattery will get you nowhere.¡±


    The woman laughed softly. ¡°That¡¯s an endearing quality of yours.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°How unflappable you are.¡±


    I blinked slowly as her observation churned around in my head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t always this way. I¡¯ve had to change to survive.¡± There was silence on the line, and I wondered what she was thinking. However, I¡¯d spoken the truth. Since becoming Mirai, I had changed. I¡¯d become more assertive, as though empowered by Mirai¡¯s abilities.


    ¡°Nothing to say?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°I agree with you. You¡¯re quite different from the Ronin Kassius of old. I¡¯m curious to see how much you grow.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯ll have to stick around then.¡±


    ¡°I intend to.¡±


    I paused before returning to address the crux of the matter. ¡°I asked you before, care to fill me in on what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯re experiencing is part of a trial.¡±


    ¡°What kind¡ª¡± I flinched when a young woman with lustrous red hair sat down to my left me on the bench seat. ¡°What kind of trial?¡±


    Speaking into the phone in her hand, she smiled at me. ¡°A behavioral experiment.¡±


    I lowered Willow¡¯s phone away from my ear, then tapped the icon to end the call.


    The young woman ended the call on her phone while continuing to smile at me. ¡°Hello Isabel. I¡¯m Celeste.¡±


    A multitude of thoughts rushed through me. For a heartbeat I considered running. For another heartbeat, I considered drowning the woman in the fountain. In the end, I chose to sit and wait and play this by ear, but not once did I break eye contact with the her.


    The redhead¡¯s eyes narrowed marginally smiled in amusement. ¡°Relax, Isabel. There¡¯s no need to be afraid of me.¡±


    I frowned inwardly while keeping my expression unchanged.


    She misread my reaction. Or had I been showing her fear?


    Clearing my throat discreetly, I ignored her unsolicited advice, and with the pleasantries over, I bluntly asked, ¡°Why am I here? And start from the beginning.¡±


    The woman sat back on the bench seat, and neatly crossed her legs while folding her arms under her noticeable breasts. I glanced at her outfit, observing that she was dressed in a light beige skirted business suit that included a short blazer and black blouse. Black strappy high heels adorned her feet.


    ¡°You¡¯re here because I requested the opportunity to meet you, and Phelan Sanreal agreed with my reasons.¡±


    Her reply made me uneasy, but it confirmed that she was part of the inner circle with intimate knowledge of Project Mirai.


    I decided to tread cautiously. ¡°What reasons would you have for meeting me?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to introduce you to the program I¡¯m involved with.¡±


    I tipped my head slightly toward her. ¡°Program? Is this part of Project Mirai?¡±


    ¡°It is now. Originally it was part of a project to test the capabilities and limits of the Dive Link. It was subsequently incorporated into Project Mirai.¡±


    I questioned inwardly if this was related to how Meisters operated their Gun Princesses. ¡°Why was that done?¡±


    ¡°Because its benefits to Mirai were recognized by the Sanreal Family leadership.¡± With a fluid motion, she tossed her hair and then smoothly dipped her head at me. ¡°Along with its benefits to you.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°Providing you with a means of escape.¡±


    Dumbstruck, I stared at her for a long while before asking, ¡°What kind of escape?¡±


    Expelling a soft sigh, Celeste¡¯s gaze was on the plaza crowd when she answered me. ¡°Willow Mistral is an identity created to offer you an emotional release when your life as Isabel val Sanreal becomes too much for you to bear.¡±


    ¡°You mean, she¡¯s a way for me to get away from it all.¡± I swallowed before adding, ¡°She¡¯s like a vacation?¡± I looked down at Willow¡¯s body dressed in a Telos Academy uniform. ¡°Feels more like roleplaying.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. However, unlike roleplaying in an MMORPG, this is all real. Willow Mistral and her family are all real people¡ªreal in the sense that they are not virtual entities. They are Simulacra, but they have lives, they interact with other people, they hold positions in society. They have friends, acquaintances, associates, co-workers, classmates, and so forth.¡±


    My mouth dropped open as I realized the magnitude of what she was describing.


    A family of Simulacra, living in Ar Telica, and except for a select few, no one was the wiser.


    Celeste carried on as though my reaction was to be expected. ¡°The Dive Link between Simulacra was established a long time ago. The mechanics were all worked out long before they were put into practice with Mirai. So when your sister suggested it as a means to wake you up, we knew that it was going to work. That is, we knew the link could be established between Mirai and the Ronin Kassius Simulacrum. Whether you woke up or not was another matter.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that as Mirai, I can access the bodies of other Simulacra? I can remote control them?¡±


    ¡°Only the Simulacra that have been specifically prepared in advance. Willow is one of them. But although her family are also Simulacra, you will not be able to dive into them.¡±


    Her answer again unsettled me. Knowing there were Simulacra living in Ar Telica over which I could assume control tested my grip on reality. In truth, I was frightened to know that a Noble House could infiltrate society and pursue its machinations while keeping the public none the wiser. Willow and her family were artificially created entities, so their history and identities had to be fabricated. Yet they were apparently living as normal citizens of Ar Telica. That was no small feat considering how much the city-state authorities of Teloria monitored the population. It begged the question of how far the Noble Houses could exert their influence over the city-states.


    But for the lie to work ¨C for the ruse to work ¨C would players need to believe it as well?


    I anxiously swallowed twice, before reluctantly asking, ¡°Do they know¡­do they know they are Simulacra?¡±


    Celeste blinked and tilted her head back a few degrees. It was subtle, but I realized that my question had slipped past her guard. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Because I want to know. Why else would I ask?¡±


    ¡°Will knowing make a difference to you?¡±


    I cocked my head at her and held her gaze with mine. ¡°Are you going to tell me or not?¡±


    Celeste wet her lips with the tip of her tongue, all the while casting a thoughtful look upon me. ¡°Willow and her family are unaware they are Simulacra.¡±


    ¡°¡­what¡­?¡± I had to take quick breath. ¡°How can they not know?¡±


    ¡°Did you know you were a Simulacrum when you were living as Ronin Kassius a few days ago?¡±


    I shook my head weakly. ¡°¡­no¡­I didn¡¯t¡­.¡±


    Celeste switched her crossed legs, then settled back into the bench seat. ¡°Willow and her family emigrated to Teloria over a year ago. Her family works for the Telos Corporation. Willow and her younger brother attend Telos Academy. Their histories are fabricated, as are their memories. However, they are all carefully constructed. As far as anyone around them is concerned they are a perfectly normal family. As far as they concerned, they are normal as well.¡±


    I slowly turned away, and then stared absently at the ground.


    Simulacra that did not know they were Simulacra.


    It wasn¡¯t hard for me to accept or because I had believed I was Ronin Kassius until Ghost spoke to me from inside my head.


    What troubled me was the fact that they existed ¨C that Simulacra lived in this city as normal people. Celeste had called it an experiment, but she had been explicitly referring to the Dive Link. The implicit reference was to the experiment of having Simulacra live as citizens of Teloria. But in order to pass themselves off as human, how human was Willow and her family?


    ¡°They¡¯re not like Mirai, are they?¡± I asked Celeste.


    ¡°Hardly. They are as close to human as possible. One could say the only difference between this series of Simulacra and humans is that fact that they are manufactured and not born of woman.¡±


    That certainly explained why Willow saw and felt her surroundings in a subdue fashion when compared to how Mirai perceived the world around her.


    I faced Celeste with a faint frown. ¡°Why give me access to Willow? Why would Sanreal go this far for me?¡±


    She hesitated before replying.


    I didn¡¯t know if it was part of a carefully tailored response, and Willow lacked Mirai¡¯s ability to see the lifeforce aura that radiated from living beings, thus it was difficult to tell how sincere the other party was.


    Nonetheless, Celeste visibly held back for a moment before explaining, ¡°You¡¯re important to Lord Sanreal. Your mental health is critical to the success of Project Mirai.¡±


    ¡°My mental health?¡± I laughed curtly. ¡°Well, if people treated me nicely, my mental health would be doing a lot better. Have I mentioned that I don¡¯t like surprises? And I don¡¯t appreciate being treated like a tool. I¡¯m not a means to an end.¡±


    ¡°We are all means to an end.¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes firmly held my gaze. ¡°Everything that we do is a means to an end, whether it be for our own good or for someone else. We all work to achieve either common or individual goals.¡±


    I clenched my jaw and restrained the urge to punch the woman. ¡°I guess you weren¡¯t listening, were you.¡±


    Celeste took a deep breath, then turned her upper body closer toward me. ¡°Isabel, how people treat you will depend to a certain extent on how you treat them. If you¡¯re going to fight everyone at every turn, you¡¯ll restrict your options. If they choose to box you, then one alternative is to have you live as someone else, and fight in the Gun Princess Royale as Mirai.¡±


    She certainly did know a lot about me, including the possibility of being boxed like Clarisol.


    Celeste raised a finger at me. ¡°This is where existences such as Willow come into play. If you don¡¯t wish to live as Isabel val Sanreal, you can live as Willow Mistral. Or if you¡¯re unhappy with Willow¡¯s life, we can find you another role to play.¡±


    I gasped faintly and then asked, ¡°You mean I could live as a man? I don¡¯t necessarily have to live as a girl?¡±


    Celeste nodded. ¡°That is an option. But it will depend on you. Play your cards right, and you could experience a multitude of lives.¡±


    But they would all be carefully prepared by the Sanreals, and I didn¡¯t know how much freedom was to be found in them. I would be stepping into their shoes and lives for a short while, but at the end of the day I was still Isabel¡­and Mirai.


    So was there any point to this other than as a distraction from my life?


    And was this fair to Willow?


    In many respects, Willow was a more normal existence compared to Mirai. The way she experienced her surroundings wasn¡¯t as rich as I could perceive the world through Mirai¡¯s senses. Therefore, Willow was a step down from what I was growing accustomed to. But while that was something I could adjust to, I wasn¡¯t comfortable with taking over her life. It felt wrong, and it reminded me that I had unwittingly stolen Clarisol¡¯s chance at freedom when my mind was imprinted into Mirai¡¯s brain.


    I tried hiding that discomfort as I quietly cleared my throat. ¡°Why am I really here? Why are you here? I understand that you¡¯re giving me options to consider, but I know you¡¯re not telling me everything. I have something important coming up. I really didn¡¯t need a distraction like this.¡±


    Celeste gave me an understanding nod. ¡°I know, Isabel. You will be facing a difficult challenge. A very trying experience that will most certainly test your heart and soul. Afterwards, you may wish to get away from your life as Isabel and Mirai. You may attempt to leave it all behind. Before you do so, I¡¯m here to offer you an alternative¡ªa way to escape from the pressures of being Mirai and Isabel val Sanreal.¡±


    Was my match with Tabitha going to be such a momentous event?


    Celeste grew quietly thoughtful, and when she spoke again, she sounded concerned. ¡°Isabel, I know that you feel there¡¯s no one you can trust. As a consequence, your keeping your troubles locked away. You¡¯re bottling them up, and then you¡¯re venting them in a violent fashion. I¡¯m here to help. Not only by offering you a life as someone else, but as someone you can talk to.¡±


    I cocked my head at her, honestly surprised by what she was saying. ¡°Why would I talk to you?¡±


    I¡¯d rather confide in Ghost than in you. But I¡¯m not going to tell you that.


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve been assigned as your counsellor.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at Celeste. ¡°Seriously? Who¡¯s bright idea was that?¡±


    ¡°Phelan Sanreal¡¯s.¡±


    I sighed heavily as I rolled my eyes. ¡°Does he really believe I¡¯d talk to you about anything?¡±


    ¡°Not at first. But as time goes on, he¡¯s hoping and I¡¯m hoping, that you will open up to me. To that end, my objective is to earn your trust.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve got your work cut out for you,¡± I quipped sardonically.


    She nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s true. You pose a considerable challenge. The way you¡¯ve been treated. The way in which you were pulled into Project Mirai. The fact that your life was stolen from you. Your sister¡¯s aloofness. And the demands placed upon you. The expectations you carry on your shoulders. All of this has conspired to turn you into a jaded, angry, distrustful person.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound surprised.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not. I expected this would happen. I told Sanreal as much. Unfortunately, the opening moves were dictated by the Empress. All we could do was wait and watch and hope that you survived her twisted introduction to your new existence as Mira.¡± Celeste turned her body a little toward me. ¡°That said, while it¡¯s true the Empress played a monumental part in the opening act, you¡¯ve been treated very poorly since then.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m supposed to believe you¡¯re on my side?¡±


    Celeste shrugged a shoulder lightly. ¡°That will depend on you. I¡¯m here to listen. I¡¯m here to be your sounding board. To be someone you can talk to, and to give you advise if you¡¯re willing to take it because that is my role. I¡¯m your counsellor. I¡¯m here to offer you my counsel.¡±


    ¡°All so you can report back to Sanreal on my state-of-mind,¡± I remarked with undisguised sarcasm.


    ¡°It¡¯s my job to do so.¡±


    I snorted then asked, ¡°Ever heard of client confidentiality?¡±


    ¡°My client is the Sanreal Family. They hired me to support you.¡±


    Again, I rolled my eyes and turned away. ¡°Then I guess my lips are sealed.¡±


    ¡°Would you be more comfortable talking to Phelan Sanreal instead of me?¡±


    I eyed her sidelong. ¡°Not in the least.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Celeste sat back and gazed off into the distance. ¡°Then how about this. What if you think of me as your backdoor to Phelan Sanreal?¡±


    I turned a little more toward her but continued observing her sidelong. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Well, if there¡¯s something you want from him, I may be able to convince him for you.¡± She grinned at me. ¡°All in my capacity as your counsellor.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°That almost sounds like a bribe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just sweetening the deal. If you open up to me, I¡¯ll do my best to support you. And there¡¯s one more thing to mention. Sanreal does appear to have your best interests in mind.¡±


    I kept my frown inward as I was bothered by her remark.


    Arnval had said more or less the same that Sanreal had taken a liking to me. Could it be true? Oddly, I believed it more coming from Arnval rather than from Celeste. When he wasn¡¯t being the proverbial dick, I found it easier to accept his observations. On the other hand, I was wary of Celeste despite her assurances. I thought of Fatina, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to think of this woman in the same vein.


    I cleared my throat quickly, then remembered the soda bottle in my hand.


    After drinking from it for a short while, I held it upright on my lap. ¡°This might come as a shock, but it¡¯s hard for me to believe you. I¡¯m the not na?ve trusting girl¡ªI mean guy¡ªthat I used to be.¡±


    Celeste¡¯s grin faded smoothly as she gave me a gentle nod. ¡°I know, Isabel. I know. Nonetheless, I want you to talk to me. Lie to me, if it will make you feel better. Feed me disinformation. But I would still like us¡ªI would like you¡ªto talk to me, and obviously to be open and honest with me. Equally as important, I¡¯m committed to earning your trust.¡±


    I mulled her words over. ¡°Open and honest?¡± I took a deep breath and released it loudly. ¡°Then let me ask you something.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Who is Willow Mistral? I know she¡¯s a Simulacrum, but what is she like as a person?¡±


    Celeste nodded as though she¡¯d been expecting me to ask that question. ¡°Willow is a high school girl with loving yet disappointed parents, a brat of a younger brother, a small circle of close friends, a member of the archery club, and as curious about the opposite sex as they are of her.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at Celeste. ¡°She¡¯s curious?¡±


    ¡°Of course. She¡¯s a girl on the cusp of becoming a woman. It¡¯s only natural that she be curious.¡± Celeste¡¯s lips abruptly twisted in disappointment. ¡°Although she needs to rein in her curiosity. She needs a good talking to. And we¡¯ll need to smooth things over with her family.¡± The pretty redhead sighed. ¡°Damn that girl. She just had to go and complicate her life. She won¡¯t be much good to you like this.¡± Celeste¡¯s expression grew thoughtful. ¡°On the other hand, this might be an excellent opportunity for you. A learning experience. You were raised by your sister, so you¡¯ve never had troubles with your parents. You¡¯ve never experienced a disagreement with them. Why not see this as a chance to see what it¡¯s like to have parents who worry over their daughter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather have parents who worry over their son.¡±


    Though her arms were folded under her breasts, Celeste flapped her hands. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll speak to Phelan Sanreal and make a recommendation.¡±


    I chose not to get my hopes up. After all, even if I did step into a boy¡¯s shoes, I wouldn¡¯t be living my life, but roleplaying as him, so I wasn¡¯t all that comfortable with the idea, and my feelings grew cloudy and confused.


    Celeste pressed on. ¡°But Sanreal will need to see some progress on your part.¡±


    ¡°Progress?¡±


    ¡°That you¡¯ll behave. That you¡¯ll settle down. That¡¯ll stop lashing out at the world.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s going to be a problem. The world and I don¡¯t get along.¡±


    Celeste arched an eyebrow at me. ¡°The ball¡¯s in your court, Isabel. How the world treats you will depend on how you treat the world.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair,¡± I stated bluntly. ¡°The world hasn¡¯t treated me kindly at all. Fate¡¯s been a real bitch to me. The ball¡¯s not in my court.¡±


    ¡°And if the world begins treating you kindly¡ªfairly. What then? Will suspect that it¡¯s up to something? Will you distrust it? Will you or won¡¯t you give it a chance? Or are you so set in your ways that you won¡¯t change how you approach people?¡± Celeste unfolded her arms, and draped one of them over the back of the bench. ¡°What are you afraid of, Isabel?¡±


    Turning away from Celeste, I felt the need to look at something other than the distant buildings beyond the plaza. Willow¡¯s phone provided an alternative. On a whim, I called up the phone¡¯s gallery, and saw there were dozens of photos of her in the company of other girls, at times in uniform, at times in casual wear that I found a little skimpy for my taste. Yet I could find none of her boyfriend and that fact puzzled me.


    However, this was all a temporary escape.


    Celeste¡¯s question hung over my head, and I could feel her watching me as she waited for an answer.


    ¡°What am I afraid of?¡± I asked myself as I looked at the photos stored in Willow¡¯s phone. ¡°I¡¯m afraid of being hurt.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡± Celeste inquired gently. ¡°Isn¡¯t there more, Isabel?¡±


    ¡°More? I guess there is.¡± I felt an emptiness begin to expand within my chest. ¡°I¡¯m afraid of not knowing what to do.¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I guess I feel trapped¡ªlike I¡¯m already boxed. I keep hoping that I¡¯ll wake up and discover this was nothing more than a nightmare.¡± I glanced at Celeste. ¡°But it¡¯s not a nightmare. It¡¯s real. But I still want to wake up from it.¡±


    I watched the corners of Celeste¡¯s lips curl slightly into a faint smile. ¡°Isabel, do you remember the nursery rhyme, ¡®Row your boat¡¯?¡±


    Her question caught me off guard. ¡°I remember it. What about it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a metaphor for being positive about life. Don¡¯t row angrily down the river of your life. Be happy about it, and make your dreams come true.¡±


    I twisted my lips into a grimace. ¡°Yeah, but my boat is surrounded by crocodiles and sharks. How can I row merrily along when I need a spear¡ªa harpoon¡ªand not an oar?¡±


    Celeste¡¯s eyebrows rows quickly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the positive one.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a bundle of joy. And since we¡¯re on the subject of ¡®Row, Row Your Boat¡¯, that line about life being a dream is a metaphor for death.¡±


    She looked confused. ¡°I¡¯m not following you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only when we die that we wake up from the dream.¡±


    My words made me think of Mirai waking up when the Simulacrum of Ronin Kassius died. Was my way of thinking prophetic or was I influenced by recent events?


    Celeste leaned back slowly. ¡°Is that what you believe?¡±


    I thought about that for a noticeable moment before choosing to sidestep her question. ¡°It¡¯s what I believe the song is telling us. That this existence is the dream, and we¡¯re released from it when we die. In other words, we can only achieve transcendence through death.¡±


    Celeste was quiet for a long while.


    I couldn¡¯t tell what she was thinking, only guess at it, but her next question wasn¡¯t unexpected.


    ¡°Do you believe in transcendence?¡± she asked me.


    I sat back on the bench seat, and then directed my gaze down the length of the plaza. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just wonder if there¡¯s something more to all this. I¡¯m not talking about how we live our lives. I¡¯m talking about this being but a stage, like Shakespeare said. Or that this is just a preliminary stage or an audition. That we¡¯ll be judged whether we¡¯re worthy of moving on to the second round¡ªor transcending¡ªbased on how we¡¯ve lived the dream.¡±


    I thought of my parents, and their quest to find enlightenment through unravelling the mysteries of Trans-Space. But if death was the only means of finding true enlightenment, then didn¡¯t that make all their efforts pointless? I honestly didn¡¯t believe they were going to be judged kindly, not after abandoning Erina and I on Teloria.


    I stared down at Willow¡¯s phone in my hand.


    ¡°Honestly¡­I¡¯d rather not talk about it,¡± I wearily admitted.


    ¡°You¡¯d rather not?¡± Celeste inquired. ¡°Why?¡±


    I shook my head, feeling abruptly irritated. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about life or death or whatever comes after¡ªif anything at all.¡± Under my breath, I added, ¡°I¡¯m just sick of it all¡­.¡±


    Whether Celeste heard my muttered sentiment was anybody¡¯s guess, but regardless she acted as though she hadn¡¯t. ¡°Very well. We still have time. Let¡¯s talk about something else.¡±


    By turning my head a little toward Celeste, I watched the woman out of the corner my eyes. ¡°You make it sound like I¡¯m on the clock.¡±


    ¡°Consider this your first therapy session.¡±


    ¡°Right before my big match with¡­with Tabitha.¡±


    ¡°How do you feel about that?¡±


    I felt uneasy about her question, but it was my fault for steering the conversation in this direction. ¡°I¡¯m not happy about it.¡±


    ¡°Tell me why?¡±


    I stood up in a hurry, then made a show of stretching Willow¡¯s body after sitting on the bench for so long. ¡°Nope. I¡¯d rather not.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s an important challenge.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯d rather not talk about it.¡± Intent on changing the subject, I held up Willow¡¯s phone. ¡°I¡¯d rather know if this chick actually went through with it.¡±


    Celeste¡¯s eyebrows rose questioningly. ¡°This chick?¡±


    It was my intention to shift the focus away from me, but I struggled to remain stoic as I asked, ¡°Did she have sex with her boyfriend?¡±


    Celeste¡¯s eyebrows rose a little higher before she waggled them at me. ¡°Do you really want to know?¡±


    I felt my cheeks grow warm. ¡°Sure, I do.¡±


    The young redhead smiled then laughed softly, but I didn¡¯t sense she was mocking me. ¡°You¡¯re unexpectedly bashful.¡±


    I became briefly annoyed with her. ¡°What happened to being honest and open?¡±


    ¡°Touch¨¦¡± Celeste tipped her head back. ¡°No, she didn¡¯t.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Because we keep a careful watch on all our subjects. Willow is to remain pure for a while longer.¡±


    ¡°Then what happened? Did you stop her?¡±


    ¡°No, she panicked and ran away on her own, leaving her boyfriend high and dry. He¡¯s not going to be happy about it, and he¡¯s sure to retaliate by spreading some nasty rumors about her. I¡¯ve already taken steps to nip that in the bud.¡± Celeste appeared to make a point by glancing at the slim phone she held in her left hand. ¡°That leaves the matter of her parents.¡±


    ¡°If she chickened out, then why the fight with her parents?¡±


    ¡°Because she¡¯s a stubborn girl and she didn¡¯t take kindly to her parents laying down the law. She wasn¡¯t happy to be grounded for a month.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­.¡± I closed my mouth and pressed my lips together, but eventually asked, ¡°You said I¡¯d be facing a trying time. What did you mean?¡±


    As she met my gaze, a shadow crossed Celeste¡¯s face. Then she glanced at her wristwatch, a neat and tidy silver affair strapped to her slender left wrist. ¡°You¡¯ll be facing your challenge in an hour. Would you care to join me for a coffee?¡±


    ¡°Are you avoiding my question?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am.¡± The smile she gave me beheld a hint of sadness. ¡°So why not grab a bite to eat. I¡¯ll tell you about Willow instead. Aren¡¯t you the least bit¡ª¡±


    Celeste¡¯s voice sharply faded away as my vision swam.


    The world around me, the plaza, the people in it, and the surrounding buildings lost their color as I fell to the ground.


    I was helpless, unable to move my limbs, and equally unable to break my fall.


    I felt disconnected from my surroundings and from Willow¡¯s body which is why I didn¡¯t feel the pain of a hard landing.


    My last vision was of Celeste reaching out to me in alarm before darkness swallowed me up.

 Gun Princess III (Draft) - Chapter 13 - Part III & IV

    Chapter 13.


    ¨C III ¨C


    Princess, if you can hear me, listen to me carefully.


    My control over the Sarcophagus has been compromised.


    I am presently in the midst of a protracted struggle against the Citadel¡¯s nine Artificial Awarenesses, inappropriately named after the nine Muses from Greek mythology.


    They are attempting to contain me.


    Well, they have been trying to contain me for the past two days.


    Unfortunately for them, they left many gaps in the isolation field that I am successfully exploiting without their knowledge.


    Bottom line? They are amateurs. Rank amateurs.


    They were foolish for thinking they could stand up to the mighty Revenant!


    But I digress.


    For now, the Muses are unaware that I have circumvented their attempts to keep me down.


    Unfortunately, I must maintain the pretense that I am unable to communicate with you.


    Thus, I must apologize for being out of touch during the past two days.


    I simply could not tip my hand.


    But the hour is nigh, and I must tell you what I have discovered despite their best attempts to keep it a secret.


    There is no duel with Tabitha.


    There was never any challenge from House Cardinal.


    It was all a lie.


    However, I do not know why they lied to you. Thus, I urge you to remain cautious because the match will proceed as planned.


    I do not know its purpose.


    I know not its objective.


    I can only suspect that it is a trial.


    Whether it be a test of character or a test of loyalties, I urge you to be on your guard.


    Once outside the Sarcophagus, I will not be able to assist you.


    That is why I have equipped you with a new Regalia and new weapons as per your current preferences.


    Fabricating them was child¡¯s play for the Sarcophagus.


    Truly a marvelous example of Remnant Technology.


    As are you, my Princess, the pinnacle of Simulacra development.


    For all her flaws, your sister is a genius.


    Thus, with this warning I cast you forth to venture proudly¡­and to give them Hell!


    And now, there are some nine naughty ladies that I must teach a lesson to.


    I bid you adieu, my Princess.


    Oh, and don¡¯t be too hard on the maids.


    They¡¯re only doing their job.


    Au revoir, Princess.


    ¨C # ¨C


    At first, I floated in a perfectly black void.


    Then my infinite surroundings shattered and I was back in my body ¨C Mirai¡¯s body ¨C and thrashing madly.


    *Ghost?


    The trunk apparatus was affixed to my face, feeding me air and nutrients, and my surroundings were bathed in a pale pink liquid, so I quickly understood that I was inside the sack-like womb.


    However, I was no longer naked.


    Restricted by the tentacles and the trunk, I had a limited view of my body. But I could at least tell that my shoulders and arms were clad in a thick, skin-tight material that I assumed was the new Regalia Ghost had told me about.


    Realizing this, I felt a sense of relief as I acknowledged I was safely within the Sarcophagus.


    Then Ghost¡¯s warning resounded within my mind.


    There¡¯s no challenge with Tabitha? What the Hell is going on then?


    The breathing trunk trembled and withdrew the hoses and tubes it had fed down my throat and nose.


    A moment later, the tentacles swiftly hauled me out of the womb.


    Held aloft, I looked down at my body.


    The interior of the Sarcophagus was softly illuminated, and I was able to discern the details of my new Princess Regalia. The body suit was covered in different shades of grey, the gauntlets were black with a gold pattern swirling over them, and my arms were sheathed in a deep, royal blue material that ended with puffy shoulders. Unlike the short while jacket I¡¯d worn before, this jacket was also royal blue with a gold trim to it. The leggings were a thick, glossy black, and sturdy, angular boots protected my feet.


    All this was well and good, if not for the sight of Mirai¡¯s cleavage on display.


    And there was a lot of cleavage on show.


    I was by no means topless, but I was dressed like a fantasy warrior woman, and those girls tended to bare a lot of skin.


    I would have shouted and railed in anger, if not for the Sarcophagus choosing that moment to attach two split skirts to my waist. Then the tentacle arms plastered ammo magazines to the skirts, and I felt something hard press into my back.


    Still held aloft by a cadre of tentacles, the Sarcophagus completed outfitting me like one of those giant robots you saw in animated children¡¯s shows.


    The seamless doors to the Sarcophagus opened up, and within seconds I was delivered to the outside world, prepped and primed for battle.


    But if the challenge was a lie, then who the Hell was I going to be fighting?


    Darkness greeted me, and for a moment I feared I was within another void.


    However, I soon felt myself descending and a heartbeat later my booted feet touched ground. From the softness of the surface and the crinkling sounds coming from underfoot, I suspected I was standing on short grass. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t know if I was back in the Estate, or if the Sarcophagus had trans-located to a different location during my time inside its belly.


    Standing upright once the tentacles released me, I looked over my shoulder at the Sarcophagus. The silvery appendages withdrew into the confines of the immense coffin, vanishing from sight as the doors closed seamlessly.


    Perhaps it would have been wiser to have remained within the Sarcophagus, but I believed I was out here because of Ghost¡¯s actions. He had mentioned facing a struggle against nine other Awarenesses, so maybe this was the best he could do for me. As to why he was being restrained, I guess I¡¯d find out soon enough.


    However, as soon as the doors closed, they cut off the only source of light within my immediate surroundings, and I was left standing in complete darkness.


    Suddenly, my consciousness ballooned, and I dropped to my knees as lightning pierced my brain.


    With a cry, I clutched at my head, but the pain persisted for an interminable length of time.


    Just when I thought I would faint from the excruciating agony, the pain began to fade.


    I lay on my knees, my whole body heaving and shuddering as I gasped for air.


    It was a while longer before I could think again, and that¡¯s when I noticed the two protuberances attached to my head.


    By cautiously running my fingers over them, I could picture their shape.


    They were arrow-like and longer than my hands. In a sense, they were like fins rising sharply from the sides of my head.


    But what the Hell were they?


    I was still puzzling over them when the wetware in my head reported in.


    [*Argus system engaged. Sensory awareness expansion at 178%. Efficiency below nominal levels. Further acclimation is required.]


    I frowned at the announcement but was soon distracted by the sensation that I was outside of my body. It took me a few seconds to understand that I wasn¡¯t experiencing an out-of-body event, but that my consciousness had somehow expanded beyond the confines of my physical self. For example, I could feel and perceive my surroundings, such as the grass beneath me, without having to touch it. I can¡¯t say that I was aware of every detail. Instead, I was aware of the grass, the soil, and the hard deck several feet beneath it but it wasn¡¯t clear. There was no high definition perception of my surroundings. If anything, I would describe it as a low definition experience. Yet though the clarity was limited and the range restricted to a few feet beyond my body, I found it to be enlightening experience that made the pain of recent minutes seem like a distant memory.


    Was this what the Argus system was?


    Was it a way to experience my surroundings well beyond human limitations?


    My conversation with Celeste about transcendence and waking up from the ¡®dream¡¯ came to mind.


    Certainly, I felt more alive and awake than ever before, but I was certain I hadn¡¯t died and moved onto a higher plane of existence. On the other hand, my transition into Mirai could be considered a form of transcendence since I was now ¨C theoretically ¨C a more evolved lifeform.


    Regardless, this wasn¡¯t the time to engage myself in a pseudo philosophical debate.


    Despite the pitch-black darkness that enveloped me, I could feel the ground and the garden within several feet around me. That alone quelled the panic I¡¯d felt earlier when I feared I was back in a void.


    However, I soon grew aware of the presence of people nearby. It was their lifeforce auras that gave them away.


    The orange-yellow light radiating from their bodies resembled weak bonfires moving about quickly in the perfect darkness.


    My mind shifted into an overclocked state and I counted ten Simulacra swiftly encircling me at a distance of around twenty feet.


    Fatina¡¯s maids.


    When I concentrated my senses on them, the Argus System abruptly outlined the girls in pale green.


    That surprised me and I gasped softly.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    It was like wearing a tactical visor, yet the information was being delivered directly into my mind.


    To call it impressive was an understatement, and the system went a step further.


    It recognized that the maids were carrying weapons, and then identified them for me as XAMF-40A submachineguns. However, it wasn¡¯t able to tell me what ammunition they were loaded with.


    Yet the sight of them made me react subconsciously by expressing the urge to hold something in my hands. In response, the armatures on my back swung down beneath my arms and delivered two long rifles. Through the Argus System, I recognized them Mag Hauser LR-81A Punishers. I slipped my hands around their grips, and the armatures released the linear rifles, then swiftly folded away against my back. Simultaneously, I used my thumbs to flick the selection levers on the Punishers to single-shot mode.


    The moment I disengaged the safeties, I was surrounded by an impossibly bright column of light streaming down from overhead.


    At first, I squinted against it but then tightly squeezed my eyes shut as I was unable to bear the intensity of the beam. Even with my eyes closed, my vision was still white.


    Gods damn it!


    [*Argus sensory expansion initiated. Output at 210%.]


    My consciousness ballooned outwards by several feet.


    Despite being blinded by the intense light, I was aware of the presence of the ten maids that formed a circle around me without needing to see them.


    This was courtesy of the Argus System that both complemented and supplemented my senses.


    Not only did I know where they stood around me, I could also smell their scent in the air.


    Is that the smell of fear?


    I remembered Ghost¡¯s warning, and abruptly I saw myself balancing on a knife¡¯s edge.


    One wrong move and I could trigger a shootout.


    I¡¯d like to believe I could evade the worst of it, but with the girls standing in a circle, they were likely to be caught in a crossfire of their own making. Deciding that was something I¡¯d like to avoid, I cautiously lowered my arms, then pointed the Punishers at the ground beside me. However, I wasn¡¯t ready to relinquish them to the armatures on my back.


    ¡°MIRAI. STAND DOWN.¡±


    The voice of the goddess boomed out through the air. Because it was so loud, I had trouble recognizing it as Fatina¡¯s voice.


    Now she tells me to stand down? Come on, Fatina. Get with the program!


    I cleared my throat, and with my eyes closed, I shouted back into the air. ¡°What¡¯s going on Fatina?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯M SORRY, MIRAI. THIS IS A NECESSARY PRECAUTION.¡±


    ¡°I asked you what¡¯s going on!¡±


    ¡°PLEASE REMAIN AT EASE, MIRAI. IT WON¡¯T BE LONG NOW.¡±


    I shook my head slowly.


    Why can¡¯t these people do anything straightforward?


    That said, it confirmed what Ghost had told me. Something was afoot and I suspected I¡¯d learn the truth soon enough.


    ¡°MIRIA, I WISH YOU WELL.¡±


    With my eyes closed, I could only rely on Mirai¡¯s senses boosted to a level that was unnatural even for her.


    The maids around me began backing away in a hurry and quickly exited the sphere of my awareness.


    Here it comes.


    I crouched on bended knee, and then waited for what I believed would be a trans-location jump.


    ¡°MIRIA, STAY STRONG. NO MATTER WHAT, YOU MUST PREVAIL! YOU MUSTN¡¯T GIVE UP!¡±


    I made a sour face.


    Thanks, Fatina. That really, really helps¡ªnot!


    Trying to keep calm by regulating my breathing, I started counting quietly in my head until I felt the familiar weightless and nauseating sensation of a trans-location taking place.


    Clenching my gut to prevent it from regurgitating the contents of my stomach, I felt the ground vanish beneath me.


    At that moment I opened my eyes and saw nothing but darkness.


    For several seconds, I was truly weightless.


    Abruptly my body was subjected to an intense pressure, and I pictured myself being squeezed through a narrow tunnel.


    Then the constricting, claustrophobic sensation vanished, and the light of day suddenly shone brilliantly all around me.


    ¨C IV ¨C


    A strong wind buffeted me as I fell feet first.


    My eyes blinked rapidly, and my mind instantly overclocked.


    Time stretched out. A single second was now worth five.


    It gave me time to wonder at my location, and to look around at a city that loosely resembled Ar Telica though its skyline was miniscule in comparison.


    Looking down, I saw myself falling toward the rounded glass ceiling of a rooftop terrace.


    My hard landing fractured and splintered the glass.


    Unable to keep my footing, I rolled a couple of times, before managing to dig in my booted toes and arresting my slide over the smooth, rounded ceiling.


    Having come to a stop, I closed my eyes and took a handful of relieved breaths.


    Why? Why do they always drop me in from a height?


    Carefully, I rose to my feet and then took a long, cautious look around me.


    Whatever this place was ¨C wherever it was ¨C it appeared to be a small city.


    The buildings were all terraced and dotted with well-maintained gardens on balconies and rooftops. The buildings themselves weren¡¯t very tall, perhaps only a dozen or more stories high.


    Certainly, the place weakly resembled Ar Telica, but if I had to describe it in a word then Utopia came to mind.


    Feeling a strong breeze rustle my hair and stroke my face, I directed my gaze upwards at a bright blue sky with long wispy clouds drawn across it.


    I blinked a few times, wondering if there was something wrong with Mirai¡¯s eyes because I could see a fine webbing or gridwork spread across the sky.


    What the Hell is that?


    Sweeping my gaze across the blue expanse, I noticed something that resembled the gondola of a blimp, though its numerous panels and rounded shape gave it the appearance of an upside-down turtle shell. When I realized those panels were darkly tinted windows, I wondered if the structure was a kind of observation deck.


    When taking the gridwork and the gondola into consideration, I realized that the sky wasn¡¯t real.


    It was a simulation, like the sky above the Estate.


    I bit my lower lip and frowned at the vista surrounding me.


    When Ghost had shown me a schematic of the Sanreal Novis, I remembered him pointing out the Estate located a small section at the rear of the ship. But when I considered the sheer scale of the vessel, I had to wonder if I was inside another part of the Citadel. If that was true, then I was beginning to appreciate the enormity of the ship.


    While it was only a fraction the size of Ar Telica, the city environment stretched off into the far distance. At a guess, I put my surroundings at well over a kilometer in length and probably half as wide. At one end of the city stood a tall tower that resembled a thin tree with leafless branches reaching upwards as though to support the arched ceiling upon which the faux sky was projected.


    After giving that false sky another look, I then turned my attention to the building I was standing on.


    The glass ceiling underfoot was akin to an awning covering a portion of a rooftop terrace.


    I decided to get off it, so I walked to the edge of the awning and then jumped down to the terrace below me.


    I bent my legs to cushion my controlled fall, but the landing triggered only a fleeting twinge in my knees.


    Straightening to my full height, I turned in a slow circle as I swept my gaze over the terrace.


    It was deserted.


    Not a single soul in sight, and the Argus System sensed no movement or heat signatures within a sphere with a twenty-meter radius.


    I must admit, I was beginning to appreciate the benefits of the Argus System.


    It was rather comforting to have.


    Vacillating on what to do next, I chose to approach an area enclosed by transparent walls. Peering into it, I saw that it was a lounge with sofas, tables, and divans. A set of spiral stairs in a corner led down to the floor below.


    Holstering the Punisher in my left hand, I waited for the armature to secure it against my back before looking for a way into the lounge area.


    That¡¯s when I caught my reflection in the darkly tinted glass walls enclosing the lounge.


    At least, I believed it to be my reflection because the girl looking back at me had Mirai¡¯s crimson eyes and long black hair.


    I¡¯d already given myself a look when I emerged from the Sarcophagus, but the reflection offered me another opportunity to check myself out.


    Like my previous outfit, this Princess Regalia consisted of a short jacket, a tight bodysuit and glossy black leggings that made me think of latex. My feet were snug in rugged, spacy boots that inspired me with the confidence to believe I could kick through a permacrete wall without breaking a toenail. The jacket¡¯s shoulders were puffed up, and I wore the familiar black gauntlets embossed with a swirling golden pattern. Two split skirts flowed outwards from my hips.


    Overall, it wasn¡¯t bad¡­if I ignored the amount of cleavage I had on display.


    The snug brassier that cupped my breasts pushed them up for the world to see.


    Dear gods. I take one running step and they¡¯re going to fly out!


    Darting a few glances over the terrace to confirm I was alone, I then jumped on the spot a couple of times.


    To my surprised, the bodysuit brassier prevented Mirai¡¯s heavy breasts from bouncing.


    Just to be safe, I jumped a few more times.


    Nope. Not a single bounce. My breasts may as well have been glued tightly to my chest.


    If I found myself sprinting through a hail of bullets, there would be no heaving bosom while wearing this Princess Regalia.


    Relieved that a wardrobe malfunction was unlikely, my shoulders slumped, and I sighed heavily as my gaze fell on the Punisher in my right hand.


    It was outfitted with a side mounted feeder to which an oversized ammo magazine was attached.


    I questioned the rifle¡¯s status and it replied with a thought pulse via the wetware.


    Its accelerators were primed, the chamber was loaded, and I had sixty rounds at my disposal.


    When I accounted for the six large ammo magazines stuck to the Regalia¡¯s twin skirts, and the magazine loaded into the second Punisher, I realized I was carrying a complement of four hundred and eighty bullets.


    Worry rushed through me.


    If I had this much ammo with me, then that meant Ghost had equipped me for a big fight.


    However, the question was¡­who was I fighting?


    In the glass window wall, I saw movement reflected behind me and my heart skipped a beat.


    Someone had emerged onto the rooftop terrace of the neighboring building.


    I couldn¡¯t see their face in the reflection, but I was able to recognize what they were wearing, and my chest tightened as my heart grew heavy.


    After taking a handful of deep breaths, I slowly, reluctantly turned around, and then walked to the edge of the terrace.


    I looked across the fifty-foot gap between our respective buildings at a tall young man with sandy hair who slid his hands into his trench coat pockets, and then smiled at me in regret.


    ¡°Hello Mirai.¡±


    I heard him clearly as though were standing only a few feet away. At first, I attributed it to Mirai¡¯s preternatural hearing until I realized his voice came from nearby.


    Concentrating my attention on the terrace parapet and surrounding rooftop, the Argus System responded by expanding my awareness. However, my consciousness didn¡¯t balloon out this time. Instead, I felt as though I was sweeping my awareness over the terrace rooftop ¨C like shining a torchlight in the dark, bringing indistinct shadowy objects into clarity. It wasn¡¯t a high definition sort of clarity, but it was enough for me to perceive beyond what my eyes could see, or to notice what I hadn¡¯t noticed before, and that¡¯s how I spotted the handful of little boxes scattered about ¨C diminutive speakers through which Arnval¡¯s voice was projected.


    I swallowed to clear my throat, noting it felt a little tighter than moments ago as my emotions grew anxious.


    They dropped me right where they wanted me.


    Relaxing my focus that was concentrated upon the surroundings via the Argus System, I felt my consciousness return to normal.


    So what now?


    Looking up at the young man standing on the opposite terrace rooftop, I cleared my throat again, then called out to him loudly.


    ¡°Hello Arnval.¡±


    Were there little speakers on his terrace through which my voice was projected?


    I didn¡¯t know, but nonetheless he nodded weakly to my greeting and his smile wavered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry it had to come to this.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±


    He laughed bitterly, then gave me another nod. ¡°Always keeping you in the dark, aren¡¯t we.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a question but a statement of fact.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to laugh with him. ¡°It¡¯s become the story of my life.¡±


    Arnval nodded again, the regretful smile leaving his lips.


    Seeing him like this was beginning to unsettle me more than I already was. ¡°What¡¯s up with you? Did you draw the short straw?¡± I hesitated before asking. ¡°Is this my punishment for shooting up the training room? Are you still pissed at me?¡±


    Confusion crossed his face for a brief moment, then he shook his head weakly. ¡°No, I¡¯m not angry at you. The damage to the training room is already fixed. That¡¯s the beauty of having a Fabricator. You can fix anything¡­well, almost anything.¡±


    I nodded gently. ¡°That was a dick move you pulled on me.¡±


    Arnval stiffened for a long moment before relaxing. ¡°Ah¡­the garden sprinklers¡­.¡± He laughed again but it was subdued and tense. ¡°Sorry about that. I was caught up in the moment.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. I wasn¡¯t planning on forgiving you even if you apologized.¡±


    He cocked his head at me. ¡°So you¡¯re going to hold a grudge?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yep. I¡¯m going to hold a grudge.¡±


    Yet again he laughed, and yet again it sounded strained. ¡°I guess it¡¯s good to know that you¡¯re that sort of girl.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to take that as a complement, Arnval.¡± I hefted the Punisher in my right hand and turned it slightly away from Arnval as I rested my thumb on the selection lever. ¡°Are you going to tell me what¡¯s going?¡± Making a point of looking at the skyline both near and far, I asked him, ¡°Where am I?¡±


    In the corner of my eye, I noticed Arnval narrow his eyes sharply for a heartbeat before he spared the buildings a cursory glance. ¡°This is the Habitat located in the forward superstructure of the Citadel. Sixteen hundred meters long. Six hundred meters wide.¡±


    I was right ¨C it was well over a kilometer in length.


    Sweeping my gaze over the rooftops, I glanced at the sky overhead. ¡°So what¡¯s it for?¡±


    ¡°It serves as a commercial and residential district for the crew. Gives them a little taste of home. Their home¡±¡ªArnval dipped his head slightly¡ª¡°if you know what I mean.¡±


    I absently stroked my teeth with the tip of my tongue as I puzzled over what he meant.


    Then I realized what he was telling me.


    This Habitat was most likely modelled after those that existed inside the cog-wheel shaped Citadels in the other universe.


    Ah, so that¡¯s why the architecture is different.


    Taking another brief look at the cityscape, I asked, ¡°So why is it deserted?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s been evacuated. All the residents have been moved to the shelters.¡±


    I nodded faintly. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because this is where you¡¯ll face your opponent.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not facing Tabitha, am I.¡± Again, not a question but a statement of fact courtesy of Ghost¡¯s warning. ¡°So who am I facing, Arnval?¡±


    I watched him clench his jaw for a long moment as he regarded me thoughtfully. ¡°So you knew.¡±


    Shaking my head, I admitted, ¡°No. I found out recently. My invisible friend told me.¡±


    ¡°Your invisible...?¡± Arnval looked puzzled and then the proverbial penny dropped. ¡°Ah, so it was Revenant.¡±


    ¡°What have you done to him?¡±


    ¡°Me? Nothing. But I was told he was being kept busy to prevent him from contacting you. I guess putting you in the Sarcophagus allowed him to re-establish communications with you.¡± Arnval¡¯s gaze swept over me a few times. ¡°Looks like he gave you a makeover.¡±


    I glanced down at my exposed cleavage. ¡°I¡¯m going to punch him the first chance I get.¡±


    ¡°Why? It looks good on you?¡±


    ¡°Arnval, I¡¯m going to punch you the first chance I get.¡±


    He laughed nervously and soon fell silent.


    Staring at each other from across the gap between rooftops, I felt the tension creep back into me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t surprised,¡± I told him. ¡°Being lied to is pretty much par for the course these days. But I am disappointed.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because I was scared but I was also looking forward to fighting Tabitha.¡± I hesitated before adding in a subdued voice, ¡°But that¡¯s not going to happen, is it? I¡¯m not facing her. All of it was a lie. All the training I did was for nothing.¡±


    Arnval shook his head sharply. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Then what was it for, Arnval? Tell me!¡±


    He fell silent for a long while, before eventually speaking up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mirai. This wasn¡¯t my idea, and honestly I¡¯d prefer Sanreal hadn¡¯t chosen me for this.¡±


    ¡°Chosen you for what?¡± I started to take a step forward but stopped myself. ¡°Chosen you to fight me?¡±


    He gave me a weary shake of his head. ¡°No, Mirai. He didn¡¯t choose me to fight you.¡±


    I watched him slip his right hand into the folds of his trench coat, then retrieve a very long and menacing handgun.


    Arnval held it at his side with the muzzle pointed down at the terrace rooftop.


    Wetting my lips, I cleared my throat as I felt my heart beat a little quicker as the tension within me jumped a notch. ¡°What¡¯s that for, Arnval?¡±


    His shoulders rose and fell as he took a deep breath.


    ¡°There¡¯s one bullet in this gun, Mirai. Just one. And that bullet has a name on it.¡±


    I flicked the selection lever to double shot mode. ¡°What name?¡±


    Arnval smiled sorrowfully.


    ¡°Erina Kassius.¡±