《神話Ansel (Myth Ansel)》


 0.7. USP-Sec376. (1)

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The Tower of Abomination, with various unknown critters and beasts parts glued together and still actively throbbing with their instinct for survival, continued to display the black screen with pixelated white words.


    </"This would suffice to stop his misanthropic hatred," you all must be thinking./>


    The boy, his feet anchored in camaraderie, did not tremble.


    The man, virtually drenched in the blood of guilt, did not flinch.


    And last but not least, the child, whose eyes showed no sign of fright, stood unshaken.


    </But why? Why do you cling to something so disgusting as life?/>


    Coughing and spitting blood from his mouth, the man remarked, his tone lacking the usual smugness, though it carried the same familiar jargon, "Even the word ''assiduous'' begins with ''ass''. But if you give up at the dirty part, how can you even learn the true meaning?"


    </Again, with some superstitious words that...! Tch! That is exactly why I abhor you all!/>


    Neither of them, nor any of us, knew how to put an end to this ridiculousness. No amount of contemplation yielded an answer.


    </Then I shall bring forth the devised end./>


    Horror. A few eyes widened, a few gasps filled the air, a few screams foreshadowed the terror, and no one was prepared for anything.


    But any amount of preparation would have failed¡­ As it wasn''t any of the dreadful dreams he spoke of¡­ As it was rather something simple.


    The throbbing tower gave one great pulse, disturbing the very hearts. The steady reverberation was accompanied by the crackling of the tower, with light escaping from its broken walls. And the second the echo stopped, light filled the space, hurling pieces of flesh everywhere.


    Let''s pause there and rewind a bit.


    The flesh stuck to my face began to roll back, the unidirectional light began to recede absurdly, the soft whirring of the air ringed our ears, and the Tower of Abomination stood still once again.


    Ah! Pause, pause! It would be better if we went back a little further. Probably ten or twenty minutes, or better, to the beginning of this irrationality.


    To the time when I, Sen Daikei, thought¡­


    ***


    Thank cosmos that I don''t have an anus.


    This wasn''t at all what I expected to read when I opened it. It''s turning out to be a real pain in the... well, another part I don''t have.


    That was the first thought that crossed my mind as I began to read the ominous words written simply in ink, almost as if they were staring at me with each line I read.


    I should have realized it the moment I saw a folded piece of paper instead of a scroll.


    Expressing the unease I''m feeling would make this much better, I mean, I wish I could sweat, but that is just another foreign characteristic I don''t relate to.


    In case¡ªif¡ªyou are not wondering, let me elaborate.


    First of all, stop imagining me, as well as regarding me, as a human being.


    Sure, I do have a few characteristics, but I am not a biped filled with greed, unjust or fleeing emotions like those depicted in the scroll I''m holding in my other... hand(?).


    Long story short, I''m an interstellar being whose body is a mishmash of geometric triangular figures, and just to add to my uniqueness I should mention that my color is red(?).


    Is that how I radiate to the eyes that only perceive the visible spectrum? It''s so sad.


    Well, there you have it, this is what I look like, no skin, no ears, no brain to give me Alzheimer''s, no butt to constipate, no **** to ******* ****.


    I''ve heard that constipation is often considered one of the most uncomfortable experiences. That''s what the opening line meant. The essence being unpleasantness, rather than any superficial label that might sound close to it.


    Okay! Let''s move on to the scroll in my hand, rather than the folded piece of paper which should be of less concern.


    Now¨C Woah! What''s with these rumblings?! What in the Severance is going on?!


    Hm? Did ''Severance'' get your attention? It seems my situation is of more concern now. Before we get to the rumbling part, you need to know where it''s happening.


    Simply put, Severance is a fixed path in this gigantic cosmos, utilized for monitoring the Macrocosm while using the Terminal Nexus.


    Macrocosm aside, Terminal Nexus, eh? I know this is going to be a challenge, but picture a beautiful fortress made of spires of oddly positioned stairs and windows. Oh, you refer to that as Escher inspired architecture! That''s a load off my shoulder(?)!


    It''s a bit outdated? Well, guess who''s in space and free of viruses, tellurian? ...Looks like you can visualize it, and as for the Macrocosm¨C Oh my orbs! What the...!!!


    Explaining things as they are is a challenge enough, and now I have to put up with these absurdities? Yes, I know the narrative is all over the place, but believe me, I wouldn''t take this route unless I was forced to.


    ...Oops, I shouldn''t have mentioned that.


    Okay, let''s clap once and forget about it. Well, should we start anew with minimal details, knowing that neither of us had actually clapped?


    If we skim over the specifics, then we can consider...


    Macrocosm as a planet,


    Terminal Nexus as its natural satellite,


    Severance as that satellite''s orbit,


    and us unperceivable beings as inhabitants of that satellite.


    Even though this perspective is far from accurate, it should be enough for someone that hasn''t even achieved Type 1 civilization.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Now for the rumbling part, ¡­I''m afraid I can''t provide an explanation. Like, not that I have no knowledge, rather it''s a subject that hasn''t been explored or theorized in depth.


    Think of it like the concept of life after death. You can debate about the existence of that phenomenon, but you can never prove it. There may be numerous studies and differing viewpoints, yet a conclusive answer remains out of reach.


    Ooo! Oh, no. Mr Know-It-All has turned into Mr Not-Know-It-All. ¡­...My apologies, I thought it would be funny. So, shall we just have a talk about what''s happening?


    It was meant to be just another ordinary shift. I say one of the words that appears on my ''Box of Beginnings,'' and it pops open with dramatic effect. I grab the scroll, write the intended number of ''Avatar,'' and put it back in the box, and continue the cycle.


    I may have wished for it, but never would I have expected this event to happen.


    Today... As I was just about to utter, I... or should I presume, the entire Terminal... no, Severance... no, the very fabric of the cosmos we exist in, was hit by a surge of something I''ve never experienced before.


    But if I had to describe it, it could be something akin to a gravitational wave, but on a grander¡­ magnificent scale.


    And what I never expected was for it to happen twice more.


    The first time, I did not try to assess the situation until I saw a folded piece of paper along with a scroll in the box, and as you can already guess I could not access the situation the next two times even if I tried.


    But let me just add what happened in those two instances. The second time, exterior aside, the interior was deeply cracked, and the third time, the walls collapsed, exposing me to the internal structure of this fortress.


    Ahhhh!!! That feels so good! Finally! Now we can pick up from here and¨C


    The reason I decided to stop wasn''t due to the fourth instance, but rather the aftermath that followed the third one.


    The collapse of the wall dominoed and reached the roof. Looks like my job¡ªnot the one that pays me, but the one I''m forced to do¡ªhas protected me from suffering any consequences.


    The dust soon settled, revealing¨C What the?!!! No, what in the¨C!!! Oh my¨C!!! Get away from her, T''jambi!!! What the f¨C?!!! What the F are you doing?!!!


    "Oh! Hi, Zen! I waz juzt wrappin'' my trunk aroun'' Amber''z waizt and uzin'' the tip to¨C"


    There is nothing just about what you are doing! I don''t want your courtesy and I definitely don''t want to hear about what you''re doing! All those exclamations unquestionably show that I, an extraterrestrial, saw something that undoubtedly needs no explanation! And put Junior down! Immediately!!!


    Bursztyn Amber exclaimed with a cheerful wave, "Cze??, Sen!" (Hi, Sen!)


    Cze??, Amber¡ªI returned the greeting to the four foot tall doll made of amber, sculptured in traditional Polish clothing with a long cone almost half her height on her head.


    "Ah! Nothin'' wrong here. Zhe told me to zmell her azz," said a gray half-biped half-mastodon as tall as the roof, with a drowsy tone, draped in rugged garments that blended seamlessly with his skin tone.


    Wh-What?! H-Ho-How?! No, you shut up, T''jambi! Amber, chcesz wyja?ni?? (Care to explain?)


    Amber, still in T''jambi''s grasp, nonchalantly tried to address my concern by pointing towards a book she held in her other hand.


    "Znamy las, moja ksi??ka. Zgubi?em j?, gdy podczas jej czytania wydarzy? si? wstrz?s. Wi?c krzykn??em, ?Nie, Znamy las!¡± i dzi?ki jego szybkiej reakcji uda?o mi si? go odzyska? na czas. Czy mo?esz mu podzi?kowa? w moim imieniu?"


    (We Know the Forest, it''s a book. I lost it when the jolt-thing happened while I was reading it. So I shouted for it like, ''Nie, Znamy las!!!'' and thanks to his quick reaction I managed to get it back. Can you thank him for me?)


    She would like to thank you, T''jambi.


    "Eh?! Then tha'' meanz it''z ok to go on, righ''?" muttered T''jambi, his eyes sparkling with excitement.


    There''s no way that''s okay! Stop treating her like Pluto, dammit! You know she only speaks Polish, and I know you can only understand English, but how can you misunderstand ''Znamy las'' for ''Smell my¨C'' ugh, for whatever your worthless fantasy was.


    "I mean¨C"


    Your ''mean'' has no meaning! Just because they have the same amount of syllables and vowels, you just can''t assume whatever you want! Put her down already, for Nexus''s sake!


    T''jambi murmured softly as he gently set Amber down, "Hehe... You zounded like¨C"


    Shut up! Being made fun of by an interdimensional crime offender is the last thing on my list. And what in the cosmos does T''jambi mean?! It sounds like something even a foster parent wouldn''t name their least favorite of the adopted.


    "Oh! It''z Buddy Talk time''!" T''jambi exclaimed as he dusted himself off.


    Ain''t anyone is your ''Buddy'', idiot! And congratulations, that line just updated my list.


    "My real name waz Ozwald. But I change'' to T''jambi after Mama make fun of meh," he continued, turning a deaf ear to me.


    Wow! I''m really curious to find out what Mama said to hurt this clueless desperado!


    "You know knoc-knoc jokez? You be me and I be Mama! I will ztart now, OK!"


    Curious as I was, I just went with his flow and acted out his little skit.


    "Knoc Knoc"


    Who''s there?


    "Ozwald"


    Oswald who?


    "I zhould have zwallowe'' you!"


    Wooooooooow! Mama should have. So, how did you end up with the name T''jambi?


    "Oh, I take it from one of my good figurinez," he said softly.


    You are not helping much, do a little better, in fact do a lot better than that, because even I can''t think of anything like that.


    "No... Everyone knowz T''jambi. Know, those things that are actually lifeless yet instinctively seek refuge in the living," he remarked, holding out his name tag that read as ''Zombie''. I don''t think it''s necessary, but I feel like I should add that his voice had a certain steadiness to it by the end.


    I really like your sense of style, but in your case it''s more like the dead dragging the living into the oblivion of suffering.


    Amber, who quietly crept into our conversation, questioned, "Czy ?oblivion of suffering¡± co? znaczy?"


    (Does ''oblivion of suffering'' mean anything?)


    I don''t know, Amber. But how about you instead of stressing over my vocabulary, you stress on those English classes? How can you only understand and not speak, you piece of amber? Or rather, how can you¡ªas a girl¡ªput up with this wasted zygote?


    "Nie rozumiem, co m¨®wisz, ale jestem ch?opcem," she said in response to my argument.


    (I can''t understand what you''re saying, but I''m a man)


    How hard is it to not¨C Wait, you are a man?


    "She''s a man?!" exclaimed T''jambi, his trunk wriggling with excitement.


    I''m not liking that enthusiasm, and I''m not going to look into it any further. And what are you looking at, Amber? Why are you looking at me like I''m a cluster of spite?


    "Ta rzecz¨C"


    English...


    "Hi, how eeez¡­ aahh¡­ are you, me is Amber¡­"


    Change classes, I will... You know what, your supervisor will pay you for the platinum classes. Wait, no. That sounds like the wrong kind of service. Still... upgrade your class, but pay for it yourself. For now, just say the words that come to mind.


    "Left... Scroll... Next... Dobra! (OK!)" she¨C he exclaimed, battling his way to the end.


    I would like to toast you, but one of them is still spelt in your blood. And what does that mean? ...Oh, Shi¨C! Wow! Thank you, Amber! Hey, Bipedmasto! Where is your ''Box of Constant''? I lost mine earlier.


    Without any shilly-shally, he pointed me to the debris that had come down with him. I undulated my way through the mess, and pulled it free from the wreckage. Wish my work here could have been over with a few simple steps, but that was not going to be the case.

 0.7. USP-Sec376. (2)

    There was something else glued to the box. Something you are familiar with. ...Yes, a Matrix Weaver. What? Never heard of it? A PC? What''s that? O-Oh Oh! Oh, that''s what it''s called. A PC. That''s sad, I mean, my bad, my apologies. Mmm¡­


    Its functions are supposed to be similar, but the appearance is completely different.


    The wood and brick framed interface glued to the antique looking box was already lit up, displaying the recent activities. In short... Search history!


    In any of my reincarnations¡ªif any exists¡ªI would have overlooked it entirely, but a single word turned that impossible event possible.


    Loquat?


    "The fruit? Me like!" Amber added to my wonder.


    I opted to explore it further and came to a realization that I should have never attempted it. Shoving the interface in the possessor''s face, I demanded an explanation.


    What is wrong with your head, man?! Read them!


    The smallest loquats?!


    The seedless loquats?!


    Loquats basking in the radiation?!


    Loquats timelapse?!¡ªAnd only half of it has been watched?


    Do loquats taste better when eaten as a bunch or one at a time?!


    Is this what you do with your spare time?! You swine!


    In disgust, I threw the interface with the box glued to it at T''jambi. Whether it was fate or my bad aim, the box just barely grazed him and fell through the broken floor.


    "Ooo! Nigdy nie my?la?em, ?e Senior b?dzie fanatykiem owoc¨®w!" Amber commented, sounding boastful.


    (Ooo! Never thought Senior would be a fruit fanatic!)


    Shut up, Amber! Your remarks are not improving the situation and certainly don''t exonerate this scoundrel. And as dumb as it sounds, loquat is a fruit, true, but also an ex-associate, an ex-associate you replaced!


    Haa¡­ Amber, give me your box¡ªI gestured to him with a minimal movement.


    "Och! Moja skrzynka jest w konserwacji, a ja siedz? na Seniorze i na co dzie¨½ zajmuj? si? prac?," she¨C he, he replied matter-of-factly.


    (Oh! My box is under maintenance, so I sit on Senior to do the work on a daily basis)


    What? Since when?


    "Since... day one..." said the doll with a hint of doubt.


    Disbelief, you might call it, I shook my clumps as I made my way to the elevator.


    Turning back one last time, I pointed the scroll at the horrendous being and declared that as soon as I''d finished with it, I''d make sure it ended up in the Event Horizon, as well as giving Amber a little reminder that she¨C he would be forced into rehab.


    This would be the final time I laid eyes on them, I thought as I stepped onto the elevator. But color me surprised, the two of them casually strolled in after me.


    I would have asked them to get off, but just looking at the mayhem behind them made me think twice. Instead, I shifted a little further away, and the collapsed wall that served as a door began to reconstruct itself, and the elevator glided toward the heart of this space fortress.


    As we advanced in the direction I was facing, surrounded by a cascade of lights, there was an astonishing 16 seconds of absolute silence. The very next second, the playful trunk moved and pointed at me.


    "Woooow... Buddy change'' color... Blue... Green..."


    That''s turquoise, pea brain.


    "Och! czy czerwono-zielono, czy czerwono-niebieski?!" (Oh! Is it reddish green or reddish blue?!)


    I apologize for ridiculing the eyes that can only perceive the visible spectrum.


    "I waant to feeel it..." the drowsy voice added.


    Try it, Nefarious. Shade me if you want to puke all your insides out!


    The dejected proboscis quietly retreated, and we were nearing our destination. The silence was reclaimed, and I shifted my attention to others in the distant stream of lights.


    Not everyone was calm about the situation, but there sure were others who were doing their utmost to manage what they could. Like Mike, expertly directing the massive flow of traffic, and Wish, diligently overseeing his three new avatars, or me, focused on bringing the matters of this scroll to an end.


    While I stood in silence, anticipating the beep that would confirm our drop-off, the pair behind me engaged in a small gab.


    "Um, Senior... Box, sticky thing? I want... also... The glue! Tak(Yes)! Where, I buy...?"


    "Wha'' glue?"


    A soft beep marked the end of their conversation, as well as the incredulity that surged through me, mingled with a sense of revulsion.


    The brick door crumbled, awaiting our exit, but what passed through it was not us.


    My eyes, yes, my ghostly, non-existent glass eyes, rolled out effortlessly and were quickly crushed by someone amidst the frenzy of the control center.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The atmosphere was described as chaotic, but it''s not because of the confusion, but rather because of the hectic activities.


    Everyone, from the most junior to the most senior, was busy in their responsibilities, fixated on dealing with the situation, even if it meant forcing unrelated people to help.


    Oh, hold on a moment. This room isn''t all futuristic as you are imagining.


    However, if you''ve managed to render it as a gothic sanctuary¡ªwith dim colored stained glass windows, soaring vaulted ceilings adorned with massive chandeliers, and watched over by eerie gargoyles in a candlelit grand hall¡ªthen good job.


    Except, that much of its splendor has been marred.


    "Ah, Sen! A little help here... Ple~ase," a workmate called out to me as she struggled to stabilize the teetering rack, her voice laced with amorousness.


    Giving my greetings to Natalia, I waft in to assist, pushing the rack as far as possible.


    "Appreciate the help... Want me to repay you in any way?" leaning over to me, murmured the tall, gorgeous¨C


    Wait. I will not share the secrets of this enchantress. Her beauty is a treasure meant only for me alone to savor. If you are still curious to know, let me narrate her as... Unnarratable.


    "Ooo... No one''s ever called me that before~" she said with her beautiful voi¨C


    Wait? What?


    "Oh, he''z been doin'' that a lot toda''! He call me namez too..."


    "Och! Ja, ja! Nazwa? mnie ?piece-of-amber¡±! Je?li to si? liczy¡­"


    (Oh! Me, me! He called me a ''piece of amber''! If that counts¡­)


    A lot today? No, yours doesn''t count, Amber. What do you mean by a lot, Miocenese?


    Instead of an explanation, the heap of ancient fur jumped over and over. Even now. And now. And again. And¨C


    Stop it, dammit! That''s unsightly! Explain, right now!


    "You really are quite chatty today, and I''m liking it... But I can''t go on without knowing if you truly called me that... Or if it was just another name in the mix...? Mmm..." Natalia inquired, her curiosity piqued.


    Ah! How can I possibly overlook the fact that I''m constantly speaking into void, every day, to everyone around me? Let''s shut the narration to just my consciousness then.


    I shoved the scroll into Amber''s hands, pulled her closer and moved my collectives as if I wanted to flash a bright grin.


    You wanted to pay me back, right NatNat?! Here, take this oblivious pile of amber and teach her¨C him your work. I will request Sir Parch Ment to move her to your area since her¨C his current zone doesn''t need any additional help or BOXES! ¡­So, I think she¨C he could be of some help. I mean, you know, learning from the best.


    "Oh... ''kay..."


    This wasn''t on my checklist, but here''s a life lesson.


    Never debate a woman in doubt, skip to her second best quality¡ª¡ªSen Daikei.


    While I''m at it, should I request Natalia for one more thing? You know what, let''s just make it happen for the benefit of everyone involved.


    Um, Nattie¡­ Could you find me a dimension made of clusters of supernovas? One substantial enough to disintegrate this embodiment of evil''s irrevocable sins.


    Also, while it may seem like I''m just a lowly employee overstepping my bounds by requesting numerous favors, that''s not the case. I''ve intentionally opted to work for a lower wage, all while maintaining my seniority.


    I prioritize a peaceful sleep over the bountiful pockets.


    Haa¡­ As I stare at the alluring Nat, who likely did not listen to my previous request, walking away with her new Junior, a mammoth looms in my direction.


    "I wouldn'' mind goin'' to the place tha'' you asked her to find. If Amber comez along..."


    What? Are you really that clueless? I thought you were playing nice and hiding evidence all along. Still, you are going to Event¨C


    Wait... but you were keen on your nicknames?


    The trunk moved slowly, trying to take my shoulder as he winked at me. There was no way I was going to let it get any closer. Trying to avoid it, I bumped into someone I failed to notice, someone I should never mess with.


    Oh sh...! Fauler Anf¨¹hrer! But what is he doing with all that luggage? ...No way!


    Realization slowly dawned on me, as he slammed his foot down in frustration because of the luggage that toppled over from my bump.


    "Nein, nein, nein, nein, nein! Was schaut ihr da, ihr KBOs?! Es ist nicht schwer herauszufinden, dass jemand versucht, aus diesem beschissenen Loch herauszukommen!" Anf¨¹hrer exclaimed.


    (No, no, no, no, no! What are you looking at, you KBOs?! It''s not hard to figure out that someone''s trying to get out of this shithole!)


    Should I ask him to speak in English? ...Better not.


    No, Anf¨¹hrer, you have no reason to do this. You are the next best employee after Sir Parch Ment. I know things look dire, but you will not feel the burden with all of us here... And you are being paid handsomely too¡­


    There was no apology or excuse from me, just some sweet talk, trying to bring this man to his senses.


    Meanwhile, as I was busy with Anf¨¹hrer, his 2.59 inch black minions¡ªor what he affectionately calls them as younglings¡ªwere busy tidying up his messy luggage.


    Brushing his hair away from his left eye, "Aber nicht h¨¹bsch genug, um¡­" he expressed as he leaned in closer, his hand hinting to the disarray around us.


    (But not handsome enough to...)


    Ahh... I can''t stand him to begin with, and I don''t even want to continue. Sure, his absence might bring some misfortune, but that in itself is a fortune in disguise.


    My silence seemed to signal that I wasn''t interested in continuing the conversation.


    Straightening his uniform and pulling up his belt, "Kommt schon, Jungs. ¨¹berlassen Sie diese Quasare ihrem eigenen Untergang!" he commands his minions, as he contemptuously spat on the ground.


    (Come on, younglings. Leave these quasars to their own demise!)


    Following their leader, all of the marching dainties spat on the ground in unison.


    Well, I don''t mind it. The sound they made was quite amusing. But, I¡­ Oh, no!


    Unannounced, the roof caved in, pierced by a small turret of the fortress that came crashing down, impaling the puny gang and painting the ground black.


    ......Anyways.


    With mixed thoughts as to whether or not to persuade the bigot nearing the elevator, I was left to choose the path that would be best for the situation.


    Come on, Anf¨¹hrer! The next scroll might really need a great figure like you! What are you gonna do after walking away, anyway?


    Without glancing back, he raises his fist and declares, "Backen Sie einen Kuchen in meinem vorgeheizten Ofen oder knallen Sie etwas Mais hinein und genie?en Sie sie, w?hrend ich zusehe, wie diese staubige Festung zu Asche zerf?llt!"


    (Bake a cake in my preheated oven or pop some corn, and enjoy them as I watch this irredeemable dusty fortress crumble to ashes!)


    The turret should have appeared a little earlier. It doesn''t matter now anyway.

 0.7. USP-Sec376. (3)

    Hmm... I''m not sure if giving away the scroll was the best choice? Hmm... The folded piece of paper didn''t provide any specifics, did it? Or am I just overthinking things?


    Should I help out or skip work? I hate working, so it''s wiser to opt for something satisfying.


    Are my words that hard to make sense of? How about looking at it this way? Whether to make an ice cream or to savor one. I would definitely just relish the treat.


    What? You would rather create your own and then enjoy it?


    Well then, be sure you make a delicious batch that truly makes the effort worthwhile.


    ¡­As I wandered through the hall, thinking about my options, I spotted Clark, buzzing around all excited.


    Well, why don''t I just ask him for his take on things? Can kill time, skip work and get paid. The ultimate form of goldbricker.


    As I curled my existence towards the man in the opulent white EMU, I took a snail''s pace before extending my greetings, savoring the gentle melody of Beethoven''s Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 filling the surroundings.


    "So, what is your take on things, Sen?" the psychic questioned, his voice filled with amusement.


    Firstly, did you just hear me use those words, or am I that predictable? Secondly, it looks like a paid holiday for the next few minutes.


    "Phahehe... Hard to say, as things stand. But let me ask you something, again: what do you believe is truly going on?" he asked, the gold-coated glass of his helmet reflecting me, and with probably a grin on him that I can''t see.


    If I factor...


    It wasn''t something as trivial as a pulsar.


    Nothing surpasses the speed of light.


    You did not alert anyone about any anomalies.


    If I have to conclude it along the lines of unpredictability, then...


    Schr?dinger''s cat?


    "Barely debatable, and I hate cats being used like that. However, if we use that as an example, we''re basically experiencing one of those events in this box. An event where no one knows if the result is a demise or a nascence until the box is opened," the man declared, holding a slightly opened box.


    His explanation could point to something uncertain, but the wall that had collapsed right after his remark seemed to make me understand what he meant.


    Throughout the decades of my weary life, have I never witnessed a scenery like this.


    The vast cosmos, which had always played a dark and lifeless refrain, began to burn brighter than ever, as if it was acknowledging our presence. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that the entire symphony of stars was warming us with its radiance.


    A warmth sufficient to soothe this cold life.


    Even if it''s not possible to see the emotions hidden behind the reflective frame, even if it''s not possible to see the emotions of a being of unknown constitution, it is certainly possible to understand the fascination they felt.


    ......So, are you telling me that something so beautiful is here to destroy us?


    "Or perhaps something so beautiful is here to discover¡­"


    That could also be... So, is this how your kind met its end? With the collision of the Milky Way and Andromeda? Or something else?


    "Nah, they killed themselves."


    Just like every other race out there, ehh... Wait! It totally slipped my mind, but are you sure it''s okay with being out in the open like this?!


    With a casual double pat on his grandiose suit, he responded indifferently.


    We gradually returned inside, shifting our gazes away from the bright panorama that had been burned into our memories.


    "Want to throw any guesses about what the cat is doing in the box?" he questioned, trying to continue the talk about the strange situation.


    Only if it was an asteroid could we have focused on finding Bruce and be done with it.


    "Phahahahaha! Well, that''s not it¨C Phaha, so... it wasn''t a flash of light or a rush of waves¡ªwhich we could have obviously noticed first hand¡ªbut... the whole box, the whole existence was shaken to its very last string. The cat is doing nothing! He is also wondering what the hell is happening to the box!"


    That sounds a bit ominous and¨C


    "Hat''dam''! Tha'' very zcary!"


    Kyaah! *Adjusting the voice* How long have you been standing there?! More like, seriously, where did you even pop up from?!


    "Hehe... I waz hidin'' and checkin'' out if buddy could catch me doin'' tha'' thing, you know, the one you been doin'' toda''," said a being that can''t be reasoned with, holding an antique vinyl record.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Woah... Careful with that. Why is that in¨C


    "Oh! I waz bored of hidin'' and tried to get attention, like movin'' the box, ztealin'' this unusual origami, breakin'' the wall, and az nothin'' worked, I wanted to play different music!" he replied joyfully as he put the vinyl on the gramophone.


    Don''t damage company property just for your own amusement, and you really are quite contradictory, but at least better than some politicians I know.


    What is he doing? Where''s the music? How hard is it to put a needle on a record?


    "Push them!"


    "We all are risking our lives here!"


    "Scared because you are new to the job, you pathetic avatars?!"


    The shouts from the members of Conc. Management caught my attention. As I gazed down, I saw a group of avatars, each with unique shapes and sizes, being thrust into a furnace ablaze with green and gold flames.


    Despite how it looks, they''re merely being sent into the Macrocosm.


    About time the new blood stepped away from the dictionary and learned the meaning of capitalism through sweat and blood. Push them, pu~sh them.


    Heh. It would have been a magnificent sight if the scroll with Amber had asked for more avatars.


    Gazing down from such a lofty vantage point... It would have been delightful to enjoy a glass of wine accompanied by a beautiful melody. And as if the very air around me was listening to my thoughts, a melody soared forth from the vinyl.


    When I heard the enchanting melodies filling the air, it became clear to me that someone had succeeded in getting the record started.


    The shimmering glass fragments on the arched ceiling had no connection to the music, yet the soft crackling of vintage glass harmonized with the music, slowly casting its dim glow into every corner of the hall.


    Isn''t that Mozart''s Symphony no. 25 in G Minor, K. 183? Such a masterpiece.


    And yet¡­ and yet¡­


    What is it?


    What is it that I am feeling?


    Why does this simple melody seem so foreboding?


    "With such a beautiful melody being played, it makes me feel like I should not be worried about the safety of you all," a voice echoed from above.


    No, that''s not the one. That''s the voice of Sir Parch Ment, the only manly man who is tackling the turmoil head-on in Macrocosm while we remain sheltered here.


    Why do I keep hearing the same part? Is the record broken?


    Should I have held onto the scroll till the end, is that it?


    But it seems alright... I''m fulfilling my duties as instructed¨C


    Wait! Folded paper! Di-Di-Didn''t that manic say something about an unusual origami?


    My cluster of polygons began to twitch like never before. Some changed color, some rotated oddly, and some crumbled and fell off. It was obvious that I was getting stressed.


    Disregarding all the murmurs or thoughts, Sir Parch Ment pressed on, "I''ll cut to the chase. Don''t run any scrolls through... Yes, neither I nor did any of my ancestors anticipated this day would arrive. So, stop running any scrolls. I repeat..."


    My worries deepened when I realized that the crucial piece of paper was missing¡ªand, to make matters worse, the new scroll rule was now firmly in effect.


    No scrolls?! Why are all these never-before-happened events happening at once? Amber! I need to¨C! Wait, calm down! Even if she can''t understand English completely, Natalia is with her. I should rather focus on the paper that contains the secrets that forced me into this unpaid job.


    "Hat''dam''!"


    Just as I was about to swiftly steal the paper that rightfully belonged to me, I was met with the last person I ever wanted to see holding it with his eyes wide open.


    "Wha''z thiz? It''z a white paper..."


    Wondering about the comment, I stopped in my tracks. However, getting closer made me realize that he was looking at the reverse side of the note.


    Warning Mammutidae to never try any funny business again, I snatched the piece of paper from his hand.


    Everything''s fine now¨C


    "Hat''dam''!" he exclaimed, looking at another similar piece of paper.


    Why do you have another piece of paper, dammit?!


    "I made a copy, juz in caze"


    What kind of idiot are you to mess up reading the first time?! Also, don''t just casually pry into others'' private lives!


    "But what am I even readin''! Oh, ohhh! Ooooo!"¡ªNo! Don''t!¡ª"Wha''z thi'' language?"


    I stumbled forward as if someone had yanked my foot(?), recalling that he only speaks English.


    I picked up that piece as well and was on my way to Amber, but I stopped when I noticed a face beaming at me, despite the fact that something he had worked so hard for had been taken away from him.


    You... Are you hiding something from me?


    The tusked being remained silent, swaying ghastly, his hands clasped behind him.


    If you guessed he was hiding just another piece of paper, you couldn''t be more wrong. Not one, not ten, but the waistband, the pockets, the sleeves, the socks, and¡ªjust then, the culprit sneezed, sending all the evidence flying into the air¡ªin his nose too(?!).


    W-Wh-What is all this¡­?


    In response to my shaky inquiry, he exclaimed, "Oh! I wanted otherz help decipher it''!" with a hint of enthusiasm.


    There was no reason for second thought. With a blow to a rack near me shattered an 11.5 liter carboy of HCN (Hydrogen Cyanide), which spilled onto the madman.


    A chemical not so often used in chemical warfare, but commonly used in pesticides. The conditions around him were enough to dissolve every piece of paper¡ªincluding the ones that I threw in the mix¡ªbut not enough to kill this gigantic rodent.


    "Ooo... What''s with this heat?" a lovely voice asked us.

 0.7. USP-Sec376. (4)

    Just give me a break! Why are you here, Natalia?! What about Amber?!


    "I came to let you know about that¡­ She''s a quick learner"


    No, Natalia! I don''t want to hear what you say to your every other new junior!


    "She also needs some help¡­?"


    Aaand? ......Come on, aand...?


    "Aaand... I can''t¨C"


    And where is she?!!! Why is she not with you?!!!


    "Oh my, tone it down. She left before the announcement. She will be back."


    Denial. That feeling alone was enough to make me stop listening and look around for Amber. It didn''t take long because I already knew where she¨C he was heading.


    I better¨C


    "Hello there! Nice to meet you!


    In the hope that you will be in good health, as soon as you''ve finished reading this note, I urge you to begin narrating your life,


    unless you''d prefer I reveal your little secret. There''s no trick here, just be yourself.


    And, if you''re wondering whether or not I truly know your secret, let me jog your memory:


    You, Sen Daikei, have a penchant for¨C"


    A sharp ripping sound pierced the air, accompanied by a "He~y!" from a sweet tone.


    As I tugged at the note that the devil shared with the beauty to decipher, my parts began to shimmer in a new light. The note with a message, bright and lively on the surface, but concealing a dark history best left unspoken.


    Looks like I managed to cleanly rip off the part with my secret.


    "Hehe! He''z doin'' it! He''z doin'' it!" a buffoon jumped up and down while pointing.


    The taunts from the soon-to-be-dead stale meat and the piercing, worried inquiries from the charming woman never stopped.


    Enough already!!! Neither the pirate sites nor the single mothers got me this annoyed!


    "Umm..."


    Umm, what?! Um, what, you mother''s disappointment?! You wear shorts to fool the kids, and long socks to make it seem like pants to fool their parents! If that''s not evident enough to show that you should be the one that needs to be haunted and not me, I don''t know what is!


    "Is this a skit or one of your friendly rants?"


    F you, Nat!


    "Excuse me!"


    Uh--!


    "What w¨C?"¡ªF me, Nat¡ª"Huh?!"¡ªI mean, can you F me¡ª"Woo¨C!"¡ªUgh! Will you marry me, NatNat?¡ª"I have no plans... yet..."¡ªThat''s good enough! Think about it!


    As I was about to give chase to Amber, "Wait, Sen! I think the management would stop her," said the honeyed tone, pointing to the flock of five pigeons (or sorts).


    They are not a reliable help, but let''s try anyway.


    Hey! You bread bandits! Stop her¨C him!


    With a powerful shout I was able to attract the gaze of all the five skyrats. One bobbing his head, one pecking at the feathers of the bobbing head, one with a half-metal head, one with a tie and name tag, and one in a supposed cop costume.


    "Do you know him?" the bobbing head inquired.


    "No, should I?" the pecking head muttered, averting his gaze.


    "Maintain the order! Do only what you are taught!" the cop-igeon squawked.


    "But_wasInvented_override_directive," red-eyed expressed with an automated tone.


    "Thanks to you guys, my supervenience is on full display," said one, adjusting his tie.


    "Even though it''s only been a year, I''ve completely outranked you all," he continued.


    "Leader, Seri!" the bop-igeon and the pecp-igeon exclaimed.


    "Leader_I_oppose_butNot_time," the cyborg whirred, eyeing Amber with his red ball.


    "You''re no sport spy-mod, I just thrive from these dumb heads," Leader replied.


    "Look at my statue!" he went on, naughtily curling the saluting cop-igeon''s feathers.


    "S-Sir! We... Ahh... W-We are to help s-someone¨C" the cop-igeon stammered.


    "Shh shh shh... Statues don''t move even when told to," Seri said salaciously.


    "Leader_can''tUnderstand._I_oppose_?" the synth-voice questioned.


    Even at the display of insubordination Seri''s smug smile did not fade. He slowly walked to the front and stood in the line of eye sight of the walking tanned doll.


    "Oppose? Huh. Watch me. As I stop her with no assistance," the leader declared.


    With a firm stance, "Unlike you beings of unknown origin, I was born with a purpose."


    Seri explains, "I was teleported to a random location as a part of an experiment."


    Spreading his wings, "My crew could be plucking feathers and lactating milk."


    Pushing back his butt, "Trying to find me without any clue as to my cosmic position!"Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "But I hope they fail," his voice raised in intensity, "Cause I found my purpose here that would never be fulfilled there!" he yelled as if it were a war cry, "And that purpose being my cloaca on all your fath¨C" only for him to be cut off by a small blue light accompanied by a warping sound.


    Ignoring the inappreciable glow, the golden sculpture sauntered past.


    "Do you know her?" the bobbing head inquired.


    "No, should I?" the pecking head uttered, averting his gaze.


    "!" the cop-igeon statue glared at the yellowish flash that passed it.


    "No_oppose_Leader!_No__assistance!" the cyp-igeon muttered.


    If it was any other time, I would have really appreciated this truly unappealing ''Five Shades of Seri'' sketch. However, given the situation... I should not have relied on uncertainty.


    But even if they didn''t stop her, what could be worse? It will be the avatars who end up being enslaved... Am I worrying for nothi¨C


    "With no work left, all the avatars ran away! Shall we shut down the furnace?!" shouted a member from below.


    Come on, what are the odds?! Hey, Amber! Stop!


    Contrary to my word, he began to run at full speed. It can''t be the language barrier.


    Looks like a chase. Hey, creep! Take care of that broken record, while I take care of that broken rock! And Nattie, *changes tone* Amber''s a he and him, not a she and her.


    With a smooth leap, I glided down to Amber''s level and rushed to stop the impending disaster. Once I got close, I thought about using force, but settled for the use of words.


    Hey, it''s only one word! If it''s that challenging to understand, should I say ''zatrzymywa? si?'' (Stop) or should I remind you that it''s the same word your father used when you tried to hug him?! Huh?!


    "Wiem, ?e Sen jest po prostu zazdrosny o to, jak szybko ?api? wszystko! Osi?gn? swoje cele, zanim Sen w og¨®le zda sobie z tego spraw?! Hahaha!" said the cheerful doll, increasing the distance.


    (I know Sen is just jealous of how quickly I pick things up! I''ll reach my goals before Sen can even realize it! Hahaha!)


    Honestly, even if there''s no downside, I don''t want to be treated like your buddy. And when it comes to jealousy, your lucky guess should be that I wish I was dead! As dead as your conscience!


    As if running away wasn''t enough, he shouted for help in cosmically scattered English to everyone nearby. There was a moment of relief when no one noticed him, but it was ruined by a mechanical voice.


    "Can''t_Leader!_New_heard!_MakingRationalDecision._Initiating_action!"


    The cyp-igeon turned with a whir and proceeded to run to the cop-igeon statue. It landed with a clatter on the statue''s head, flaring its wings to signal me to halt immediately.


    Seeing no threat that could physically harm me, I dove straight ahead. The reaction of the reddish-black head was obvious. A vibrant black and red sphere began to take shape¡ªnot from its unopened beak but from the heart-shaped cere.


    As I mentioned, I saw no threat that could harm me. The rough concave shape I took was enough to redirect the beam to the bop-igeon''s left half, pecp-igeon''s family jewels and cop-igeon''s torso.


    The bobber began to bang its head on the ground. The pecker began to bang its head on the bobber. The guard... He could only utter muffled screams¡ªstill saluting.


    How undeniably classic. The meant-to-be savior brutally castigating his own kin.


    "Must_revenge!" cried the pseudo savior, bleeding from his red eye.


    I have things prior to your self-indulgent crime. I could care less about¨C Huh?!


    Wha¨C?! W-What is this black goo? Why is it making me stick to the ground? When did this happen? I sensed no one around me. I felt no one ambushing me. Then what''s¨C


    "_Murderer"


    I killed no one. I literally mean it. Look at them. They are simply screaming in agony.


    "Wondering_thatBlackGoo_is?"


    Tch! I''m a fool not to expect the wall treatment from a programme.


    "FoolOthers_directive._SprayBeam_heat_withMucus_nostrils!"


    That''s unnecessarily disgusting!


    "And_foolCaught_trap!_Now_meEndThis¨C"


    No! Not that thing again! St-Stop!!! I will buy you a new mecha-di**, so¨C!


    As the red and black ball began to take shape again, the disgust I subconsciously felt made me attempt to reason with a conventional robot in an unconventional way. After a few seconds of feeling absolutely nothing, I decided to take a peek. To my surprise, the next scene confounded my expectations


    The mechanical parking lot chicken looked below as he felt a tug on his foot and realized that his semi-metallic feet were now embedded in the half-molten flesh of the cop. The tugging continued and the more he struggled to free himself, the louder the muffled screams became.


    A tense stalemate.


    Perhaps, following his directive he tried one option after another¡ªa non-functioning mini saw, a needle tongue, a fake laser eye, and now he proceeded to open his mouth wide and put it around cop-igeon.


    Please stop it! The genocide demo you presented was more than sufficient, I really don''t want to witness cannibalism as well! So, just allow me to help you instead...


    The confused head of flesh and wires twisted several turns and looked at me intently.


    Your boss is not coming back until he hires the devil''s advocate''s advocate, until then I will act as your new boss. So¡­?


    "Registered._Level_loyalty_beDisplay?"


    That''s all of a sudden, but display it to everyone. Like, all should understand in a jiffy.


    "Level_affirmative._NewOrder?"


    Tip to get rid of this black goo right away! Fast, I have no time to lose!


    "I_eatThat_"


    Something that would not harm me psychologically?


    "None_"


    The dialogue exchange has become dull and lifeless, leaving me in a situation completely against my favor. And perhaps I shouldn''t have naively believed that things couldn''t get any worse.


    Suddenly, the feeble furnace roared to life, blazing with fierce vigor.


    Nooooo, you ambers for brains!!!

 0.7. USP-Sec376. (5)

    The scroll settles into position and waits for the inked quill to permit the start.


    Ignoring the immovable scrap, I tried to stretch as far as I could. But it was not as if I could divide myself for a longer time or longer distances, which resulted in me being unable to stop the impractical sculpture.


    The management, who had just left, were not quick enough to react, even when I shouted to them to stop him.


    Standing in front of a massive wall of enthralling gothic art, adorned with an ocean of candles¡ªeach one having melted and pooled at its base¡ªAmber paused to ink the scroll and then stepped back.


    Calmly, three candles began to light themselves¡ªa meager trio in a sea of darkened wicks.


    All eyes in the hall were glued to the spectacle. An event so small, something everyone has seen every day for decades, and yet, it left everyone mystified.


    I couldn''t care less about the reason for everyone''s behavior, because even I didn''t realize that my collectives were completely free of any stickiness.


    A brief moment of silence enveloped the hall. Breaths were held, tremors were absent, and the tranquility remained unbroken, except for the gentle flicker of dim light, accompanied by the crackling of the glass on the vaulted ceilings.


    "Can someone tell me what is going on? Why do I see candles being lit?"


    Sir Parch Ment, who had been giving instructions, turned his attention to the light of the premonition. Our leader, who has always watched over us, could understand that something like this might happen.


    "......Are ...Are you all..."


    The sound, now stripped of its stoicism, made me realize that skipping all the job titles was a mistake on my part. And when it comes to Sir Parch Ment... I really shouldn''t have downgraded his title to leader. Instead, I should have mentioned him as...


    "Are you all lunatics really that stupid?!!!"


    Dictator Sir Papyrus S Parch Ment. The man above existence.


    "Who do you think has been paying you all?! Who do you think has been running this place without trouble since the beginning of time?! Who do you think is taking care of you all?! Who do you think you should all follow?!"


    Each frustrated word he spoke sent shivers through the fortress, causing it to quake in fear. The floor caved in, drawing everyone toward the center as if to throw us all in front of the martinet himself.


    "Who?!!!"


    A parasitic capitalist. A man who is a real piece of work.


    "Who was that?!"


    Oh-!


    "I just can''t¨C Here''s a verdict! This mistake has cost you all a decade of paid holidays!"¡ªHm? That''s only ten days¡ª"No transportation costs"¡ªHm. I sleep in the office¡ª"No bonuses"¡ªYou never gave any¡ª"And no more free coffee thrice a day!"


    Noooo!!! Not my grande white chocolate, mocha frappuccino, with caramel sauce, chocolate chip, hazelnut syrup, and extra-whip espresso!!! Ambeeer!!!


    Even with the hall packed with lunatics and dim surroundings, it was easy to find the yellow turd. I grabbed him by the shoulders and leaned on his face.


    You essence of idiocy, all this¨C! How do you plan to satisfy me with my tedious work?!


    "But, Sen expectations... No one ask Amber for nothing*sniff*... Amber want to*sniff*"


    Don''t try to guilt trip me, Amber! I eat the kingyo sukui (goldfish scoops) on the way back, not because I am hungry or bored, but just because I feel like it!


    "With...poop...?"


    Yes. With the poop.


    "Now then, let us hurry and send the avatars into the Macrocosm," said the Dictator.


    Ahhh! I hate this! I hate this job! I hate this life!


    "Since the Avatars are absent, I will force the perpetrators to take responsibility."


    I shake Amber in horror, trying to get her to say something.


    "O-only three..."


    Only three? So what? I was the first one to hold that and¨C


    "But..."


    Please, Amber, don''t utter a word! If you did I''ll make you wish¨C


    "Wish!"


    Yes, I''ll make you wish I hadn''t etched some disgusting design on your plain, smooth, conical head.


    "No! Wish! Backside!"


    Wish! He came! And that too with the required number of slav¨C avatars!


    "Hmmm... I will see to it that those responsible are dealt with later. For now, these three should do it," said our leader before he left the hall.


    The three naive sla¨C members were led into the furnace.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Haa... and with that, everything should be settled.


    The glass ceiling became lifeless, the furnace extinguished, and in an instant the silence was restored. There were no sighs or whispers, the only sound was the soft flicker of three candles, indicating the number of avatars requested.


    Peace. Unrequested, yet essential.


    I surrendered to relaxation, my gaze wandering over the captivating gothic artwork as the weight of all the premonitions that had driven me to the brink of baldness from anxiety had finally come to an end.


    Ah... I can finally¨C Wait, why... Why won''t the candles go off...?!


    *A click*


    F*******!!!!!!


    What I felt was like a snap of a finger. Just as the snap of a finger demands attention, things begin to fall into place.


    The broken record began to play the Mozart melody once more, as the ocean of dark wicks lit up one after another with a soft woosh of a wind, illuminating the astonished expressions of everyone in the ruined hall.


    The arched ceiling began to glow once again, and the voice declared, "No time to horse around. If you want to volunteer, just raise your hand. Whoever is willing will have their next month''s salary doubled!"


    A few hands (or sorts) were visible over the horizon of the line of sight, and in an instant they began to burn in green and gold flames.


    Extra pay? Seriously? ¡­¡­Stop pretending to help us get gold or floating gold! Forget about the sperm whale shit (floating gold), it can''t even get goat shit!


    "And as the situation stands, I will let you all use [: Base Limited] instead of [: Set Limited]. But be careful to use it only when unnatural forces force you to!"


    ''Base'' instead of ''Set''?! When has that ever happened?! Never! This is too good to be true. I know this system was invented for times like this, and even with restrictions, we can run amok! But... But... But, even ''Unlimited'' will not get me motivated right now.


    "The numbers are insufficient. I will resort to using force without hesitation."


    Then don''t ask in the first place, stupid-ictator!


    Prompted, nearly everyone in the hall, likely throughout the entire nexus, was engulfed in vibrant green and gold flames.


    The screams that filled the hall didn''t care about anyone''s plight. Chaos and stampede needed less of a reason to take birth.


    For once I feel lucky today! I must hurry before I get caught up in this mess!


    That was the thought that clouded my reasoning when I was spared from the barbaric natural selection. I glided as recklessly as I could, with the sole intention of reaching an uncertain safe haven.


    The atmosphere was dreadful enough to remind me of my forgotten, hateful days as an avatar.


    The flames of sanctification wasted no midnight oil, as if every ember burned with purpose, reshaping the very essence of those engulfed. Like a pipe organ diffusing varied melodies in different keys, each individual was bellowing and transmogrifying at a dizzying pace.


    One coughed up black widows, which in turn proceeded to skin him.


    One had festering slugs dangling from every orifice, including the ones on his skin.


    One rose from the ashes, only to be reignited and reduced to cinders once more, each cycle altering his appearance.


    One was crushed by unseen forces, spilling his neon blue blood on another one nearby, who feasted on the ever-growing malformed eyes that appeared on his body.


    One developed a massive bubbling abscess on his back, which gradually consumed him, expanding beyond imaginable limits before erupting in a grotesque torrent of viscous fluid.


    A few recognizable scorched faces came my way, mingled with haunting cries of anguish from strangers. I steered clear of them, continuing on my path, but I couldn''t help but stop for a brief moment when one familiar figure caught my eye.


    Clark! Good to see you unharmed! Let''s get out of here!


    "I finally understand..."


    I wrapped some clusters around his hand in an attempt to drag him out, but hearing such a strange remark put a halt to my efforts.


    "I think I might have an idea of what''s going on..." he said softly, gently easing my grip and stepping back.


    "What''s unfolding and what''s about to unfold is neither as trivial as the creation or destruction of a trillion stars that occurs daily, nor is it as monumental as the big bang."


    His voice grew with curiosity, laced with a touch of excitement.


    "Can you understand what I''m trying to say? Th-This particular thing, phenomenon, event, this event... it''s beyond the realm of what we can predict! This is not something that will happen once in a lifetime."


    As much as I would like to flee, I found myself unable to do so. Hearing his voice was calm enough to make me stand tall, not out of obligation, but out of sheer curiosity. No amount of interruptions from the surroundings was enough to break this trance.


    "This is something that will happen once in a... never. Never," he concluded.


    Or so I thought.


    With no hesitation, I leapt forward as fast as I could when I saw him gripping the base of his helmet, but a powerful force yanked me back.


    "The reasoning of predictability is being toyed with.


    The testament of existence is being rewritten.


    The boundaries of purpose are being fractured intentionally," Clark went on.


    Trying to break free of the tug, I looked behind me, only to be met by a heavy, brightly burning mammal asking, "Buddy, iz tha'' you?" Ignoring it, I reached out my collectives, engulfed in green and gold flames, to stop Clark.


    "Change¡­


    Change is being forced.


    Change is being demanded," he declared, slowly turning the helmet, which reflected a sinewy red hand, covered in blood, reaching out to him.


    No amount of shouting from bloodied, salivating jaws was enough to stop his madness. His voice grew louder, not because of the movement of the helmet, but because of the slowly dwindling crowd in the hall.


    "Don''t miss this change.


    Don''t miss what''s about to unfold.


    Don''t let go of this blessed happening."


    It felt as if I was the last soul to be spirited away, as if fate had destined me to be the final witness.


    "Make sure to witness... this beautiful miracle."

 1. Kiddo and Mr Knight. (1)

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?


    Anastasia Kingdom


    "Ahh, is it not done yet?" spoke an innocent voice with a hint of curiosity.


    Antaeus Labyrinth.


    A place teeming with fearsome creatures, where the further you venture, the mightier they grow.


    "It has to be done by now," said a heavy but gentle voice that sounded as if there was a smugness to it.


    To further illustrate its brutality, this is a land where death is certain by a nondescript mistake, a territory that few would dare to enter, even with the promise of tantalizing riches.


    In such a mysterious place, at an uncharted depth, in a cavern so vast that the collective heat of bright teal luminescent ore was enough to counteract the cold floor, a certain boy warms the flesh of a creature.


    The boy, seemingly about 5 years old due to his height, has short black hair and a slender frame. His pajamas are nearly tattered, but what truly catches the eye are the deep dark circles beneath his eyes, a clear sign of sleepless nights.


    Before him flickers a poorly lit campfire, and next to it are several chunks of meat skewered on a bone.


    It sure is endearing to weave a beautiful tale, but for now, let them tell their own story.


    PS: In future, when you see this ''?'' special symbol, please interpret it as a narration from a third party.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The meat better be cooked through.


    With that in mind, I took the brown bag that was lying next to me, which looked inappropriately large for a child like me, and put it on my lap. I took the bone with the sizzling meat and used another bone to remove the stuck sizzling meat off the bone and put it on top of my bag.


    Holding the meat and the bag close to my mouth, I blew on it to cool it down. However, my hunger got the best of me, so I said "Bon appetit." and took a bite.


    The heat did not seem to care about my hunger at all. It even made me blow on the meat while it was in my mouth.


    Blowing out air, I watched as the steamy vapor escaped my lips. And as soon as I chewed it because of the unbearable heat, the bitter taste spread across my tongue, making me want to spit it out. However, I quickly covered my mouth with my hand and swallowed it all in a single gulp.


    As soon as I had swallowed the meat, I let out a small cough to rid my mouth of the unpleasant flavor.


    "Calm down. You do not have to behave like a caveman just because we are in a cave," said a smug voice from a distance.


    When I turned to my left, a knight stood far behind me, leaning against a large rock, with his arms folded and legs crossed, taking a moment to rest.


    "Mr Knight, would you like to eat with me?"


    "Ew, no way. I''m a vegetarian," he replied with a slightly disgusted tone.


    His full-plated suit of armor was adorned with a painting of a black rose within the yellow thorns on a corner of the breastplate. He has moderately long, dark blue hair, which was partially tied back in a knot, while the remaining falls over the sides of his ears and the back of his head.


    Even though he was wearing armor he does not look that huge. Is it because of the diet or is he always like this is the question I always ask myself when I look at him.


    "You are saying the same thing as yesterday. Aren''t you tired of not eating anything?"


    "Who said I don''t eat anything? The air in here is delicious enough..."


    "..."


    I fell silent after his stupid joke and chose to focus on my meal instead. The bitterness was still a problem, bringing me to tears with every bite. I pushed myself to swallow the meat again, but a small, or rather a large, piece remained stuck in my throat, causing me to choke.


    Pounding my chest repeatedly, I quickly grabbed a water bottle and drank it in a go.


    These bottles were not made for water, but for potions. Although Mr Knight said that these are the smallest of all, they sure are huge in my hands, making them perfect for holding a considerable amount of water. Plus, when it comes time to purify the water, I simply toss them into the fire.


    They''re made of glass, so there''s no need to fret about them getting damaged. Right?


    As soon as I finished the water and put the bottle down, Mr Knight, watching me eat the tasteless meat, tried to make fun of me as usual.


    "Hu~h? Are you crying because I haven''t eaten anything for days? How kind of you, Kiddo..."


    "It''s not for your sake. I just¡­ I just chewed on the chili part of the meat."


    "That''s why I''m a vegetarian."


    "..."


    "What am I even doing? Competing in a lame-a** joke-exchange contest?" he muttered to himself.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    I ate what was left, giving him a piercing look of silence.


    "I wish there was at least one more adult around," he muttered again.


    "Me too."


    "What was it, Kiddo?"


    Once I had finished eating, I got up, moved around to look at the state of my body. Just a few glances were enough for me to notice that so many scars had formed after the wounds had healed.


    "Looks like my body is in good shape for now..."


    It was all thanks to the potions I had in my bag. I don''t know whose bag it was, but there were several potions, some food rations and a lot of paper. As I had no use for the papers, I used them to fuel the campfire, saved some potions for future use and ate all the food a day ago.


    While I was looking at the state of my body, I also noticed that the clothes on my body were almost torn. I dropped my arms and took a handkerchief from my pocket. As I dusted the handkerchief, I turned my eyes to a dark place away from the ore-filled cave.


    "Then, shall I have a look at that?"


    Where I''m standing is the campfire and the camp I made a day ago were, and even without looking around, anyone could say that the land around me is flat. But just a little further away, not so close but not so far, there''s an uneven surface.


    I covered my nose and mouth with the handkerchief and started¨C


    "Now now, Kiddo."


    "Huh? Anything unusual? I was just going to¨C"


    "The problem is not at the destination, but at the starting point."


    "..."


    "Change that look. Don''t look at me blandly. You are the one who forgot the rule."


    "To check if I''m carrying everything I ''had'' with me now?"


    "That hit the mark. But always remember, or I will be the one to eat you alive."


    "Giving up the vegetarian act already?"


    "Not in a bad way, but someone as careless and undisciplined as you is sure to be considered a vegetable."


    "Don''t mention it if it''s considered bad!"


    "And vegetables like you sure do taste delicious!"


    "Listen here! I got it, alright! Don''t change your character anymore than that!"


    The sca¨C weird talk made me go through my only possession and check if the remaining three potions, a sharp tool and a handkerchief¡­


    Huh? Handkerchief, handkerchief, handkerchief¡­ Is missing! What should¡­


    When I tried to pull my hair, my panic ended as soon as it started. And that was followed by a sigh of relief, knowing that Mr Knight wouldn''t make fun of me again.


    "You moved rather strangely, like a cat on a brain freeze. Am I missing something interesting, Kiddo?"


    I-I covered my nose and mouth with the handkerchief and decided to walk towards the place that looked uneven.


    The place where my camp is full of light because of the ores, but as I walked further away from the camp, it got darker and darker. Even though I say it is dark, it is not completely dark, because there were some ores here and there along the way, which made it possible for me to see where I was going.


    With just a few steps, I got closer to the uneven land. Close enough to realize that the uneven land was rather a horde of various creature corpses and some very badly injured creatures.


    The reason why I can approach these deadly creatures is that they are unable to move. Their injuries are so severe that all they can do is pray for a quick death. But they are still the creatures of the <<Antaeus Labyrinth>>, the more cautious the better.


    I took a sharp tool from my bag and held it with both hands. Being cautious of the injured creatures, I approached the horde. When I reached the corpses, a strong stench hit my nose.


    "Ugh! If I have a magical lamp, my wish would be to have the ability to control my nose."


    "And my wish would be to go home¡­"


    Wow! My eyes widened and the wishlist got updated. That was really dumb of me. Well, let''s focus on the current task.


    Currently in front of me is a giant corpse. Mr Knight said it was called a <<Red Centipede>>.


    <<Red Centipede>>, a low depth creature, a creature with strong, bright red scales on its long body and two sharp teeth on its jaw. It resembles the normal centipede that can be found outside the labyrinth, but it''s super huge and super scary.


    Mr Knight said that it takes at least ten strong individuals to defeat an adult <<Red Centipede>>.


    Such a being is in front of me, but dead. Even though it''s not an adult, it''s width is almost half my body size. Thanks to this corpse, I was able to get hold of this survival tool, the sharp tool in my hand, the <<Red Centipede>> tooth.


    Before this, I used to use the blunt tooth of another creature.


    I climbed on its head, spread my hands to the sides to balance myself as I started walking on its half severed body. Just after a few steps, the body was twisted in the middle, so I jumped down and continued to walk on the ground with my arms still spread. And after walking a few more steps, I reached my destination.


    Here it is, the skin I''ve skinned off the <<Red Centipede>>''s stomach, and the cleaned intestines.


    Even though the back of <<Red Centipede>> is covered with tough scales, its bottom is made up of not-so-tough skin. However, with the help of its own tooth and Mr Knight''s instructions, I was able to make some material from his belly skin that could be used as clothing and a blanket.


    "Hehe, I think I can sleep without the cold bothering me from now on. What do you think Mr Knight, I can hold out until the rescue team comes, right?"


    "It''s still not dry, but it looks like it''s stopped stinking. Let''s take it back and put it closer to the fire."


    "Roger!"


    "But maggots may spring up. Do you know about maggots? They look really scary¨C"


    "Are they like, alive?"


    "Yes, but they are¨C"


    "Then I can eat them!"


    "Don''t eat them!"


    "If it can help me skip that horrible taste every day, I''ll accept anything."


    "I know you are not joking and that in itself is very scary..."


    As Mr Knight scratched his head, I folded up the almost dried skin and tied it with the dried intestines.


    Getting here was easy, but getting to where we wanted to go next was a little tricky. The creatures here are frightening enough to make me freeze in my tracks when I see them, but after living in this place for three days here and the help of Mr Knight, I have built up some courage.

 1. Kiddo and Mr Knight. (2)

    Moving to a place with few corpses, I paused to take a deep breath. From here on, the path is¡­ non-existent. With a gap so small that I have to become air to move, and imposing walls of the dead or living creatures, this is sure to be a dead end. But it is the only way I have to move.


    Just as I was to begin this ugly journey, my ears caught a small stroke of luck. So, I looked at another part of this dark place, where a sound I heard yesterday was supposed to come from, but today it was nowhere to be found.


    "Umm, shall we have a look at that grunting creature? It''s really quiet today."


    "Well, if it''s dead, you can get more meat. We don''t know, but this one might be tasty."


    Filled with wonder, I glanced at Mr Knight as he mentioned enjoying something delicious. But remembering that I had never seen him eat anything, I spoke doubtfully.


    "For someone who doesn''t eat at all, you seem to care about how it tastes."


    "I eat the air here, so it''s better for the air to be filled with a delicious smell."


    "By eating air, are you even considered to be a human with that?! Weren''t you a vegetarian?! Wasn''t that your character setting?!"


    "I''m not eating with my mouth, so it''s OK!"


    As I listened to him make more stupid excuses, I sighed and shook my head gently.


    Anyways, we made up our minds and started moving towards where we thought the source of the sound would be. Luckily, the path was clearer than the one I was supposed to take. After a bit of a walk, there was a huge corpse of a creature.


    "It doesn''t smell too bad here. Do you think it''s still alive?"


    "No, it doesn''t have any movement at all. It should probably be dead. Still, let''s move cautiously and check it out."


    After getting closer to it, it definitely looks like it''s dead. We both walked around it and checked it from all sides. On closer inspection, I really think this is a great find.


    "Yay! This creature has a lot of fur. If I skin it, I can make a better blanket, right!"


    "Yeah. This is a great find. It has fur and plenty of meat. You can feed on it for a few days."


    The creature was lying face up, so I climbed onto its chest. It looked like the gorilla I had seen in picture books. Except, this creature is huge and has four hands. It is five times my size. Its fur was white. Its face, palm and feet were black.


    With so many hands, I bet it would be easier to help with mother''s endless demands.


    "Hey Mr Knight, what''s this creature called?"


    "This one? I have never seen this creature before, and it has never been mentioned in any encyclopedia I have ever read."


    "Never seen?"


    "¡­Ah! This could be a new discovery!"


    The <<Antaeus Labyrinth>> has never been thoroughly explored. The reason for this is the powerful creatures that roam here. So there''s no doubt that a new creature can be found by anyone.


    "Is that so? Then we can name him right!"


    "Ooo, why don''t you name it then?"


    "Really? Then¡­"


    While I was trying to think of what to call it, Mr Knight sounded his opinion.


    "Hey Kiddo, mind if I name it?"


    "Mmm, go ahead. Be sure to make it interesting."


    "How about, Geoffrey?"


    "Huh? ¡­Why such a human-like name?"


    When I asked him why he had suggested such a name, he pointed his finger to its face and said, "That face, it looks just like my friend Geoffrey. He was a strong person. So, for a strong creature like this, a strong person''s name like that is good."


    A strong name for a strong creature. After hearing those words, I looked at the creature''s face and was convinced by the name Geoffrey. But I turned to Mr Knight and expressed my concern.


    "It''s awesome, but wouldn''t Mr Geoffrey feel bad about it?"


    "Hmm, It''s alright, it''s alright. He''s my friend, so I know he will forgive me."


    Then it''s not ok huh.


    Mr Knight gave a thumbs up and winked. So I think he really likes his naming sense. I looked and pointed the sharp tooth at <<Geoffrey>>''s chest while I said,


    "Then, from today on your name is <<Geoffrey>>. Well then, now we are going to skin <<Geoffrey>>¡­ Ugh!"


    It feels weird to skin a creature with a human name. What does Mr Knight think?


    I lifted my head and saw Mr Knight. He was currently standing on top of <<Geoffrey>>''s head and "¡­laughing?" He was laughing so hard that he was hugging his stomach.


    "Ahahahaha! Did you hear that Geoffrey, you are getting stripped!"


    "Don''t put it in such a weird way! We are not going to strip anyone! We are just skinning a creature!"


    I don''t know who this Geoffrey is¡­ but I''m really sorry you''re friends with Mr Knight.


    "Excuse me, but can we please continue?"


    "And that too by a five year old kid! Aahahaha!!!"


    "Hey now!"


    "Huh? ¡­Alright, alright. For a creature like this we can start from the center of the chest. Take that tooth and pierce it in the center of the chest and slowly move towards the bottom"


    I immediately began to follow his instructions without wasting a second, checking each time whether what I was doing was right or not.


    "Ahh¡­ somebody help me~ A little child is¨C"


    "Stop meddling!" I yelled, throwing rubbish flesh onto Mr Knight who was trying to make an indecent scene.


    As I continued skinning <<Geoffrey>>, I noticed Mr Knight''s unusual behavior. As always, he stands far away from me.


    "Well, Mr Knight, why don''t you show me yourself? I think this is way too much work for a 5 year old."


    He made a face that seemed to say: Why are you asking something so obvious?


    And when I questioned about it, he attempted to make me understand the purpose.


    "Problem Solving Time! Who is this mysterious person that needs this fur?!"


    "Me!" I shouted, raising my hand in excitement, to which he shut me out with "Then please do it yourself. This armor is more than comfortable enough for me."


    Tch! You''ve been making me do all the manual labor since the beginning. It would be nice if you helped me.


    "I promised Sabrina that my body is only for her. So let me be and do your work," he urged, almost as if he could sense my thoughts, while making a slight wave of his hand that clearly meant I should leave.


    Looks like I won''t be able to get him to come any closer. Hehe, then what if I do this?


    Taking a moment to catch my breath, "Oh no, Mr Knight! Come quickly! Look at this!" I shouted as I pointed at <<Geoffrey>>.


    This must have startled him, because he reacted with concern and began to run towards me.


    "What happened, brat?!"


    "Geoffrey doesn''t have a penis!"


    "You don''t have to scream for such a reason! This stupid brat. ¡­Hmm, now that you mention it¡­"


    Even though I said a word that would make me burst out laughing, I did not laugh.  I could have at least chuckled a little, but I did not. Why, you ask? Because I had failed in my mission.


    It didn''t help at all, he came as close as the first chest cut I made. It had been like that since we met. I even tried to chase him, but I couldn''t keep up with him at my speed.


    As expected of a knight.


    And now he is glaring at the half-starred roof, stroking his chin, probably thinking of something stupid again.


    "¡­ Hey Kiddo, what you said sounds interesting.  Do you want to give female Geoffrey a new name?"


    See that?


    "No, thank you. Tell me where to cut next."


    "¡­?"


    There is a rule that Mr Knight uses in the labyrinth. You have to take care of yourself.


    That is why he doesn''t even care about the fact that I''m a kid. Not even if I can''t make a fire, not even if I want to make a camp, not even if I''m covered in blood, and not even if my patella is shattered while my tibia is sticking out, help isn''t coming.


    He can at least help me once in a while, right?


    After skinning and gutting all the parts, I scrubbed the unnecessary fat and flesh off the skin and cleaned the intestines as much as I could with just my hands. I even took some fresh meat and cut it into small pieces so it would be easier to carry. Even though there was so much skin that I can skin from <<Geoffrey>>, I only skinned a necessary amount of it.


    When it dries, I can have a warm blanket and clothes.


    Earlier, before I got on <<Geoffrey>>, I put <<Red Centipede>>''s skin and intestines on the ground. And now I put <<Geoffrey>>''s intestines and flesh on top. Since I do not have a bag big enough to carry all the things I have with me, I stretched out both hands, lifted up all the things at once while saying "Yosh!" and started walking towards the pile of corpses.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Needless to say, I got no help from Mr Knight, again.


    Now, with the shit I have been adorned with, there is only one place in this huge area that can help me. A serene waterfall. A beauty in this hellish place. The only clean thing, untroubled by the filth. With that decision made, I started walking towards it with all my luggage and the unbothered man following me.


    To get an idea of how tiring and helpless I am to be this man, let me just add one more thing that I don''t even want to talk about


    Going through the path I hated, I jumped atop the creatures instead of, or unable to, become air. After a few jumps, I landed softly on one who spurted blood in reflex along with a low "Grawwww..." Scare¨C Startled... yes, startled, I lost my balance and was pulled into the sea of stinky-meat with only one hand outstretched.


    And as your foresight predicted, I pulled myself out with the strength of that one hand alone, spitting out the chunks and guts I had brought with me. Oh yes... Also to see a man laughing madly at a helpless, pitiful, pathetic, shit-stained child.


    Haa... While I was only a few steps away from the waterfall, I noticed a change in it.


    "Ahh! The waterfall got thinner."


    "So the water source above really is finite."


    We walked quickly to get close to the waterfall. And as soon as we reached the waterfall, we looked up slowly along the waterfall. As we raised our heads, we saw the ceiling split in two, and as we looked down, we saw the floor in front of us split in two.


    According to Mr Knight, this looked like a natural phenomenon where the labyrinth itself was split in two. So the source of this waterfall must be some kind of water body that was along the way of the split and the water in it is now flowing out because there is nothing to hold it.


    Neither the crack in the ceiling nor the crack in the floor show where this split ends or begins. As amazing as it was to see, Mr Knight couldn''t help but make a comment.


    "It''s incredible, isn''t it? That something like this could happen to a labyrinth. But still, the most impressive thing is surviving that fall."


    "Hehe, aren''t I awesome!"


    "Do not try to pass yourself off as Vesna Vulovi?. It''s not you, it''s the necklace around your neck. It''s a relic, only given to the most important people in the Kingdom," he said while looking at the necklace around my neck.


    -Vesna Vulovi? was a Serbian flight attendant who survived the highest fall without a parachute of 10.16 kilometers or 33,338 feet-


    Virgin. I may not know the full meaning of this word, but when I sneak around irresponsible adults, I can say that they refer to this word as pure. And why am I mentioning this now?


    I''m wearing a necklace with no special designs on it, featuring a pendant that looks like something pure... pure as a virgin''s kiss. Yet, its simplicity is striking, taking the form of a delicate drop of water.


    Aaaand, I somehow managed to break it, resulting in the cracks that are on it.


    I held the pendant of the necklace that was resting on my chest and rolled it between my fingers. It wasn''t particularly shiny, but the longer I look at it, the prettier and shinier it gets.


    "Huh? Really?! But I got it from my mother."


    "Hmm, well, nevermind. Wash up quickly, and let''s go back to your so-called camp."


    I put the luggage aside and started to clean myself. Since there was no soap or any other alternative, all I could do was just use my hands to clean myself. It was not that hard to get the blood off me, but it was hard to get that stinking smell off me. Still, I tried my best to get rid of the smell by brushing as hard as I could.


    "Ugh, this smell! If I rub any harder, I might not know if it is my blood or Geoffrey''s¡­"


    Mr Knight looked around at the dead creatures while I cleaned myself and <<Geoffrey>>''s intestines. He is a bit far away, but I can see his expression and he looks kind of serious.


    Perhaps to find a new creature to skin, or a new piece of meat to chop up?


    As soon as I finished cleaning everything, I wore my torn pajamas and called out to Mr Knight.


    "I''m done, do you want to wash up or go back together?"


    "You go ahead. I''m looking to see if there is any new creature here to name."


    "Isn''t that the most useless thing to do now!"


    Mr Knight turns towards me and closes his eyes as folds his hands in. He says, "You are still a kid, heh¡­" and uses his right hand to support his chin as he continues.


    "¡­You see, humans need motivation to look forward in life, and I''m searching for mine now."


    "Just how much do you hate your life to have a motivation that small?! And also, what you should be looking for is not motivation, it''s probably motive, isn''t it?! I know you don''t want to help me, but at least don''t do something so useless!"


    "You fool!"


    Huh?!


    "Don''t disturb me and just go. I''ll catch up with you later."


    "Explain it! Don''t just stop in the middle and explain to me why I''m a fool!"


    Ignoring me, he starts to look at the horde of corpses and says, "Isn''t there anything new?"


    I clenched my fist, while gnashing my teeth and thought ''It is alright to hit him, right?''. But I unclenched my fist, let out a sigh and looked at him.


    "¡­Enough, I''m leaving!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Kiddo started walking back to camp as I assessed the situation while still at the falls.


    "That Kiddo, he is really trying his best to catch me. I''ll have to be on my guard."


    It really is nice to have a kid around. Time flows so fast.


    Watching Kiddo make his way to camp, his arms laden with items that seemed eager to escape, I couldn''t help but admire how he lifted his arms to keep everything balanced. His back appeared so broad and strong. Before I knew it, a small smile crept onto my face.


    Was it because I was proud of him? Heh... I can''t quite put my finger on it. If there had been a breeze, my hair would have been swirling around, and I would have struck a cool pose. And...


    A sudden rustling sound interrupted my thought process, and when I turned my gaze to the waterfall, I noticed something rushing rapidly down the stream.


    "Is it another lifeless body, or another creature barely clinging to life? Hmm... Kiddo really missed another ''Once in a lifetime chance to look at something in a waterfall that was born a day ago'' moment."


    I chuckled to myself and turned to head back to camp. As I neared him, I noticed something unusual happening to my left arm out of the corner of my eye.


    "Tch. Now of all times¡­¡­"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    As I approached the camp, I heard the sound of metal hitting the ground slowly increasing in intensity, and when I turned to look, it looked as if Mr Knight was muttering something.


    "Hmm? Did you say something?"


    "..."


    He did not answer, but he had a strange expression on his face. What could it be?


    I turned forward and kept walking, and soon the camp was in sight, but something was different. I dropped the luggage and ran closer to it.


    "Huh? My camp... my camp''s destroyed. It must be the work of that stupid octopus."


    "Just putting a cover over two stones is not called a camp, stupid kid."


    "The camp aside, he even spread the charcoal all over the place!"


    "There is nothing you can do about it. Get to work."


    I was gnashing my teeth at my inability to do anything about the situation. Stamping my feet in anger, I began to rearrange the camp. While collecting the scattered coal, I looked deep into the cave, and then, I saw my enemy.


    "There you are, you stupid octopus. Today you are done for!"


    I angrily walked towards it, looking for something on the ground, and just a step away I saw a bone. As I was about to throw the bone I picked, Mr Knight shouted.


    "Stop it, you brat. Do you want to be melted by its acid or what? ¡­¡­Ahh, it''s a good thing you fell into this area"


    I stopped at those words. As he said, if I had been in any other part of this labyrinth, I would have been a delicious meal for another creature.


    The octopus in the same cave as me is an ore-eating creature, but not a meat-eating creature, called <<Crown Octopus>>.


    <<Crown Octopus>>, supposedly a creature found in low depth. It''s similar to an octopus out of the labyrinth. It is over 6 times my height. Its skin is deep red in color with orange spots all over, and its head is covered in multiple red-coloured ores and the middle one being larger than others.


    The arrangement of ores on his head looks like a crown.


    Unlike the one outside, this one hovers twice my height above the ground, dragging its eight tentacles along the ground. There are many areas of ore in the labyrinth and we can find various ore-eating creatures.


    They only eat ore, but if threatened they will spit stomach acid that can even melt the floor and walls of the labyrinth.


    The <<Crown Octopus>> raised one of its tentacles and started climbing the wall of ores.


    It is heading for the big one.


    After reaching the big ore, it put its head on the ore and spread all of its tentacles around it. The deep red skin turned green, mimicking the color of the ore, and the orange spots turned teal. Its body began to glow and was hidden among the ore.


    I dropped the bone in my hand and went back to get my luggage. While still cursing the octopus in my mind, I started gathering the charcoal and rekindled the fire with the stones.


    Next to it, I spread out the skin and intestines of the <<Red Centipede>> and wrapped <<Geoffrey>>''s meat in a package made of <<Red Centipede>>''s skin.


    After finishing all the mundane work, I sat between two rocks that I called my camp and called out to Mr Knight, who was standing a bit far away from the camp.


    "With this I''m all done, Mr Knight."


    "Well, shall we begin then, the training?"


    "No, I don''t have any interest in that. You tell me to concentrate, but how can I try to feel something that I don''t know? That''s impossible. Let''s do something interesting!"


    There are several rocks here and there that can be used as small stools. Mr Knight approached and sat down on one of them, putting both hands on his knees and spoke.


    "Then why don''t you suggest what we should do?"


    "Tell me an interesting story! Like fairy tales or..."


    "Then how about ghost stories!" he said in an excited tone before I could finish my suggestion.


    "You just want to make fun of me by scaring me, right?"


    "Huh? I don''t understand what you''re saying¨C"


    As he was about to defend himself, something fell from his left hand. Before I could see what it was, he quickly hid it by moving his left hand as fast as he could.


    "Look there! You hid something! You definitely hid something!"


    "I.Don''t.Understand"


    "Don''t try to hide it by talking like a robot!"


    "Tch! Sit down, I am going to tell you a fantasy-like story. A really interesting one"


    "Don''t divert the topic by acting like nothing happened!"


    Mr Knight started to draw on the dirt of the ground with his right hand and continued the story.


    "Long long ago¡­"


    "Stop, stop! Restart!"

 2. And The Secondary Characters. (1)

    "I''m going to start, so don''t disturb me."


    I nodded my head repeatedly in agreement and Mr Knight continued to draw something on the ground. It was not clearly visible what he was drawing. I remained silent, waiting for his explanation.


    But as my curiosity grew about what he was doing, I quietly leaned over, but I fell on my knees. I broke the fall by supporting myself with both my hands. While I was in the same position, I looked at his drawings.


    It looked like he was drawing something that looked like ghosts. He drew four figures, one was thin and wiggling like a cloud, two were smaller than the first one but still wriggling, and the fourth drawing was bigger and fatter than the first. The fourth drawing was not wriggling, but was stout and had a scary face.


    And without hesitation I shouted at him, pointing my finger at the drawings.


    "What are you doing?! Did you not understand when I said no ghost stories?!"


    Although I was yelling, his answers were calm, as if he didn''t know what I was talking about.


    "Who said anything about this being a ghost story?"


    "I can tell a lot just by looking at these drawings!"


    "What do you mean? These are humans."


    As I hit the floor with my right hand so hard that there was a loud thud, I shouted.


    "Bullshit! There is no way that people who look like that could possibly exist, idiot!"


    "Idiot?"


    At what I said, I held my breath so hard that it felt like my stomach was closing in on my throat. I slightly shrugged the eeriness off my face as I pointed out my concern again.


    "O-Oh... If they are human, then what is this?"


    "Oh this! It''s Mr Tree."


    I smiled irritably, as my right eye twitched at his nonchalant response.


    "Ehe¡­ Is that so? But I can''t understand if you say Mr Tree. Is it a name or is it just a tree?"


    "No, it''s just a tree."


    He replied with a chuckle, but I swear, even in his irritating chuckle, I heard my vein pop in my head. No matter how hard I try to stop myself, this man finds a way to make me yell.


    "That''s what I''m saying, I''ve never seen such a scary tree before! If it is just a tree, why does it have a name?! But be real, is there any point in a tree having a face?!"


    "I haven''t even started explaining yet, so why am I getting so many questions?"


    I took a breath, controlled my anger and asked sharply.


    "Fine. They are humans and this is a tree. Then why are they wiggling? Can you draw them normally?"


    "Ah, that¡­ It''s their clothes moving because of the air. Isn''t that the obvious thing?"


    "Yes, it is. It is the obvious thing. If there is air, then the clothes should be wiggling."


    Because the drawings were not as good as I expected I made a suggestion to change the way they look.


    -The child made a suggestion because he was just scared of them-


    "How about we change them a bit? Like just giving them a full body cloak that doesn''t wiggle in the air."


    "Like how?"


    "Mmm... Ah, like those dolls, like teru teru bozu."


    "Oh, that''s nice! Let''s do that!"


    Mr Knight erases the drawings of the humans and draws what was asked for.


    I slam both my hands on the ground, as I yell, "Aren''t we back to square one?!"


    -The knight drew the three people with fully covered cloaks hanging from the tree-


    "Why are you doing this?! What is your ultimate goal?! Is it to scare me?! Is it to see me end up like one of these drawings?!"


    "I just did what you told me to do"


    "It is, but it isn''t, is it?! And their clothes are still wiggling the same! You... you are doing this on purpose, aren''t you?!"


    At my question he turns his head to the side and has no answer. So I erased his drawing and drew what was in my mind. I drew the three humans as the teru teru bozu, but standing on the ground without ropes. And I also erased Mr Tree''s face.


    "Let''s take these drawings and use them as the characters that you wanted to show"


    "Huh? But what about Mr Tree''s face?"


    "There really was a point in a tree having a face?!"


    With a simple nod and an emotionless face, he made it clear that he really needed a face for Mr Tree, so I drew a simple, good-looking smiling face. As I waited for him to start, his face was still uninterested and his tone was similarly uninterested.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.    "You see... you have drawn them all similarly. If it is like that, it is hard to differentiate them. Do you want me to give them some interesting features?"


    "No need for that. Just give them names. I think that would be enough to narrate."


    "Tch!"


    Hey, you just said tch, didn''t you?! You just said tch! You were trying to scare me again, weren''t you?!


    "Ahh... Got it. I''ll start again."


    "But be sure to make it interesting!"


    "Interesting¡­ You sure?"


    "What kind of question is that? As if this choice will be a matter of life and death for me."


    "Heh," he let out a breath that clearly showed his voice had changed to that of someone who was about to make a rash decision, who was about to make me rethink about the previous remark.


    "I was going to end this with three simple steps, but it looks like my creativity is at stake here. Remember, Kiddo, it was you who asked me to make this interesting..."


    My throat was forced to swallow hard at his intense gaze and just wait in silence for what I requested for.


    "I have nothing to do with what''s about to happen, so don''t bother me. Got it?"


    I hastily raise my right hand and salute at his question, displaying agreeance.


    Before starting the story, he made it clear that he wasn''t going to draw everything, that he was going to let my imagination run wild, and that if I had any questions, he was going to save them for the end.


    As I kept nodding my head in agreement, he began to tell the fantasy-like story.


    As soon as he started telling the story, I closed my eyes and began to imagine the story he was going to tell me. With the teru teru bozu as the clothes for humans and Mr Tree as a normal tree.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó


    In a distant land, towering mountains piercing the skies, thick forests shrouded the earth in shadow, blocking the sunlight from touching the ground. This wild terrain was also home to fierce creatures that roamed the wilderness. It was an area where living conditions for humans were utterly unfeasible.


    High atop a majestic mountain, three individuals lived in a home. One of them was an elderly man who was taller than most people you can imagine, and the other two were as small as children. The elderly man was nearing the end of his life, and the children were just five and six years old.


    "Old man Mount! We returned! We have brought what you asked for!" shouted two children enthusiastically as they ran up to an elderly man sitting idly on a rock, enjoying nature.


    ''His name is old man Mound because he lives on a mountain? You''re not very creative, huh, Mr Knight''


    "Ah, Main character and Secondary character. Welcome back," the old man responds calmly as he turns to the children.


    ''No, give them some names, dammit!''


    One of the two children who came running was a boy, his name was Aleph, and the other was a girl, her name was Beth.


    ''If they had a name, call them by it!''


    The two children, filled with curiosity, asked the elderly man about the reason for their amusing names. The old man gazed thoughtfully into the distant sky and replied, "It is because I do not want both of you to forget about the important task that this selfish old man has given you"


    The children seemed to grasp the elderly man''s words, their faces falling into expressions of sorrow.


    A few months prior to their arrival in these mountains, the children had been wandering the streets of a bustling city, begging for survival. One day, as fate would have it, the elderly man walked down that very street and noticed two helpless children who sat motionless, lost in their despair.


    With compassion in his heart, the elderly man brought the children to his home in the mountains. However, even in this new environment, the children remained hesitant to eat, either due to their mistrust of others or their sheer exhaustion. It took a full two days before they finally accepted food.


    This act of kindness was a first for the children, who had never experienced such warmth before. Eager to repay the elderly man¡¯s generosity, they insisted on helping him in any way they could. Despite his repeated claims that they owed him nothing, the children could see through him.


    Moved by their determination, the elderly man eventually revealed a personal request, one that was more for his own benefit than theirs.


    ''Oh!''


    "There is one thing that really bothers me to this day. If you really want to help me, you will have to go through a lot of trouble," the old man said with a hint of concern in his voice.


    ''Ohhhh!''


    Hearing no refusal from the children, he continued, "You see, there is a certain man who must be stopped. He is trying to bring an end to this world. He is the Demon Lord of this world."


    ''Ohh! A Demon Lord! So, at last we are getting to the fantasy part!''


    Ever since that day, the children have obeyed the elderly man''s every wish in their quest to defeat the demon lord. And in that moment, they were reminded of their fate once again.


    To lighten the heavy mood set by the elderly man, Beth asked the elderly man a bizarre question.


    "But why is he called Main character and I''m called Secondary character?"


    At this question, both the elderly man and Aleph looked at each other for a second and laughed at Beth. The blowing wind around them stopped and the laughing of the elderly man and Aleph was heard louder. Frustrated, Beth slowly hits Aleph with both hands while pouting.


    ''No, you explain it too! Tell me why you gave them these nicknames! At least tell me that these nicknames will define their responsibilities!''


    But just as the wind eventually comes to a stop, so does their time with the elderly man.

 2. And The Secondary Characters. (2)

    It has been seven years since the elderly man is gone, and now Aleph sits on the same rock where the elderly man used to sit and talks to himself.


    ''Huh? The elderly man died?''


    "Hey, old man Mount. I have been training the special move you taught me for the past ten years. I think I have finally mastered it. And I think I can finally leave this mountain that you said we could not leave until we mastered the special move."


    Before the elderly man was gone, he taught Aleph and Beth some special moves that were unique to them. He also told them that they would only be able to leave the mountain once they had mastered this move.


    "I can''t believe it took me so long. I wish I was as good as Beth. She mastered her technique on the same day as you left this mountain. It sure was shocking that you both left me at the same time¡­ But at last I can join her on her journey and defeat the demon lord."


    ''Oh! Is the Secondary character stronger than the Main character?''


    Aleph steps down from the rock and begins to walk along the path beside him as he recalls the memories one last time.


    "You were so protective of us, old man. But you were also so hard on us in training. Beth always tried to run away from the mountain, but you always caught her."


    ''Huh? There is no need for him to catch her, is there? It is not as if she can leave this mountain, right?''


    Aleph stops and looks to his side, at a field of various plants. It was the place where they used to grow food, apart from hunting the occasional animal or bird that crossed their path. This is how they have survived all this time in these terrible mountains without too many hardships.


    "You used to make us work in the fields and make us bring back some strange plant that only you were supposed to eat... Haha, such fun times. I wish they lasted longer."


    Bending on his knees, Aleph plucks a leaf from the strange plant the elderly man keeps asking about and begins to smell it.


    "Such a strange smell... reminds me of when we lived in the city. Yes... speaking of the city, it reminds me of that day... the day when Beth and I were kidnapped."


    ''Huh? Kidnapped?''


    "One day, while we were sleeping in the street, an unknown person kidnapped us by blinding our eyes and tying our limbs. And for some reason they took us to these mountains and left us there to starve."


    ''Excuse me, Mr Knight.. wait... about this story... The narration and recollection are different though... ple-please w-wait.''


    "But I was awake when the kidnapper carried us away in the jute sack. For some reason, the cloth blinding my eye fell off, and when I looked at the kidnapper through the small hole in the jute sack... he looked a bit like an old man."


    ''Is it not the elderly man?! This elderly man... he did not help the helpless children, he took advantage of the helplessness of the children!''


    "I was in a deep sleep, so I didn''t pay much attention."


    ''No, pay attention! This is not a fateful event or anything! This is clearly a daylight kidnapping!''


    "After a while we were thrown onto the floor. But because my hands were tied, I couldn''t move. And no matter how hard I called out to Beth, she did not answer me. For two whole days we were in that sack without eating anything."


    ''The reason they did not eat was not because they mistrusted humans, but because of the mistake of a trashy human!''


    Around the same time, I heard someone say, "Ugh! How can I forget about them and leave here for two days? Tch, tch!"


    "With the energy left in me I tried to call for help, but someone opened the sack and I thought it was the kidnapper, but it was you... old man."


    ''What you thought was right! That elderly man is the kidnapper!''


    "But now that I think about it, even if I wanted to believe that you were the kidnapper, there was no way for that to be true..."


    ''Hey now!''


    "There is no way someone so old with hot food helping two helpless children would be a kidnapper"


    ''What is wrong with this Main character?! Why do you not doubt him at least a little?!''


    "This leaf¡­ How did old man Mount use it? ¡­Like this probably¡­"


    Aleph picks up the leaf and skillfully rolls it tightly. He places the rolled leaf between his lips, envisioning himself as the wise old man. After inhaling deeply, he removes the roll and exhales slowly, releasing the air.


    The elderly man used to light the rolled leaf and do the same thing, but Aleph did not light the rolled leaf, and yet, just the thought of inhaling smoke made him cough a lot.


    "Blegh... It really is something only the old man can do."


    ''That is just tobacco, is it not?!''


    "Me and Beth used to plough the fields every day while you slept under the shade of the trees."


    ''That is just slavery at this point!''


    "Even though it was hard work, Beth tried to make it easier by role-playing with you... That she was a slave and you were the master and always trying to run away from work... Haha."


    ''Beth noticed it! She noticed that¡­ Huh? Wait. Then she could have explained everything to the Main character, right?''Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Even after all the fieldwork was done, you would come to me and continue role-playing, making me act as another slave."


    ''Just how positive is this Main character?! Why do you want to believe your kidnapper instead of your benefactor?!''


    When Aleph questioned Beth about her unusual behavior, she reacted with her typical anger, trying to belittle him and responding in her usual sharp tone.


    "What is wrong with you, dammit? I keep on telling you that we should work together and get out of here, but why do you always side with that damn old man, huh?! Is your head broken or something, huh?!"


    ''Hey¡­ The Secondary character¡­ That tone¡­ Even her recollection is a bit different from narration earlier, right?''


    "Heh. You are just jealous that he calls me Main character and you Secondary character. Don''t feel bad that I''m getting special treatment."


    ''What?! That is the reason?! The reason you blindly trust the elderly man is because you want the Slave no.1 title?!''


    Beth probably felt a surge of irritation in that moment, as she seized him by the collar and leaned in closely to speak to him.


    "Hey, you. This damn old man has kidnapped us and imprisoned us here. He makes us do all the mundane work and does not even help us. Can you not understand the situation we are in, huh?!"


    "Haha, I like it. You are still in character."


    -In that moment, the child and Beth thought at the same time-


    ''Tch! This Main character is no good.'' ''Tch! This Main character is no good.''


    Imagining that Beth had a funny expression on her face, he continued, "...But look, isn''t it obvious that we have to help the elders who need help?"


    At his reply, while still holding on to his collar, Beth bent her head backwards and said, "Yes, indeed," but she immediately head-butted Aleph, while expressing her frustration, "But not if that elder is a kidnapper!"


    Beth released her grip on Aleph and faced away from him. After a moment, she glanced back over her shoulder, boldly stating that she no longer needed his support and was determined to leave, no matter what.


    ''Oh! What is she planning?''


    "And the very next day, you mastered your unique skill and left this place."


    ''!''


    "When you and the old man left me together, I was really distraught."


    ''Huuuuuuh!!! Dangerous! So dangerous! I completely looked down on Beth! I know she was strong, but I did not think she was mentally strong!''


    "Hmm¡­ The more I remember, the more it saddens me."


    ''What part of this is sad?! The part where the Main character is an airhead, huh?! Ahh, I do not want to hear this horror story anymore! Change it back to fantasy, please!''


    "Yeah, I better practice my special move one last time before I leave this place."


    ''Huh?''


    Aleph tossed the leaf away and reached an empty spot where he had supposedly been practicing his ''special move''. He grabs the white cloth he was wearing and pulls it tightly away from him as he says, "Here we go," letting it fly in the wind.


    He positioned himself with his right foot stepping back, placing both hands at his waist on the right side. As he thrust his hands forward, he shouts "Ahhhhhhh!" It was as if nature itself was anticipating something from Aleph, unleashing a powerful gust of wind in response to his movement.


    But nothing came out of his hands.


    ''There is no way that anything is going to come out! The only thing that comes out is your stupidity. At this point, I even doubt whether there is a Demon Lord or not.''


    As the strong winds died down immediately, Aleph returned to his normal pose, praising his work, "Nice! That should do it..."


    ''There is nothing nice about it! Apologize now! Apologize to nature for expecting something from you!''


    Aleph then walks up to a large tree, dusting the dirt off his hands, and speaks to it as if it were an everyday conversation, "You are smiling today too, eh, Mr Tree."


    ''Ah, it is Mr Tree!''


    "If it had not been for you, I would not have been able to get this far. Ten years ago, when both the old man and Beth left me here, alone, you were the only one that I could talk to. There wasn''t a day when I didn''t think of giving up. And it was always your smiling face that kept me going."


    ''I know, right? It was good to draw a smiling face on Mr Tree.''


    Aleph approached the tree, placed a hand on it and continued, "Every time I came to you, I would just talk and leave without laying a hand on you. Since this is my last day¡­ Can I hit you?"


    ''Huh?''


    The hand on the tree gripped the trunk so tightly that the tree showed its displeasure by cracking. He then swung his other hand at the tree, uprooting it and sending it crashing to the ground with a loud thud.


    ''Whhhhhhhy!''


    Aleph then jumps up and sits down closer to the tree''s face, and starts pounding on it while screaming at it.


    "Damn you, Demon Lord! The one who will plunge the world into chaos. Prepare yourself! For I, Aleph, am coming to get you!"


    ''How did we suddenly end up talking about the Demon Lord?!''


    "Old man Mount told me that this face looked just like you. And for the past ten years... No, for the past thirteen years I have been holding back my anger at you. And today I will let it all out!"


    ''That is the meaning behind a face on a tree! What the hell have you done, old man? How can you lie to him that such a smiling face belongs to the Demon Lord?''


    "When old man Mount said he would show me the face of the Demon Lord, I did not expect it to be a smiling face. If only you were more terrifying... If only this face was more terrifying, I would not have felt guilty about hitting!"


    ''Is this not my fault then?!''


    "I will not forget this face! I will not run away from you when I see this face! I will never hold back when I see this face! And I will make sure that I take you down!"


    Aleph continued to beat Mr Tree, who had the Demon Lord''s face, chipping it off bit by bit.


    ''I beg of you, please stop it! I was in the wrong! Please stop it! I cannot see someone smiling so hard get hit! Ah! This is just my imagination. I just have to imagine the tree with a scary face. ¡­I cannot do it! I cannot imagine a scary face!''


    Aleph then dismounts from Mr Tree, panting from the beating he has given to him.


    "It''s better to stop now. I will save the rest of the beating for the Demon Lord. Thank you again for your encouragement today, Mr Tree."


    ''Ah, what a sadist, to thank a person whom you have beaten up!''


    With that, Aleph did all the things he wanted to do one last time, packed his luggage and went to the corner of the path that would lead him down the mountain. He stopped there, looked back one last time and said "Goodbye", before stepping out into the outside world.


    And unbeknownst to Aleph, he was being followed by someone who had completely covered himself with a white cloth.


    ''Huh? Who might it be?''

 2. And The Secondary Characters. (3)

    After descending the mountain, Aleph was greeted not by the beasts that terrorize mankind, but by a bustling city where the atmosphere is one of awe. The yellow light that radiates warmth just by one''s gaze, and the cool air that sweeps away all cares.


    And soon, without wasting any time. Aleph went to the nearest town to start his meaningful journey and reached the place where he could get what he wanted.


    "Umm¡­ Can I get a serving of curry, please?"


    ''Yes, I know. There is no Demon Lord, that is why you are having a peaceful breakfast. But I still wished you to be here to gather information about the Demon Lord''


    And when Aleph had finished his meal, he went into the back alley of that place and approached a man. The man was sitting alone in a dark place, completely covered with dirty rugs. Aleph then leaned quietly to the man''s ear and asked.


    "Umm¡­ Where can I find the toilets?"


    ''Not again!''


    And later, on the same day, he walked about the whole town and returned to the same place where he had been before. And the one in white followed him everywhere. After sitting down near the serving table, Aleph asked a different question this time.


    "Umm¡­ Can I have a bowl of ramen and water, please?"


    As soon as Aleph asked, the one in the white cloth banged his hand on the table and shouted.


    "Wait a minute! Just what are you doing?! I have been watching you since the morning, but I can only see you practicing some English lessons!"


    ''Wait a minute! Just what are you doing?! I have been watching you since the morning, but I can only see you practicing some English lessons!''


    The hood of the white cloth fell, revealing the face. It was a boy who looked no more than five years old. He was Kiddo.


    Bewildered, Kiddo asked himself only one question, "Huh? Why am I in this story?"


    Ignoring Kiddo''s behavior, Aleph asked if there was anything he could help with, to which Kiddo apologized and grabbed all the excess white cloth lying on the floor and ran over to the table furthest away from Aleph, deciding to watch the story unfold in silence.


    ''I do not know what you are planning, Mr Knight, but I will play along because I feel guilty for what I did to Mr Tree.''


    While Aleph waited for his meal, a few more customers came in and sat down at a table near his own. Although they spoke in low voices, there was something about them that caught Aleph''s attention. Curious, Aleph went up to them and asked.


    "Excuse me, I heard you talking about Beth. Do you know her by any chance?"


    ''Huh? Beth?''


    "Sorry, we were talking about Bitch, not Beth," said one of the people at the table.


    "My mistake. I heard it wrong."


    "What kind of mistake?! Before that... Hey, Mr Knight, what kind of characters are you showing to a five year old?!" Kiddo shouted as he slammed his hand down on the table.


    Confused, Aleph turned his gaze to Kiddo and began to walk towards him.


    ''Ah, this is bad. I should not interfere with the story any more than this.''


    Aleph then put his hand on the table and said, "I know the feeling of hunger too," leaving a few coins on the table.


    "Who the hell are you calling a beggar, you dimwit?!" Kiddo yelled in frustration.


    Aleph made his way back to his table, and before long, a server arrived with his meal.


    ''I can no longer bear to hear this story. I will endure it until you try something strange again.''


    The waiter placed the food on the table with a smile on his face. Aleph too smiled back and... punched the waiter in the face, sending him flying over three tables.


    ''And it is already happening!''


    Kiddo stood up and shouted angrily, "Hey, Mr Knight! Why are you hurting innocent citizens?! I''m not..." but what stopped his angry tirade was Aleph''s next words.


    "You showed yourself, huh, demon?"


    ''Huh?''


    While wiping his mouth with his hand, the injured waiter slowly gets up on his bum.


    "I''m extremely sorry, dear customer! If there''s anything wrong, can you please tell me?"


    "Don''t talk nonsense. I know a demon when I see one."


    The customers from earlier stood up in bewilderment, their expressions a mix of confusion and concern as they spoke into the air. While everyone in the tavern was still in confusion, Aleph''s next words helped everyone to recollect their thoughts.


    "That face... That smiling face. It is the face of the demons."


    Slowly, quietly, Kiddo sat down as he put his hood back on.


    "I am really sorry, dear customer! I may have done something wrong, but can you please stop lying, dear customer?"


    "Shut up, demon! The one who is lying here is you!"


    ''I am sorry¡­''


    "Did you all hear what he just said?! Let''s all fight alongside him!"


    "Dear customers! Please! Uh! No! Uhh! Ahh!"


    ''I am sorry!''


    "I have a family waiting for me at home! How can I be-! Ugh! Ahh! Ahhhh!"


    "Shut up, demon! How long are you planning on lying?!"


    ''I am sorry!!!''


    Neither did not stop... neither the waiter''s cries of pain, nor the hammering of the customers. It was only when the waiter''s voice was no longer heard that it was over.


    "Hahahaha! How dare you walk among us humans! Everyone, tonight''s menu is demon stew!"


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.    "Yeah!!!"


    Kiddo crashed his hands down onto the surface with a thud and yelled, "It was my fault, so stop it! I no longer know who is human and who is demon!" as he leaped up from the table.


    "Wow! I never thought you would find out¡­"


    ''Huh?''


    Soon the fierce brawl ended and everyone started to soften up, but amid the softening mood, the play-pretend unconscious waiter slowly got up.


    "And today of all days. Keke."


    "Not hiding anymore, are you? Stupid demon!"


    "Huh! I did not think there was anyone who could identify us. Who the hell are you?!"


    As the waiter and Aleph talk, the waiter starts to grow two little horns on his head.


    ''Huuuuuh?! You were really a demon?''


    One of the customers stepped forward and questioned what the demon meant by saying today of all days, to which the demon grins and chuckles slightly.


    As the demon continues to laugh, the remaining disguised demons move over and stand beside him, revealing their horns. The sudden revelation sends onlookers in stunned silence, their whispers filled with disbelief and curiosity about the chaotic reality amongst them.


    "Have no fear, for I am here!"


    At these words, every human and demon turns towards the source of the sound, and as the man who spoke walks forward, the demon''s face turns pale and begins to sweat.


    Kiddo, who does not have a clear view of the scenery, climbs onto the table and stands on his toe tips in amazement.


    ''Who is it? Someone famous?''


    The muttering continued, but it was about the sweaty demon and a man approaching it. The scene was so shocking to the demon that it found itself muttering, trying to reassure himself of the man''s identity.


    "That black hair, but a red ahoge and closed eyes... You are... No way...?!"


    "Yeah. I am that no way," confirmed the man as he approached the demon.


    "You are¡­ The man who, in whatever situation, will run to the aid of a girl younger than a 14-year-old in need and do all it takes to save her!"


    At the statement the demon made, the man with his eyes shut, flashed a grin and introduced himself.


    "Heh¡­ Yeah! That''s me! Secondary character - L!"


    As soon as his name was heard loud, the whole tavern buzzed with excitement about him.


    "I heard he won''t even open his eyes unless he is standing in front of a young girl!"


    "Yes, yes. I also heard whenever he sees a young girl he cries. Not normal tears but tears of blood!"


    ''Is he not just a lolicon?!''


    But the nervous demon, not hearing the praise, searches around him.


    ''Liar! Which part of this is praise?!''


    "If you are here¡­ Does that mean¡­ That¡­ That he is too¡­?"


    "Exactly," a mesmerizing voice confirmed the demon''s worries.


    At the sound of the voice, the girls clasp their hands together and burst into excited screams, while Kiddo and the demon turn in a hurry to find the man in question.


    "No way!"


    ''No way!''


    "You are¡­ The man who, in whatever situation, will run to the aid of any woman in need and do all it takes to save her!"


    At the statement the demon made, the man stepped forward while running his finger over his ear to adjust his hair, and introduced himself as "Indeed, I am. Secondary character - I," while trying to hold a nearby girl who, for whatever reason, vanished into thin air.


    As soon as his name was heard loud, the whole tavern buzzed with excitement about him.


    "I heard that every woman he touches has her clothes stolen the next day out of jealousy!"


    "Yes, yes. I also heard that the stolen clothes were mysteriously found by him the same night!"


    ''As I thought he was just a pervert!''


    But the nervous demon, not hearing the praise, tried to scare everyone around him.


    ''Lying again now?! Or rather, why are you giving them nicknames too?!''


    "We had a great plan for today, and you have to show up out of the blue?! Hm! But it does not matter, because we have the generals of the demon army here!"


    Demon''s bold declaration sent everyone into an even greater panic.


    "Everybody, fear not. You are all safe here with us!" exclaims Secondary character - L, with a wave of his hand.


    ''No, if I had to say anything, you two are the most dangerous ones here!''


    The demons turn their backs to the secondary characters, fleeing while yelling, "Now that we have nothing to do, goodbye!"


    Even amidst the chaos, there was still one who was ready to clash with demons at any given moment, and with a fierce declaration that the demons would not be allowed to escape, he leapt forward.


    Kiddo, who had been watching the fleeing demons, turned his focus to the person who had just spoken.


    The demon glanced back, to look at the same person the Kiddo was looking at. In an instant, at the corner of his eye, he noticed the person leaping towards him while unsheathing a sword, and before he could react, his head was already tumbling on the ground.


    ''Hu--?''


    Despite being decapitated, the demon remained alive. Its severed head rolled away before coming to a halt at the feet of the one who had delivered the fatal blow.


    ''Wai--''


    It was Secondary character - L.


    "Wait a--"


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó


    "Wait a minute!"


    At my loud scream, Mr Knight stopped narrating the story and asked me a question in an uninterested tone.


    "What is it? I was just getting to the interesting part¡­"


    "Don''t act as if nothing is wrong! This is a fantasy story, just like you said, but... But where is the main character?! Why is the secondary character the one who has to take care of the demon?!"


    Mr Knight''s eyes widened at my question, and he let out a laugh as he thumped his knee with one of his hands.


    "My bad, my bad. I didn''t tell you the title of the story before I started, right?"


    As I nod my head, he reveals that the title is "And the Secondary Characters."


    "No, why secondary characters? What about the main character then?"


    "It doesn''t matter if it''s a main character or a secondary character, as long as the story is fun."


    "Heeey, this man is saying something outrageous¡­"


    "Let''s continue then¡­"


    "Wait, wait, wait! But I still have so many things to ask! There is something definitely wrong with this story! And don''t you think this story is a bit long?"


    With a small sigh, Mr Knight said, "I told you not to ask me any questions until the end. Even goldfish are not as forgetful as you."


    "But¡­"


    "Don''t worry, it will all make sense in the end."


    As I was wondering how much more outrageous this story could get, a [Crown Octopus] was standing next to me.


    Yikes! How long has this creature been beside me? I better not make any sudden moves.


    The octopus gradually drifted away, while Mr Knight carried on with the story.

 3. Do you believe in change? (1)

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó


    When the demon''s head looked at the one who was responsible for his death, enraged, he tried to curse him, but before he could utter a word, the head slowly turned to ash.


    ''No, I have no interest in what you do. I will find the Main character and see what he is up to.''


    Kiddo then left the scene, searching for Aleph while pondering, ''Stories always revolve around the main character,'' it was then that he spotted Aleph caressing a goat.


    Not a word was spoken. The rampaging of demons continued, while Kiddo absorbed the unfolding drama before him. He remained completely still, as if frozen in time, staring at... No, it wouldn''t be accurate to say he was staring as there was no light in his gaze.


    Nonchalantly, Kiddo reached out and snatched an object from a passerby''s waist, and without even aiming, he threw it effortlessly at Aleph.


    The object missed its target and exploded in a blaze of bright colors, but it managed to grab the attention of Aleph and the goat. In that instant, the goat became frightened and ran away, and the stunned Aleph yelled at Kiddo.


    "Hey! What are you doing?!"


    "What the hell are you doing?! Didn''t you come here to attack the demons?! If you continue like this, the secondary characters will eventually become the main characters!"


    ''Ah, my bad. I should speak more respectfully.''


    As Kiddo collects his thoughts and calms down, a taller man places his hand on Kiddo''s right shoulder and positions himself to his left.


    ''Huh?''


    "I am so sorry. Please forgive this kiddo," said the dark blue haired man covered in white cloth.


    Kiddo quickly understood the situation, as he turned to look at the face of the man who was acting familiar. Without hesitation, he yanked the man down by his white cloth and began to talk in a secretive way.


    "Why are you here as well?"


    "I have no other choice if you keep on interfering with the story..."


    "Then, who is going to do the narration?"


    "Leave it to me! I''m multi-talented after all," I said, thumping my chest.


    "If you are so good at narration, then explain this!" Kiddo pointed to the obvious, "Look at him! He is here playing instead of hunting demons! Why?!"


    I bobbed his head playfully as I pressed him to let go of his worries and glance behind Aleph. As Kiddo did my bidding, he saw a demon already on the ground, defeated.


    "And the goat was only saved after the fight. This is what I wanted to tell you, but you interrupted me."


    "Then why did you not show me this fight rather than that one?!"


    While Kiddo and I were talking, the defeated demon slowly got to his feet and said, "Ahh, such a nice fist. I really like it. Hey, why don''t you be my slave?" as he wiped the blood off his lips.


    Quietly walking away from the remark the demon has made, a soft sigh escapes Aleph''s lips as he utters, "Do you not realize it? ...You''re already dead."


    The words were so fragile that they faded instantly upon being uttered, just like the demon that is now disintegrating into ash.


    "See, this fight is already over. Now, let''s see some other fights."


    "It was not over. You were the one who didn''t show me that fight!"


    "You really want to debate?! Then let''s talk about what''s wrong with your imagination! Just take a look around! All the surroundings, and everyone, from the people to the demons, are downright comical!"


    Looks like I got him good, because I had him looking for an answer on the floor. I smiled at Kiddo, grabbed him by the collar, and made up my mind to drag him along with me to our next destination.


    Kiddo struggled as he was being dragged, "Hey! You just can''t do that!" but stopped when he saw a small girl feeding a bone to a white goat and spoke softly, "Ah, it''s the goat from earlier."


    As we made our way to the next stop, we sprinted, or I sprinted, through a narrow alley lined with quaint local shops, only to be scolded for disturbing their business. With a bright smile, I cheerfully offered my apologies, exclaiming, "Sorry, sorry!"


    We continued through various alleys, some draped with laundry, others devoid of human interaction, until we finally reached the end. There, we were greeted by a towering wall, and yet my pace did not slow down.


    Stressed, Kiddo yelled, "H-Hey! Mr Knight! Slo-Slo-Slow down! There is a wall!!!" but I ran as close to the wall as I could, took a huge leap, soared over it, and landed safely on the other side, leading us into a wide open space.


    Even after we made our way carefully to this place, I still found myself confronted with Kiddo''s annoyed words.


    "Hey, you! Don''t you have children?! What kind of handling is that?!"


    "What? Got scared? If I have kids, there''s no way they''ll be scared of things like this."


    By the time we reached the wide open area, chaos already took place in there. Several demons and humans clashed fiercely, exchanging blows and insults alike. Yet, amidst the turmoil, not everyone was insulting, as there was one demon who cried that it just wanted to enjoy the festival.


    ''Eh? Festival?''


    The words of this particular demon brought back to my mind the very reason for their presence, which I had failed to tell Kiddo. I explained that there was a festival in this town today and the demons had made a plan to gather here, pointing to the vibrant decorations surrounding us.


    Kiddo looked around when he heard that there was a festival today and his eyes widened in excitement. As he looked around, he saw various trees and walls decorated, and many small stalls that screamed out the mood of the festival.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    It would not be an exaggeration to say that his expression truly reflected that of a person who had never laid eyes on such a magnificent sight before... of a person who had no knowledge that such a beauty could be found in this world.


    Despite his excitement, he remained wary of his surroundings and asked the actual reason for the demons gathering.


    Just as I was about to speak, Kiddo was bumped by someone which made us stop our conversation. When we wondered and looked at the person in question, we saw a demon that had twelve eyes and a lizard-like face.


    I suppose I should add that it had a snake''s tongue dangling out of its mouth, which made it look more silly than intimidating.


    For a moment, both Kiddo and the demon locked eyes in confusion leaving us all silent for a few seconds. However, Kiddo broke the silence and softly initiated a conversation with the demon, who surprisingly responded weakly.


    "Who...?"


    "Please, I-I-I-I-I-I''m not a dangerous person!"


    "No matter how you look at it, you are a demon though..."


    "I-I-I-I-I''m not like any of them! I-I''m only here because they called me here!"


    "That means you are one of them..."


    "Even though I''m trying my best to live with humans, why do they hold a grudge against me?"


    "Probably because you are not a human..."


    "I-I-I¡¯m scared of fighting. Please let me hide with you."


    "Hey, stop behaving like a human!"


    The demon looked at Kiddo with puppy eyes, while Kiddo turned to me, clearly puzzled. I gave a single nod of approval, making Kiddo exhale a deplorable sigh.


    While Kiddo made a gesture indicating the demon to take cover behind us, a little girl draped in a black cloth dashed past us and approached a demon adorned with a double ponytail.


    ''Ah, it is the small girl from earlier.''


    The little girl, much like Kiddo, was filled with excitement even in the presence of demons. With the same excitement, she lively spoke to the demon adorned with the double ponytail.


    "You said you came to enjoy the festival, didn''t you? Then, would you like to enjoy the festival with me?"


    ''Woo.... What is this reckless bravado?!''


    But the demon rejected her invitation, saying, "There''s no way I''m going to spend time with a human!"


    ''Ahh, you poor thing.''


    The girl then struck the demon in the knee with the bone in her hand, causing it to scream in pain, all the while calling it a "Bad Demon."


    ''Hey, what are you doing?! Do you want to die?! Huh?!''


    While Kiddo''s mind was focused on the little girl, I couldn''t help but notice the goat that was with her moments before. The moment I realized the situation the goat was in, I called out to Kiddo, urging him to check out the goat. Without hesitation, he hurriedly turned towards it.


    What we saw was a trembling goat slowly retreating while a one-eyed demon, with a comically huge torso, stared intently at it. Kiddo took a step in an attempt to help the goat, but I quickly grabbed him by his collar once more to hold him back.


    "Aren''t you going to help it?!"


    "Just calm down. Didn''t I tell you... that everything will make sense?"


    "But what if it gets eaten?"


    Just as the three of us set our gaze back on the goat, it bolted away in a panic, and the one-eyed demon began to chase after it.


    As Kiddo started to frown, "T-That demon hates goat meat. S-So he will never eat it," stammered the demon hiding behind us.


    ''Then why is it¡­?''


    As Kiddo stared at the demon, wondering why, the one-eyed demon shouted.


    "Everyone I know who enjoys goat meat raves about its delicious flavor... and I abhor to see humans so pleased!"


    ''Ahh¡­ Such garbage-thinking for a demon.''


    "I was never able to enjoy goat meat when I was a human. So I decided... that I will become a demon and kill all the goats! Hehehehehe!"


    ''Do not just give up on humanity for such a stupid reason!''


    "Although I claim to have turned into a demon, it was only after I had my way with the goats that I truly turned into one without noticing!"


    ''Humanity is the one who gave up!!!''


    Kiddo then turned towards the demon hiding behind us.


    "Hey! Isn''t he one of yours?! Can''t you-"


    Kiddo stopped and slowly pointed to an object in the demon''s hands.


    "Hey... That... What is that?"


    "It''s just a bucket of water..."


    "You¡­ You are definitely trying to do something, aren''t you?"


    "N-No no! Y-You are mistaking me! This is just to calm me down... I-I feel comfortable with something in my hand..."


    Regardless of how you look at it, the scene and the demon''s words made no sense, leaving Kiddo and me to stare at the demon with doubtful eyes.


    "P-Please don''t look at me with such eyes! Light is...! Light in your eyes is¡­!"


    "How disgusting! Hiding among humans! Can you even call yourself a proud demon?!" exclaimed a voice we had never encountered before.


    As one demon tried to justify himself while stammering, a second demon, almost as tall as Kiddo, with glasses and long horns, made his way towards us. The short demon march continued towards us, with patriotic chants.


    "This is why it''s no good! We demons are given the power to rule everything! So we must take it all for ourselves and make sure we prosper for generations to come. And..."


    Its speech trails off with a curious "Huh?", and calmly asks us if we have heard something.


    At his question, we both put our hands to our ears and tried to hear what he was saying. We both heard the faint sound of hooves hitting the ground, and the short demon asked once more if this ''something'' was drawing near from behind him.


    Kiddo and I slowly made an italic ''I'' pose and looked behind him. In the distance we saw a white horse coming towards us. We both straightened up and nodded twice at the short demon.


    The short demon pinched his glabella and sighed, "Haa... Tch," and ran past us while screaming. As we watched him flee, the horse quickly caught up with the demon''s pace, and soon they both became distant to us.


    After watching this inexplicable drama, Kiddo then turned towards the demon that was supposed to be hiding behind us.


    "Hey... What''s making him run from a horse he hasn''t even seen ye¨C?"


    He wasn''t able to finish his line, because he, or we, saw the demon sneaking up on a man, quietly tiptoeing while carrying the bucket over his head. We continued to watch in silence, awaiting the new drama to unfold, and just as we thought, he emptied the bucket on the man.

 3. Do you believe in change? (2)

    The startled man tossed something in his hand high into the sky, and with a hint of disappointment, Kiddo clicked his tongue to let the demon be aware of our presence.


    The demon let out a startled gasp, "Houuu!!!", without even looking our way.


    Then he quickly turned our way and tried to play it off hastily.


    "This¡­ This is just ordinary water¡­! I was just playing!"


    The drenched man suddenly fell to the ground, motionless.


    "Houuu!!! Please forgive me! I don''t know what happened to me! Before I realized, I was just..."


    When the demon realized we had caught him red-handed, he got down on all fours and tried to make up a story.


    And then we heard a little whistle coming from above us. We lifted our heads and saw something falling from above. Our eyes moved along the falling object and we saw it fall on the demon''s head.


    "Please pretend not to have seen anything! Un¡­!"


    And as soon as the demon had finished speaking, he began to turn to ash.


    It was definitely strange¡­ But, let''s just¡­


    Pretend not to have seen anything... ''Pretend not to have seen anything...''


    "Ah!" I exclaimed.


    "Ah! What?!" shouted Kiddo, startled.


    "I forgot about character introductions!"


    "We were doing that, right!"


    Eager to find the secondary characters, I hurriedly looked around. I excitedly tapped Kiddo on the shoulder and pointed at one of them when I saw it. Irritatingly Kiddo shoved off my hands. Was it because he was already facing in the same direction, or was he beginning to develop a new personality disorder?


    "Haphephobia?"


    "What''s that?!"


    "Weeell¡­ Whatever. Let''s get back on the main topic..."


    What we both saw was a stall bursting with devilish fireworks. It might have been nothing of notice if it was just an ordinary stall. However, what we are seeing is the stall ripped open from within, setting off a series of explosions, and a demon leaping out with a tiny creature atop its head.


    Yet again, the people around us began to say the words of praise to the person in question, leaving me no opportunity to explain.


    "Ah! It''s the girl clad in black!"


    "Yes, I heard about her too. The little one who gazes and seizes souls at whim!"


    "Wait! You mean¡­ Is she the same one who is said to play with the living and the dead alike?!"


    "Scary! This sounds more like words of fear than words of praise! More like, why are we suddenly talking about the demon!" yelled Kiddo at the top of his lungs, as if he too was frightened by the remarks of the three bystanders.


    With a slap on Kiddo''s head, I said, "I already told you to stop interrupting!"


    And just as I imagined, the little human girl walked over to the boy who was gently rubbing the pain off his head, and tried to speak to him in an innocent and nonchalant tone.


    "Looks like you''re just as thrilled about the festival! I''m Secondary character - B. What do you call yourself, human?"


    "This is bad. She refers to me as human. No matter how much you stress on the word human, she is just trying to defy your work."


    Hearing no response from Kiddo, the little human girl lowered her head. As if anticipating what was about to happen, he ran away from us. Assessing the situation, I too ran away, catching up with Kiddo.


    "What happened, O Knight? Does it bother you to be struck by the bone?"


    "Stupid brat! How dare you try to escape before me?!"


    "That''s what bothers you?!"


    Trying to let out a sigh of disappointment, Kiddo turned the other way, only to find a goat¡ªrunning at the same pace as us¡ªbleating in his face.


    It was the same goat being chased by the one-eyed demon. But the difference was that the trio, three people from earlier, were sitting on the demon''s huge torso, ready to introduce our next character.


    ''No way! Don''t you!''


    "It''s a goat."


    "Yes, it''s a goat."


    "That''s just a goat."


    Kiddo, who was anxious that the trio might make ridiculous praises once again, let out a soft sigh of relief when nothing bizarre happened.


    Well, I can''t have that. If the three of you were trying to steal my job, then just put up with it.


    "That''s Secondary character - K."


    "What?"


    "That''s¨C"


    "I heard you for the first time! I''m asking what makes you think that this ridiculous thing can make sense!"


    Trying to avoid getting into the crossfire, we distanced ourselves from the chaos, seeking refuge at the far end of the wide area. I successfully steered away the crossfire, but not the usual snarky conversation from Kiddo.


    "Did you hit your head, brat?! Can''t you follow one simple instruction?! It was literally the one and only one instruction I gave you here!"


    "No, did you hit your head?! Instead of telling me to get my thinking straight, can you get your wit straight?! Seriously, how did you come up with these characters?!"


    "What is it? Is there any problem?"


    "It is nothing but problems! One pair of social outcasts, one being that can''t be called a human, and another who doesn''t even share any human genetics!"If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "You have requested the chef for an interesting story and it. Is. Being. Served. To. You," I said pertly, clearly making fun of him.


    Aside from what I had to say, he started tearing his hair out while bragging about my creative talents. Wow! I definitely deserve a pat on the shoulder.


    "I ain''t praising you, old m¨C!"


    "Huh?"


    "I didn''t say anything"


    "I didn''t ask anything"


    "Like I said, I didn''t... say anything," he said, his words trailing off at the end while avoiding eye contact.


    Continuing the banter, I casually pushed Kiddo with a shove to his shoulder. And by chance, by fortune, by sheer luck, an axe of unknown origin appeared, or should I say landed, between us. Slowly someone, perhaps a demon, approached us and commented on how he had missed his chance.


    Huh?


    Unlike the comical figure around us, they completely were shrouded in black fabric from head to toe. No particular features were noticed, no wavering movements can be visible, and there was no face to interpret their emotions.


    It is true that even though I was the one narrating, I had no idea what''s happening. Kiddo was not amused, because he asked me if this is my attempt at trying to scare him. His confident smirk quickly faded when he saw no answer from me.


    A feeling I had long forgotten came over me as I saw another similar figure crouching on a heap of creaking objects behind us. The new figure leapt over us and landed next to the one picking up the axe, all while muttering along the lines of what to do next.


    Totally incomprehensible situation. Kiddo and I found ourselves retreating slowly, rendered speechless to the point where even breaths felt a burden for the both of us.


    While still panting with our backs to the wall, we saw two hands emerging from the ground, clutching the feet of the mysterious figures before us. The hands yanked the two into the paper floor while jumping out of it at the same time, we caught sight of another figure, different from the first two.


    Instead of calling it another mysterious figure, it would be more fitting to call it a weird figure. It is literally, as in literally, a scroll with comically attached eyes and pencil-drawn limbs, mostly covered in cobwebs.


    With a click of his finger, he turned the paper floor into a scroll and left with the scroll, apologizing to our confused faces.


    After pulling strange faces and several facepalms, the both of us finally managed to regain our composure with a long, whimpering sigh.


    "Why is the narrator surprised too, huh?!"


    "Because of you, Mr. Genius!"


    "Why¡­ me¡­?"


    "''Why''? Seriously, why?! Go! Go ahead and stick your finger in every hole you see until you smell something bad. Then you will probably understand!"


    That might be a strange way of putting it, but he certainly understood what I was saying. And yet he wanted to continue the banter, trying to get the upper hand, trying not to feel defeated. But he was cut off by a random explosion right next to us.


    When we saw the explosions that colored our faces bright, a man with women in his arms descended from above, and he landed with total awesomeness. Me aside, Kiddo was completely mesmerized.


    The captivated women gazed at the man in wonder, inquiring about what name they should use for him, to which he replied, "You can call me Secondary character - H."


    ''Just how many of them are you trying to squeeze into this story?''


    "The day is still fresh, wanna follow¨C drop me home?" suggested one woman, her arms still around him.


    "Follow the scent at night," uttered another as she kissed the man on the cheek.


    ''A beastly treatment?!''


    The women''s words were enough to make Kiddo blush and look through a keyhole hand, but that was not the case for this charming man.


    "Looks like I committed another sin by stealing your hearts, haha."


    ''Oh, so dashing!''


    Ew, so cringe.


    "But this is where we part ways!" exclaimed the man.


    His sudden burst of voice flabbergasted the women, even me. As he put them both down, he revealed that his heart had already been dedicated to another. The women gasped hard with their hands over their mouths. So did Kiddo.


    Wh-what? What are you doing, brat?


    My wonder went unnoticed by Kiddo, as his gaze was locked on the next most obviously charming thing to me.


    The women, their hands clasped together in anticipation, inquired who the lucky woman was.


    "She''s the one I fell for, from the moment I knew about her."


    The women, along with the three bystanders from earlier, found themselves enchanted by the tale of fate as their glittery eyes gazed upon the captivating man.


    "Even though she is long lost, I will not give up until I find her."


    In front of the man stood the three bystanders, the two women and Kiddo, biting into their handkerchiefs as if they were witnessing one of the million unparalleled tales.


    "I''m always yours, my sister!!! My skin and my blister!!! Even though I don''t want to believe that you ran away from me, I will never give you up!!!"


    "Wow. Congratulations. There you go, making it weird again. Thank you, my past self, for not getting your hopes high," Kiddo muttered as sarcastically as he could, and sighed as he suddenly appeared next to me.


    "Don''t turn this one on me! What was that crazy nonsense you were doing earlier?!"


    "Yo-you tell me. Whenever I act like a curious child, or whenever I act like I sense something fishy, you turn a character into a joke, or a joke into a character!"


    "Wh¨C"


    "What am I supposed to do other than be unpredictable like a person with BPD?!"


    ¡­


    "It wasn''t funny, Kiddo" "Shut it, I know!"


    That was something, of course, but this time it was different. I attempted to explain that I was willing to take the blame for the previous ones, but this particular instance wasn''t my idea.


    To strengthen my argument, I highlighted the absence of the bystanders who constantly attempt to steal my job, as well as the absence of any demons in the character introduction this time around.


    Looks like I was successful at my attempt. His eyes rolled in concern. Maybe not entirely, but he definitely sensed that something was amiss between us. As we were trying to get a grasp of the situation, it happened again.


    "You two, would you like to help me?"


    There were no chimes from the bell of destiny.


    There were no whispers from the winds of prophecy.


    "In this conquest to find my sister?"


    There was only a charismatic man''s voice that almost sounded eerie.

 3. Do you believe in change? (3)

    "Kiddo! We are making a run for it! But this time I won''t be dragging you along!"


    "Huh?!"


    "I can''t really make a head or a tail out of the situation! And I''m so tense that I feel like we might open up the Einstein-Roger bridge if we touch each other."


    As I gradually backed away with hops, I made it unmistakably clear to Kiddo that he was not to leave my side.


    Continuing this nightmare of a story was the last thing on my mind. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that it won''t end even if I want it to. Also, discovering the truth of what''s going on has become the second last priority.


    Because there was no room to think with the prompt interventions from the surroundings. I dashed past the myriad of obstacles, as well as a few more unspeakable events happening around me.


    "Holy shit! What the hell was that?! Did you just see that, Mr Knight?!" screamed a kid devoid of medieval lore.


    The drama(?) was frightening enough to make him use words I have never heard him use. I did my best to tell him to ignore it, just as I was doing, but he huddled in a corner, trying to choke his head, burdened with disbelief and horror.


    "Time to grow a pair, brat! This is just how Vlad holds a banquet and Olga responds to a marriage proposal!"


    He did stop his act of madness, not because of me, but because behind me he saw something he had half expected, and something I had fully expected. I turned my attention to the unannounced demons and how to deal with them. My thoughts were still somewhat clouded, unable to make a decision.


    But my decision solidified, when I felt an airy rustle against the cloth that veiled me, and when my dilated pupil saw the tiny wrist clasping it hesitantly.


    "Haa¡­ Then have it your way. Let¡¯s see this story through to the end!" I exclaimed, startling the demons.


    Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me¡­ Right.


    Ploddingly unseating the sword, "Alright... Rubbers off, we''re going in raw from here," I declared, as I aimed it at the three demons standing before me.


    The three demons looked at each other, "We''ll just assume that he said he''ll take his gloves off and give it his all, ''kay?" and gave each other a hesitant nod.


    Readjusting the position of the sword, my index finger aimed at the demons, "No, you heard right," I uttered with a hint of excitement as I hurled the sword into the air.


    Kiddo and the demons watched in awe as the blade caught the light and glimmered. The demons were oblivious to the circumstances, but the foremost positioned demon realized something was amiss when a powerful gust of wind burst past him.


    That demon understood he had missed his chance to retreat when he saw one of his comrades on his knees, trying to choke himself because of the scabbard lodged in his throat, while another was caught in my hold, ready to be choked.


    As my grip tightened on his companion, turning his 206 bones into 412, the stationary demon began to sweat. "Amature," I muttered as I threw the half-alive demon at the last one standing, forcing him to take a step back.


    Seeing the demon retreating towards him, Kiddo tried to distance himself from it, and attempted to run past an overlooked mop, only to step on its head and feel the impact from his head to groin.


    Meanwhile, the demon, unaware of the crotch-squeezing boy lying down on the floor and one other thing, tried to put on a brave face.


    "W-We''re doing self introductions, eh? A-Amature, huh? I''m¨C"


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "You don''t get to call out to me, you hole for a crotch."


    Although the name I used for him was nonsensical, he instantly understood the situation as soon as he looked up at the acute noise overhead.


    Fairly promptly he fell on his butt, pinned to the earth by my sword. He did not try to move a muscle, not even letting out a cry of pain, for he knew that any slight movement would only increase his agony.


    The demon''s worries deepened as it saw Kiddo, who looked like he might be on the verge of falling once more.


    As I tried to unsheathe the sheath from the scabbard of my scabbard, I called out to Kiddo, who was crouched down with his hand resting on the petrified demon''s shoulder.


    "Hey, Kiddo! I won''t stop you anymore! For starters, make that demon feel the same pain as you."


    "Huh? Hmm¡­ Let''s see if this makes me better."


    Contrary to my expectations, Kiddo''s behavior was different. He blew slowly into the demon''s ear and spoke abruptly with minimal hand gestures.


    "How did it feel? ...Unspeakable work?!


    Wow, good job, me!


    Now imagine something red... No, a red carrot¡­


    And... You are a rabbit.


    You were just running by and you saw your fellow rabbits...


    Hanging upside down... And yes... Rabbits don''t wear clothes¡­"


    I mentioned pain, but I didn''t specify whether it was emotional or physical. And it looks like Kiddo has chosen to focus on the pain that still lingers in his mind. I feel terrible admitting this, but it clearly had a remarkable effect, as it brought the demon to tears and made it whimper, pleading to stop the crude gospels.


    The boy was so deep in those memories, I''m sure he could not even hear the soul-crushing screams. At first, the words sounded effortlessly soft, but now, with every word he spoke, his growing disbelief and horror became increasingly evident.


    "And that is where the carrot enters the picture.


    I never thought rabbits would hate carrots so much! Haha!


    How do you think they were fed?


    I will let you take four guesses¡­


    One, two, three, fou-


    Wrong!!! They are all wrong!!!"


    He continued to press the demon, asking if it was curious about what happened next, to which the demon responded with tears, shaking its head vigorously as if to say it wished it had never been born with ears at all.


    With each word, he leaned in closer, pressing harder on the demon until even Kiddo''s stomach couldn''t take it any more, making him vomit all the meat he had eaten earlier onto the nailed sword.


    "I-I think that should do it, Kiddo. Stop with that, and..."


    "Huh? What are you talking abou¨C Holy shit what''s with all these demons! How¨C Just how can you do this, Mr Knight!"


    I don''t mind taking all the blame, even though it was only three-quarters of it. And I''d rather not debate it and remind him of it again. After all, it made him better¡ªthe way he wanted to be.


    "Put that aside and let''s just get this story over with"


    "There''s no way I can leave this hellish illusion behind! Just look at it! One of them is in agony, choking on his own breath! Another has dust for bones in his neck! And I don''t even want to talk about the last one!"


    You were to blame for that last one though...


    "Well, this is all from your perspective. Imagine them enjoying the moment. You know, like surrounded by blooming flowers, with sunlight blinding the background and making improper noises. Give it a shot"


    "That''s lame! What are you trying to teach a kid?!"


    Although his words sounded like a rejection, his thoughts painted the scene exactly as I had described it. And as he gazed at the bright scenery with squint eyes, he muttered, "I hate how this is a viable option"


    "You know, Mr Knight¡­ Why don''t you just¡­¡­"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Steady, humble footsteps, accompanied by a demon''s irritating utterance.


    "Ahh... I hate this job..."

 4. If I jump off the bride of certainty... (1)

    58.12¡ãC or 136.6¡ãF


    A pristine sky, boasting realistic weather and an ideal temperature for drying any fabric. As the enormous clouds loom overhead, casting a shadow over the venue of mini mayhem, a 6.1-foot tall demon emerges from the cool shade.


    With my bright red skin exposed, adorned with two small horns and thick black hair, dressed in a white high-collared shirt open at the front and black pants cinched with a cloth belt, I look at a duo that is out of place.


    "I definitely made some rash choices back there. Trying to grab Clark while engulfed in flames... I can only pray he''s safe. Pray? Pray to who though?" I said, resting my hand on the long, tightly sheathed katana at my side.


    "Iz it... The kid?" a drowsy voice inquired as it dragged along a heavily rusted, unsheathed broadsword, slowly walking out of shade.


    "Shut up, Un-justice! I ended up here because of you, so stay the hell away and let me do my narration in peace! I still need to cover the rice straw scandals!!!" I yelled blatantly at him, my voice rising dramatically at the end.


    Ah! That should do the trick. Well then...


    Even with a tone that unmistakably urged him to get away from me, it didn''t register anything far from ''Stand by me'' to that undeveloped brain. Oh... and as for his appearance... I can hardly describe it...


    Towering at 14.2 feet tall, his body replaced by jagged pencil sketches, lines sketched from head to toe with no other detail. I wish that was all there was to it, but to make matters worse, adding to his menacing presence, every line quivered like a tuning fork.


    Honestly, he resembled a creature straight out of a fantasy, with that rusty broadsword he drags along by simply gripping its pommel with his razor-sharp nails... or fingertips.


    "Oh! Are yo'' wonderin'' about my style?"


    "No, you pervy half-giraffe. I know it reflects the amount of prison time you¡¯re facing. Counted in millennia. Adios. Don''t follow me, or your mother will hate you even more."


    "Juzt learnt. Thiz zcare the kid. So¨C"


    "Keep talking like that and you won''t be able to beat these pedophile allegations."


    "¨CI thought I zhould zcare the kid and he will hug me!"


    Ugh! The wall also got taller. Whatever... With what I just saw that kid is probably safe from this, this... this thing. I will just remove myself from this equation and head off... probably somewhere far from this mess. Better stay unbothered.


    "Maybe I will use this power and speed things up..."


    Don''t. I wanted to shout, but I just walked away from the center of attraction. Opting to let time drift by, just like a half-alive man... Oops. Just like the half-alive creatures of the Antaeus labyrinth.


    As I took just a few steps forward, I spotted an unusual trio armed and lurking behind some debris, as if they were planning an ambush. I didn''t bother to inquire about their intentions, but they quickly responded to my sharp gaze and spoke as if to justify themselves.


    "We have endured so much suffering because of them!"


    "Exactly! Just because we''re immortal here doesn''t mean they can torture us to death! Also, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!"


    "We will make them pay! Even though the pain we felt is gone, the burden we are carrying says otherwise!"


    How stupendously classic. They just exist, no matter which path you chose. I just hope I don''t see anymore characters like these.


    I could have cared less about them, but beings like these sure boil my blood(?). Oh, I have blood in me now. They make my blood boil.


    So, I arm-grabbed one by the neck and pointed to the three victims who had attempted the same thing.


    "Firstly, you are not dead. Secondly, do you see that? Do you really think the pain you felt is worse than what they are going through? They can''t even comprehend what they did wrong in their lives. Oh! Or the crime they committed is being the impulsive stupids!"


    I shoved him back toward his companions and snatched a lollipop that dangled from his waist. Quickly tearing open the wrapper, I popped the yellow-orange candy into my mouth, bathing it in saliva.


    "Woah!!! It sure is fantastic to have taste buds! You get to taste this all the time?!"


    The three of them looked at each other, sweating. Probably because they were demotivated. Looks like I have to get their motivation back in exchange for this treat.


    Like hell as if I can motivate anyone.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Listen now. The three victims from earlier are some well-known pigeons.


    Even if you believe they''re in pain for their actions,


    remember they were the ones who faced the real harassment.


    Meanwhile, their son of a bi... boss has escaped unscathed.


    This just shows you how the world works.


    Discouraging the labor, enriching the leisure.


    If you''re still considering an ambush, let me ask you¡­


    Have any of you committed a crime?"


    The answers came quickly, as quickly as the taste had imprinted itself in my memory. Yet, only the two of them shook their heads, while one was ogling his eyes at my drooling jaw.


    "Look away unless you want me to gouge them out. I don''t know what crime you''ve committed, but it can''t be anything to rival that clown''s deadly sins," I remarked, pointing at the lanky, grayish figure hunched over as he approached a child.


    The trio whispered among themselves, pushing each other''s shoulders as if trying to burst some kind of bubble. I could have walked away at any time, but I stood there, expecting them to do something absurd.


    When I bit into the candy so hard that it cracked loudly enough for them to hear, one of them finally mustered the courage to step forward.


    "The thing is... We were waiting to tell you that you are eating a pineapple pizza-flavored lollipop... But..."


    ¡­¡­


    Hatred. Disgust. Those were the feelings that washed over me as I looked at the trash in front of me and the revolting treat sliding down my throat. The bubble burst a little too late, and it took a moment to process, but my hand slowly rose toward the one who was slowly retreating.


    "Ahh, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!" he screamed as I yanked him by his ear.


    "You stupid bastards! What did you give me?! Say again!" I shouted angrily into his ear as I delivered a sharp slap to his cheek.


    "We thought you liked it! Ah! It hurts!" he responded lively as his remaining two companions made a run for it.


    "After eons of waiting, I finally get to taste food, and you feed me rat poison with a destructiveness of thousand tons of TNT, you moron?!" I shrieked at him as I continued to slap him repeatedly.


    "I assumed that you knew we all carried weapons on us! Ahh! You also sounded quite profound! So¨C Ahh! I''m really sorry! Please, just stop! It hurts!" he exaggeratedly expressed, struggling to speak with a swollen cheek.


    As for which country came up with this is the least of my worries, but they certainly committed a war crime, and forced me to recall the same words I spoke earlier.


    "This world really thrives on suffering..."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Don''t you ever utter that word again," I said with a resolute tone, my voice heavy with seriousness.


    It was the first time he had ever heard me speak in that tone. Sure enough, he went into silent mode and gave a single nod of acceptance instead of the sad face I thought he would make.


    A small smile appeared on my face, probably the face I subconsciously made to make the child feel safe. With the thought of keeping the story moving, I proposed to Kiddo that we should continue. However, just as I was about to elaborate, a massive shadow suddenly appeared above us.


    Impulsively, I quickly turned my gaze to the huge creature in front of me, but what I truly caught was a glimpse of that creature being dragged away by the humongous tumbleweed, rather than the sight of some sort of mythical creature.


    The shadow might have gone unappreciated by the boy, but the clamor and a reedy yelp did make him turn and question about what the ominous sound was. The sight was so eerie that it made me want to jump straight to the end of the story.


    "That''s it, Kiddo. Let''s have one last laugh and be done with this."


    "So, are we doing that?!"


    I declared, "Yes..." just as the high watchtower behind us began to tremble and make a thunderous noise that demanded everyone''s attention. "The Demon Lord''s Final Act!" I exclaimed as a powerful gust of wind unleashed from the collapsed tower, signaling for all to keep their eyes glued to the attraction.


    There was no need for us to relocate, as the last drama would take place right behind me once the dust had settled.


    The anticipation for the scene to unfold was abruptly interrupted as we saw an inert man with a red ahoge soar out of the dust and crash violently into the venue''s massive pillar, embedding himself within it, and the dust was forced to settle as another figure was sent flying in the same way, causing the pillar to collapse on impact.


    Our jaws hanging loose and eyes wide open with astonishment, we slowly shifted our gaze to the one at the heart of the commotion, the one believed to be responsible for this sight.


    ''So, that is¡­ The¡­''


    "Who is that?!"


    "Just¡­ Why is the narrator surprised again?!!!"


    "How greedy are you to skip right over us and go to the Demon Lord?" said a heavy voice that sounded almost as if its mouth was filled with saliva.


    As soon as he finished his words, he... did nothing. Or rather, he couldn''t do anything. What we saw was a man with a grotesquely shaped physique, nestled in the rumble, erupting into maniacal laughter.


    He was nearly 12.4 feet tall, considering he was still sitting, seemingly weighing around 520 kilos. His body was a canvas of protruding lumps of fat and skin, each one clearly visible. This appearance extended beyond his torso, distempering his face and every inch of it.

 4. If I jump off the bride of certainty... (2)

    He was so extraordinarily abnormal that it left everyone wondering how he managed to achieve the feat he had just performed.


    "You, idiot! Who told you to do that?!" someone shouted from a much better vantage point. The figure, who hurriedly hid immediately after the shout, appeared to be red-skinned and dressed in fashionable clothes.


    "I don''t care! I''m going to have more and more fun!" the deformed demon remarked.


    "Rather than fun, it looks more like suffering!" Kiddo exclaimed, drawing the demon''s gaze.


    "And I''m gonna start with you," he said, pointing at us.


    "No, there''s no need to rush! Just think! Even anyone more miserable than you would not want a hug from you!" I shouted, taking a defensive stance.


    "Come close now, I''m just trying to give you a delightful hug," he replied.


    "I don''t want to hear the word ''delightful'' from the person crying pus out of every pore!" Kiddo screamed and started to step back.


    "No way, do you know how rare unconditional love is in this world?" he went on.


    "I have no intention of accepting it, even from the doctor of ''Shinigami'' anyway! So no, thank you!" Kiddo refuses the demon''s contract.


    -''Shinigami'' is a story (rakugo) about an overly generous doctor-


    He continued his persuasion, "So just shut up and accept my¨C" but his words were cut off by a swift kick to the face.


    To the astonished face of the huge demon, "For someone like me, who took on the role of cleaning up this world, I don''t mind disposing of some garbage like you," Secondary character - L said, brushing back his blood-dyed hair.


    "Secondary character - L! We are saved!" "Secondary character - L! We are saved!"


    The demon, relying on his usual tactics, taunted the slender man about how he plans to face him again... Alone... Just then, a stoic man stepped out from behind, declaring, "He is not alone," speaking up for both himself and his friend. But unlike his friend, the long-haired man was clean, with no dust or scars.


    "You think you''re the only one with company..." the demon giggled slyly.


    The demon continued to giggle as he turned towards Second... Turning... Hmm... Let''s wait, he''s doing his best to turn.


    After a couple of tries and heavy panting, he gave up. With his hand limited to a mere 3 to 4 centimeters of movement, he gestured to his two fellow demons to help him turn around.


    Two demons that resembled each other hurried over and began to help him. They had the appearance of golden-green, translucent, soft-bodied slugs, their wobbly torsos and limbs adorned with just a hint of Viking armor. Surprisingly, contrary to their supposed characteristics, they moved rather quickly and exhibited considerable strength.


    Now the suitably positioned demon continues his fugly giggle and slowly raises his left hand... or the first two fingers to his companion.


    "There he is... No.5. I can have a lot more fun with him alone, if I have to say so."


    We quickly turned our attention to the said companion.


    "Se-Secondary character - H?" Kiddo asked in a puzzled tone.


    "No, look down... It''s him, the Patriotic Demon! Looks like they are busy themselves!" I exclaimed, filled with wonder.


    "Looks like he''s busy. I''ll just ask No.4..." the demon began, but trailed off with "Never mind" as he spotted a little girl, yelling, "Wait up, you...!" chasing after a demon covered in fireworks.


    "No.3 is quite the handful, but anyway... Hey No.3! Get over here!" the yellowish giant called out, squinting into the distance.


    It was almost a foregone conclusion at this point, but we still turned towards No.3 in amazement, only to find the one-eyed demon still chasing the goat. The one-eyed demon glared furiously at the demon who had interrupted his fun.


    "Who the hell are you?! Do you want me to chew you up?!"


    "Oh man, looks like you''re on ''Constant''. Oh, then... Can you eat these men standing in front of me?"


    "Is it a goat?"


    "No?"


    "Then eat them yourself!"


    The one-eyed demon resumed his hunt, leaving the giant beast panting in frustration. The giant questioned the slugs about what happened to No.2 and No.1, as he was having trouble finding them, and the slugs, now acting as I thought they would, replied in some gibberish.


    Looks like¨CEnsure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "Looks like someone has already turned them to ashes," said a mysterious man whose appearance is so bizarre I can only describe it as a failure of cosplay, in an obviously fake voice.


    Unlike me, who kept my thoughts bottled up inside, the boy darted around in frustration, yelling, "Who the hell are you now?!"


    He looked around as if he weren''t the man in question, and when he found no one around, he pointed his index finger at himself, and looked at Kiddo as if questioning Kiddo''s conscience.


    "Not to know me... It seems I have to make myself known to the world, louder. Let''s start with you, cute kid. Wanna play with this big brother''s toy? Wait... That came out wrong..."


    "I want to run away so badly, but can you promise me that this won''t happen again, Mr Knight?"


    "You want me to repeat the same words that the finance minister of this kingdom said when he was asked about the missing gold?"


    "Understood..."


    The man who had suddenly appeared walked away, lost in his own thoughts, and before we could think of the reason, several powerful clangs grabbed our gaze.


    "Tch! I chose this power thinking I could just sit and enjoy it all with everyone, but it looks like fate won''t bend to my will... No problem, I can still enjoy myself, hehe..."


    The demon''s statement was no nonsense. Though it required some time to understand, it soon became evident that the two armored slugs were a type of familiar. As the demon lounged and enjoyed the act, the slugs diligently engaged each of the Secondary characters that appeared.


    The clash of swords between Secondary character - L and one of the slugs was intense, yet it didn''t quite match the level of excitement I had anticipated. To a child''s eyes, though, it was a spectacle. For me, however, what was truly a spectacle was the palpable tension between Secondary character - I and the other slug.


    Secondary character - I, he just stood there, as casually as anyone might be on an ordinary day. There was no gaze of terror, no stance of intimidation, no movement of false provocation, and yet the slug facing him did not move an inch.


    However, not all were as collected as me. The demon, agitated by the lack of improvement, began to throw a tantrum like a child who had lost interest in their toy.


    "I gave you both a body that could transcend your existence, and this is how you pay your tribute to me?! Tch! Whatever... I shall bestow this blessing once more, so make yourself useful!"


    The results were immediate. As soon as his voice fell silent, a few more repulsive masses began to dangle from him, transforming him into an even more distressing sight.


    I grimaced at the sight, which was as ugly as sin, and blurted, "Ew, give me a break!"


    "Even if thanks is all I can say, someone put an end to this nightmare, or at least this thing in front of me!" Kiddo panted as he squeezed his head in bafflement.


    The actions of the slug battling the Secondary character-L surpassed my expectations, with each blow, if not a fatal one, left him with deep, painful scars. In contrast, the other one, despite all the help from its creator, remained completely still.


    The demon, still displeased, went on to put on weight and... Ew! Ughhh!!! Sorry, I will just close my eyes....... or maybe not.


    Just as the string of the fiddle snaps at a wrong note, likewise the ground gave way, unable to bear the weight of this grotesque sin, slowly consuming him as he struggled with his cumbersome form.


    Following him were his slug summons, as if they were bound to their master by an unbreakable tether. They were dragged along, and even the bits of armor that broke free were hurriedly rolling back, making their way to the pit.


    "Thank you, Gravity," Kiddo said, as he closed his eyes and rubbed his palms together.


    "AHHHHHHH!!!"


    As we saw the last piece of armor being pulled away, another scream, a scream even more piercing than the now supposedly lifeless demon, erupted.


    We quickly turned our attention to the unfolding chaos, where the patriotic demon was once again fleeing from the questionable white horse, leaving the Secondary character - H shouting... "...for his sister? Truly a devoted siscon, I must say."


    The irregular hoofbeats of the horse made me squint in curiosity. It was then that I noticed a girl dressed in black strolling along unconcerned.


    "I''m glad that she''s fine..."


    "I''m not glad that she''s alone. Wanna wager money... or food... or whatever... Wanna wager if she ate that demon or not?"


    "That''s pretty dark even for you, Kiddo. And that''s a child..."


    "Seriously? I think the first human-demon interaction clearly gave out the standings of the food chain..."


    And the moment she caught sight of Kiddo, she prepared to dash over to us. But as fate would have it, her eyes were drawn to the bleating of a goat. We witnessed the goat struggling bravely, or the demon still deliberately chasing it for fun.


    It was at this moment that their path crossed with the Patriotic Demon, who, in his flight from the horse, accidentally jabbed the goat with his pointy sword. The goat responded with a heavy bleat and ran in a full circle around the area before finding itself behind the one-eyed demon.


    Without hesitation, it charged ahead with a strong, determined sprint, crashing into the demon''s sturdy torso just as he was preparing to defend himself with a huge club, propelling him through the air. Sending into high and far ends of the chaos.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Haha... By a goat... Wait... He''s flying this way?"


    I jumped to the side, narrowly escaping a direct hit from the huge beast. The collision wasn''t powerful enough to stir up any dust or harm the beast, and as I took stock of the scene, the supposed demon slowly got to its feet, shaking his head to clear the daze.

 4. If I jump off the bride of certainty... (3)

    I don''t know what was going through his head, but the moment he laid an eye on me, he swung his enormous club straight towards my head.


    His eye widened in surprise as he saw my katana, still sheathed, intercepted the club''s trajectory. And the thunderous crash of the impact jolted him into full awareness.


    "Calm down. I know you are acting on impulse, but my patience is hanging by a thread¡ªa cotton thread if I have to emphasize it," I warned, my voice sharp and threatening.


    "Can''t you see that this man is rushing through this, sensing that something is amiss? Just stay put until he is done," I added, softening my voice slightly, yet still laced with aggression.


    I understood that a simple warning wasn''t enough for this lunatic, who continued to press the club against me.


    With a sigh¡ªmaintaining the same posture¡ªI gave him a swift slap to his wrist with the katana, a small yet effective maneuver that forced him to loosen his grip on the club.


    I then tapped the foot of the club with my katana, sending it flying far, before sliding the sheath along his hand and delivering a powerful strike to his neck, pinning him against the wall.


    As the final thread snapped, I darted around and began to target his neck with swift strikes. With each blow, his blue blood smeared the walls and me alike, but still not enough to drain the life out of him.


    I sure would have gone haywire like everyone else and gone on a rampage, but I forcefully reattached the last thread as I saw that the end of this strange drama was approaching.


    Also, I kicked this maniac to the other side of the wall, who was a nuisance to my spot.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    What is happening? This is exactly the opposite of what I had planned. Somehow... only a few elements seem to be within my grasp, while others are pushing in on us with malice. But I could care less. I will just let this end on its own...


    End on its own? Again?


    I look down at my hands, which are demonstrably incapable of making any decent pottery. Even now... Even then... But¨C


    "I''m just standing here because you are, but I would like it if we moved, Mr Knight."


    "Huh?"


    Before I could grasp the meaning of the words that Kiddo uttered, a deafening neigh and an off-beat, booming hoofbeat passed by us.


    "That was foreboding, but it turned out to be a waste to read too much into the details... Right, Mr Knight?"


    I see... That''s right...


    With no prompt, a subtle smile crept on my face. I attempted to get a hold of his head to give him a friendly bob, but he went on to skillfully dodging my hand, avoiding even the slightest touch of his hair.


    "That''s right. Anyway, there is no proof, but¨C"


    "There is no proof, but this should be the end of the Demon Generals. That means there is no one to stop us from going to the Demon Lord now," the mythical man in weird cosplay said, stealing the words out of my mouth.


    "Oh, hello again... No, just a hello, I suppose. Thanks to you, I was able to make some sensible choices earlier and save a few people¡ªquite a lot, actually. Can you believe, there was a horrific scene of a few being tortured by a bird? Right, Ro-Ro?" he went on, acting blind to our confused faces as he steered the conversation to the other figure, who was completely covered in tattered fabric from head to toe.


    Even after mentioning something that made Kiddo''s stomach churn with disgust, the shrouded being remained motionless. As untroubled as a frozen lake blanketed in frost.


    "Let''s get back to the main point," he uttered as he turned to face the sinkhole.


    He began to pick up his pace as he ran towards a man caring for his roses, shedding his disguise in the process.


    "Aahaha! Let''s ambush him and claim victory! This is for my people!" he exclaims, revealing his majestic royal attire as he leaps over the pit and thrusts his sword straight at the unsuspecting gardener.


    "What is he doing?! Don''t tell me this is a big reveal, like the waiter scene!"


    "Y-You sure are fast to catch up on things..."


    "I Knew it! But, what the hell is going on?! Why is there an NPC taking the stage?!"


    "We-Well, he''s not an NPC..."


    "Then who is he?!"


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "He''s young, so... Th-The Prince...?"


    "Be real, who is he?!"


    "Secondary character - X!"


    "He is a mystery to you too?!"


    The blade of Secondary character - X gradually pierces the heart of the Demon Lord. In that precise moment, Kiddo finally grasps the moral of what the story has been trying to convey...


    "Heeey!!! Don''t pretend like this is all planned! Or rather, don''t pretend that this shitty story is a pearl among swine!"


    ...that is, some stories have happy endings, and if you prefer to avoid feeling stupid, it''s best not to request anything interesting from a stranger wandering in dark places.


    "Oh, please. I understand. You don''t have to rub it in my face again and again."


    A pulsating white light ran across the ground, emanating from the Demon Lord. A distinct sign to mark the end... No, wait...? The white marks... They halted abruptly, as if time itself had stood still.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Did double pay get you riled up, you dogmatist? ¡­¡­¡­Hm?"


    I stood up impatiently when something even more unsettling drew my attention.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Slowly, each and every pulse withdrew back to its origin, creating a dome of white that shifted to shades of gray and black, before exploding with a deafening thunderclap.


    In an instinctive move to protect Kiddo from the impending shockwave, I stepped forward, but the wave never hit us, as we were already being shielded by a figure, a silhouette from the past.


    The winds died, the tremors stopped, the silhouette vanished, revealing the figure......


    "Who are you now?!" "Who are you now?!"


    "It''s Aleph..."


    "Be real, who are you?!" "Be real, who are you?!"


    "Main character, damn it!" he quickly turned to us and yelled in our faces.


    "This is bad, Mr Knight. Ignore me, I''m a child, but how can you forget that?"


    "Don''t try to get away with that logical excuse, brat! I''m a child at heart too!"


    "Stop with the whispers there! Look around..." Aleph urged, pointing to the aftermath.


    "All the people have lost their consciousness. I regret that I didn''t train hard enough, but at least I was only able to save you two," he said, placing his hands on our shoulders.


    Despite the fact that we have overlooked his heroics to the point of forgetting him, the man who once seemed so silly now appeared incredibly dependable.


    As he makes a request, he turns his huge back towards us, which looks as if it bears the weight of the world''s catastrophes.


    All gazes were drawn to a single point¡ªa shimmering pool of silver-white liquid where the explosion had erupted. The ground began to shake rhythmically, as if echoing the pulse of a heart beating beneath us.


    Disregarding the non-dramatic entrance of the Main character, the demons all around stood still. Even in the absence of any force to oppose their madness, they simply stood still. No, rather, they were slowly retreating¡ªas slowly as a snail¡ªwithout disturbing the very fabric of space around them.


    It was not until the third pulse that the demons began their hurried retreat. And by the fourth pulse, the liquid began to rise, gradually elevating a figure from its depths.


    As the figure ascended to about seven feet, all the excess silver liquid trickled down to its base, revealing a tall man, not overly large and slightly lean, slicking back his hair with both hands.


    "Das wird ein ziemliches Abenteuer..."


    (This is going to be quite an adventure...)


    I looked at Kiddo in an attempt to grasp how a child could conjure up a foreign language that even I barely understood, but as he pressed his hands against his ears with a look of distress, it soon became evident that he heard it as nothing more than the garbled noise of radio static.


    The environment began to change with bizarre precision. To the point where nothing comical existed anymore, almost as if the world of the imagination was forced to shut down.


    With a faint smile, the new figure took a step out of the puddle. No, to be accurate, I should say he hovered over and out of it.


    The handsome man was draped in gray and black silk, perfectly accentuating his pale skin, which looked almost like a corpse on a calm lake.


    His sharp eyes, lined with black mascara, glanced lavishly at a puddle of silvery liquid oozing from the crevices of his left hand. Immediately, the liquid bubbled and formed a shiny cuboidal shape, before revealing a strange, quaint book.


    Almost as if he had a premonition, Main character lunged at the sinister figure, his fists clenched tightly together. His intense force was effortlessly blocked by the man, who intercepted it with his book, which was accompanied by flashes of light and gusts of wind.


    The flicker of hope that this ridiculous story would come to an end was rekindled with each flash. I reached out to Kiddo, eager for him to witness the end, my eyes still locked on the spectacle.


    However, after several attempts to tug him closer and calling out his name, I turned to see what was keeping him away from me.


    The boy had plopped down on the ground, panting heavily, his eyes fixed on something towering above him.


    I was too late to notice the ominous hand nearing his chin, and as I quickly shifted my gaze to the source, I was met with the sight of a red demon''s foot crushing the head of this new figure.


    But, it was neither me nor the red demon that stopped the tall, menacing thing. It was the massive burst of energy discharged by the main attraction that scattered us all over the place.

 5. Will the sea of opportunity drown me… (1)

    "Ugh, seriously?! Why do you always have to screw everything up?!" a frustrated voice growled, sounding almost hateful.


    The blast has split us into two groups, me with the red demon and the brat with the black one. It was the worst development imaginable. Without wasting a moment, I was on my feet, ready to rush over to Kiddo.


    "Can''t you even protect a little rat?!" he continued, directing his frustration at me.


    "I don''t know anything about you, yet you''re already getting under my skin, red devil."


    "And I know everything about you, yet you still fail to impress me, you rusty tin can. Why are you even bothering with that pinkie?"


    "I would like to debate whether it is a human instinct to protect."


    "So, should I kick things off by asking: Is it related to the ''Death of Lazarus''?..."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The shrill of my hand intercepting the metal knuckle filled the air, marking the end of the debate with a single question.


    "Don''t tell me now you hate debates too?"


    "Who are you all? What the hell are you doing here?"


    "No, what the hell are you doing here?!" I grunted as I pushed him away.


    Repositioning myself by taking a step back, I glanced at the troublemaker, who was panting in sheer terror. He was so frightened that even the thought of bawling or bellowing was a luxury for him.


    "Looks like the kid needs help. So I will be brief," I uttered as I turned back to the man whose eyes were fixed on the boy crawling backwards from the imposing devil.


    Raising my index fingers to eye level, "The right is the world you think you are in, and the left is the world we, the demons(?), are in. Two separate instances that were never meant to collide, nor to exist at the same time," I explained to the worried man.


    Bringing the right finger close to the base of the left, "I don''t know what kind of Goldilocks Zone magic you have done, but you''ve both been unceremoniously pulled into our realm," I said, driving the right finger into the left as it gushed out a steady stream of red fluid.


    I swiftly pulled back the finger and extended four others, "And as if that is not enough, you not only brought us here but practically dragged us into this mess!" I shouted as I proceeded to stab my hand repeatedly.


    The man strode past me, dismissing my explanation with a crude comment.


    "You sure sound like a heretic of abuse, despite looking like someone who''s been drinking mother''s milk for the last 20 years..."


    The arrogant man halted abruptly as he felt a tug, and looked behind him to find the furious red devil, steaming from his forehead, gripping his veil tightly.


    "Then let me show you what a heretic to my beliefs truly looks like."


    I yanked him back with enough force to make him stumble. However, he was quick enough to use the momentum to launch a kick at my face, which I caught with my other hand before hurling him away from the brat.


    I would be lying if I said the last thread snapped again. Because I feel like I am being introduced to a new me, a me that really wants to go against my ideals.


    "You swine of the mammoths! What are you still waiting for?! Weren''t you eager to hug him, even if you had to use that?!"


    "Huh... I don'' really get it, but I will giv'' it a try''!"


    "Let''s give the audience what they came for."


    The metal armor ran quickly at the sight of me unsheathing the blade. But before he could react, I sprang forward, using my scabbard to deflect his hand while bringing my face dangerously close to his.


    I quickly repositioned my sword ready for a stab, and the criminal too swung his broadsword and gripped it tight by the hilt.


    ¡¾Lifeline Codex¡¿¡¾Lifeline Codex¡¿


    Just as he braced himself for an attack, confusion washed over his face when he noticed the blade impaling my head instead. And as for the other one, when the vibrations of his sketched skin passed through the broadsword, rust began to flake off, and soon he drove it into his skull, starting from the jaw.


    ¡¾: Base Limited¡¿¡¾: Base Limited¡¿


    As my eyes fell from their sockets, blood trickled down onto the man''s face and slowly flowed into his mouth. And the black devil''s black blood rained down, staining the grieving child who still refuses to let the horror within him out.


    The katana I plunged into my head began to change into deep shades of red and black, dripping over me like shaved ice on a sweltering summer afternoon. Meanwhile, the threatening demon did a 180 on his grip on the almost full rusted broadsword, twisting it with such force that it cleaved him in two before completely oxidizing.


    The frightened man quickly gained distance and tried to lunge at the child again, but a hand so dark¡ªso dark that it won''t even let a ray of light escape¡ªgrabs and pulls him back to where he was.


    His eyes reflected a figure half black and half red, "Thank you for turning me into something I didn''t expect, and in return, I''ll show you that you can''t protect anyone this time either..." and as soon as the small talk was over, his focus shifted completely to me.


    Before him stood a demon of 6.1 feet, no, it might now be closer to 6.10 feet. This bald demon, that is I, was wearing nothing but a loincloth. The eyes had been replaced by long, thick, and menacing horns, and the only attraction was the hem of the loincloth at the waist, which precisely shows the dividend of the only two colors I''m clad in; with the torso being pitch black and the rest being vibrant red.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡¾¼tÔýÏà²ìÑü¡¿(Benifudasousakkoshi)


    Unlike me, the one in front of the brat was still the same demon, at least on the surface. To the victim, however, it might seem as if the new variant colors were quivering alongside the pencil sketches, making it to be perceived more menacing.


    ¡¾Perdant De La Porte Divis¨¦e¡¿


    "You''ve been acting like someone who is so much closer to me. Even closer than the nosy neighbors."


    He said, tugging at the troublesome cloth while keeping a close eye on me, ready to slip away if I dropped my guard. Yet, a deeper worry flickered in his gaze as he noticed the left crimson fist below my waist, gradually extending a sharp red spike from the dorsal plane of the hand.


    He didn''t remark anything, even after looking at the dark side of my appearance which was so devoid of detail that it could only be considered a shadow¡ªa marvelous sight that could spark a conversation.


    But his murmurs about the situation and my body behavior made it clear that he grasped what was happening.


    "Don''t assume that all explanations come easily. You have some idea of why this is happening. So I''ll let your imagination run wild."


    "Those words..."


    "But as a bonus, let me clarify... Yes, this is the appearance of¨C"


    My head whipped around with violent twists and froze in an instant. The head looked at itself in bewilderment, asking, "ÎÒ¤Ï...¤³¤³¤Ï¤É¤³¤¸¤ã£¿" (I... Where am I?)


    I punctured the head and extracted the fragments of the corrupted brain.


    "Man... Your world certainly has some annoying conditions. Just remembering his name caused a casualty. As a freak fanatic you are, you already know what I''m¨C"


    "Tadakura no Hidesato. The bottom feeder."


    Continuing his vain attempts, the man tried to blind me¡ªan entity without eyes¡ªwith his cloth, but still ended up in the clutches of my dark fist. Did he really believe that an abrupt response would give him a chance?


    "Abwa...wa..."


    Huh? My jaw?


    This man, he isn''t quite as mediocre as I made him out to be. In a split second, did he deliberately force me to stretch out my hand, only to seize it and wrench it away with sheer force, while delivering a powerful kick that left my jaw hanging?!


    So, it wasn''t me who had him in my grasp... it was the other way around.


    Giving him the souvenir he wished for, I distanced myself from him. In an attempt to recover from the damage, I used my other hand to reattach the dangling jaw.


    "I will assume that you hated my words for you to gift me this unnecessary damage."


    "My bad. My intention was to tear off the head, but my foot slipped."


    After seeing my abnormal recovery rate, he threw the limb back and continued.


    "I can''t be more careful. You bear the figure of the one whose name has reached these far lands."


    "Yet they titled him according to his social status. Tch, ugly world..."


    He began to walk with the idea of changing positions, while his eyes locked onto mine, clearly intent on crushing me as he pressed on with his questions about his concerns.


    "Wh¨C"


    "Why am I doing this?


    Let''s just say I''m one of the hurdles in your race called life.


    A minor obstacle in your early 30s that you need to leap over.


    A shadow from your past that never quite fades away.


    Trying to remind you of how bleak and pointless it all feels."


    "No, I don''t care if you want to sacrifice yourself for my glory. Just tell me what''s happening over there," he inquired, pointing to the child.


    I didn''t even turn around because of these blessed heightened senses. There, even if neither is moving, it is a scene of cruelty, because what is happening may not be physically demanding, but mentally.


    The child didn''t even get up and is still staring at the towering demon, no, to be accurate he''s staring at himself... his past, his worries, his fears, his world as a whole new nightmare.


    Perdant De La Porte Divis¨¦e; a blessing with which the user forces his opponents to look at their world in a frightening way. Showing them every nook and cranny, turning them into his victims as he opens up every unnamed door.


    Simply talking about it is making me nauseous and fills me with disgust. I can hardly fathom what that child must be going through.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?


    Just as we effortlessly accept the fact that the number ''0'' is called zero.


    Just as we effortlessly ignore its different names in other languages.


    The child standing in the bustling marketplace, far from his hometown, accepted the scene before him without question, and ignored the reason for his presence there.


    The scorching heat failed to deter him.


    The quirky, roofless, picturesque shops didn''t faze him.


    The strange accents around didn''t intimidate him.


    Despite the brutal din of various sounds, despite the situation that portrays the scenery as a maze, it seemed to radiate as nothing more than a sense of adventure to the lost child.


    Even in the midst of clamor, a sound almost like the rustling of leaves in a gentle breeze caught his attention, prompting him to run through the hanging, newly dried stag hides before tumbling forward, his nose nearly touching the inexpensive leather sandals.


    "Hello there, dear lost son..."


    The child lifts his head slowly, with a troubled face, as he pushes himself up from the ground. He pays no mind to the man burdened by a load of items on his shoulder and hanging from his grasp. Instead, the child inspects his dirty clothes, brushes off the dust, and then glances back at the man.


    "Oh, Dad. Never thought I would see you here. How''s life?"


    The sharp gaze of the man, drenched in sweat and his muscles throbbing, made the anxious child take a defensive stance and swallow nervously.


    The man took a deep breath and muttered, "Thank Teressa, nothing bad happened," as he let out a sigh of relief.

 5. Will the sea of opportunity drown me… (2)

    "So, where''s that fool?"


    At his father''s question, the child quietly rolled his eyes and looked at a man with a lean yet somewhat muscular build standing in the shade, gesturing fiercely with his hands to convey various messages.


    "Ah, he is right behind father!" the child said with a smug grin, pointing to the shade.


    When Aaragona¡ªthe man sporting a topknot, or the little boy''s father¡ªturned to his left to chide his friend, his irritation quickly turned into confusion when he noticed nothing in the shadows.


    "Oh, my butler. Well done finding what I asked for," said a man with an artificially high pitched voice who appeared to Aaragona''s right, forcing him to take another sharp left.


    Aaragona began, "Stop using my son for your ridiculous role-playing games!" and kicked his friend Dan, who deftly dodged each kick, "And how can you keep losing him!" as he continued shouting.


    "Oh, butler... We''ll handle the shopping on our next outing. For now, carry this luggage and follow me," Dan said, ignoring his friend''s concerns while casually dropping a dried mackerel into the child''s hands.


    "Ahh, I was a fool to let you handle him..."


    "Don''t fret, man. Things like this have to happen for a child to grow."


    "Aren''t you just admitting your fault?!"


    Aaragona''s anger subsided after he landed one last kick to Dan''s groin, causing him to fall forward. The child, leaving the dried mackerel in front of Dan''s head, climbed up the makeshift Dan-ramp to reach his father''s luggage and ultimately settled on top of his head.


    The child bursts into laughter at the scene... A laugh that is not just in keeping with the mood, but rather the one that unmistakably conveys his happiness for being with them.


    As they walked away from the slumped Dan, the parent and the child stroll past an unappreciated blackened, dried wood that seemed to watch them closely.


    "I''ll tell your mother about this... If you don''t tell me that you like Papa more," Aaragona teased in a playful, childlike voice.


    "Ehh, but I like Mama more..." the child replied blithely, his voice laced with concern.


    "Huh? You like Papa more?"


    "Well..."


    The boy stuffed his mouth with the bread his mother had just served him in an attempt to dodge the routine question, while accepting the scenery once again, ignoring the glimmer of the blue-green gleam.


    A small, dimly lit room, where shadows dance as an oil lamp suspends from the straw ceiling, and the soft glow of the evening sun intrudes through the partially open door.


    Even though the room was small enough to see everything without effort, the jagged creature crammed in the corner went completely unnoticed by both the parent and the child.


    Ros¨¦, the woman crouched with her chin resting on her hand, added another piece of bread to the plate of the child sitting cross-legged.


    Even after noticing the boy''s obvious tactics, she continued, not for any particular reason, but simply to engage in conversation, eager to hear more of her child''s voice.


    "So, is there anything that could change your answer?"


    "Wal, is shu chei... (Well, if you say...)"


    "Slow down, you can continue after you swallow."


    The boy gave a thumbs up in response to his mother''s comment while chewing on the soggy bread.


    "But the answer better change, because... Mama is angry about your rowdiness..." Ros¨¦ uttered, her sweet voice gradually turning stern.


    The boy knew that his actions were not as harsh as her remark, yet he found himself standing up involuntarily as he swallowed the half-chewed meal.


    "Huh? Where are you going? Better not to Jerome..." she asked the child, who was about to leave the house.


    "Ah, aa, t-to-to old man Glenn," he replied, waving the last bit of his bread.


    "Thank you again for your modesty, dear Apple."


    The old man expressed his gratitude to the child, who was diligently scrubbing the gravestone nestled at the base of a massive tree that seemed to lean lightly against it.


    "That''s not my name, though..." the child remarked as he slowly rose to his feet, wiping the sweat from his brow bestowed by the brilliant midday light.


    Glenn, the old man, remained silent but tapped on the huge root he was sitting on. The boy knew his silence wasn''t due to the old man''s forgetfulness or the tree''s creaking, but he didn''t know the true reason.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    As the child did the old man''s bidding, "What a sinful man I am... Making a child to clean my son''s grave..." Glenn muttered while glancing at the unstained yet damaged gravestone, basking in the sunlight filtering through the foliage of the creaking tree.


    "Hehe, I like to do it, even if you didn''t ask me to. So, it doesn''t bother me. Big Brother and I were born the same year... No, was it the same day but a different year?"


    "Is that so... Then Big Brother must be smiling down at you right now..."


    The old man lifted his gaze to the heavens, hoping to show his son the face of contentment. The child too glanced above, only to spot a peculiar black and gray creature hanging upside down from the creaking tree, slowly reaching out to him.


    "Ah, aren''t you going to finish your bread, dear apple?"


    "I''m not hungry. And I''m saving it for a cheerful bastard who''s salivating for it."


    The child replied as he rubbed his eyes, attempting to wipe away the dark blur that obscured his vision.


    "It''s not good to use words like that... If Dan heard you... He''ll just toss you to the sharks..." Jerome cautioned, reacting to the child''s harsh words.


    When the child finally opened his eyes wide, he noticed a blond boy eagerly digging into a hearty meal, while a chilly breeze ruffled their casual clothes and messy hair.


    Glancing around, he realized they were perched on their favorite spot¡ªthe wall of the orphanage, facing one another. His eyes widened as he saw the distant open sea and a colossal circular structure looming above the clouds on the far side of the town.


    "What''s with that silence? Did you get no presents for this festival?"


    "Tha--"


    "Ah, damn! I''m done already! Can''t you just bring more every time?"


    "It''s because you behave like this, they tell me to stay away from you."


    "Ahh... Mother, you think like that about me?"


    "Heeey! Quit that! Quit that before you wreck our home and our reputation!"


    Even after a few shouts and uncomfortable statements, Jerome broke into laughter, forcing the child to burst out laughing too.


    The cold winds may have aroused his suspicions, but all he could think of at the moment was that it was just another day.


    But the child''s loud voices soon fell silent when another faint voice called out to Jerome. And Jerome, being seven years older than the child, quickly understood the situation when he saw the kid in the bob cut.


    He takes a moment to look back at the child before jumping off the 4.3 meter stone wall, landing barefoot on the rough ground with a thud, dirtying his folded trousers once again.


    However, before leaving with the other orphan, he turned and threw a crumpled piece of paper at the child, which hit him on the head and landed in his hands.


    "A present from me! Hope you don''t wet your pants!"


    "How can a present do that! Or rather, it is not a present if it can do that!"


    With a smile on his face, the child nonchalantly opened the paper and chuckled at the first line, which was easily read from the top of the page.


    "Happy Halloween...?"


    But as soon as he opened the paper completely, he saw a rough picture of some kind of jagged creature, sketched with simple charcoal strokes.


    Unprompted, his breaths quickened, his heart fought for space, his ears whistled to warn him, and when his eyes gave life to the image, his body instinctively tried to flee, forgetting the high wall, leading to a huge fall.


    His breaths left no room to let the screams out. His injured hand failed to call for him. His eyes remained fixated on the paper resting precariously on the wall.


    A black hand recklessly shot out, seizing the clattering wall as the devil menacingly emerged from the paper.


    "Just a little more. Hehe..."


    The demonic beast lunged at the child, finally drawing out a terrified scream from him.


    His lungs tried their best to help the child to not faint, but his bleeding hand thought otherwise. His eyelids forced him to sleep while his blurred eyes tried to take stock of the situation.


    "It''s going to be all right. Try, try to say your name. Dad or Mum will be here soon, so don''t be scared. I''ll be here, so ask for anything. Okay? Kid?"


    In a dark, strange place, with few lights that looked almost like will-o''-the-wisps to the bruised eye, a sweet and oddly familiar voice tried to soothe him as she tied a handkerchief to stop the bleeding, but failed to get past his ringing ears.


    When he saw the only person distancing herself for a fraction of a second, his hand involuntarily sought help and reached for the lady. However, before help could arrive, the devil''s hands, already clutching the child''s legs, dragged him down into the sinister darkness.


    "Huh!" came an exclamation out of the blue, quickly followed by a horrendously loud and bloodcurdling scream.


    As a child he is, he began to cry for his parents. His cries for help grew louder with every second he fell, shouting out all the names he knew. Falling into the darkness...


    The screams continued.


    Even as his whole body buckled against the object that had fallen upon him...


    The screams continued.


    Even as his pitiful arm was impaled by an unknown creature''s hard and sturdy limb...


    The screams continued.


    His voice was extinguished after his head struck the collapsing rubble. It remained silent as he was tossed around by various creatures and debris. It remained silent even as he was submerged in unknown fluids.


    It remained silent as long as the unconscious boy violently careened through the chaos, catapulted to an undefined terrain, causing him to tumble and harshly crash into a solid wall.


    "Wake up!"


    With a gasp hard enough to fill his chest beyond capacity, the child leaned forward, eyes wide... only to see a vicious creature slithering and dashing towards him. Involuntarily, his body tried to retreat backwards, making him fall through the stockpile of dried stag hides.

 5. Will the sea of opportunity drown me… (3)

    He fell face up, looking at a silhouette as his face was shadowed by the same figure. His worries disappeared and his mind was renewed.


    "Oh, Dad! Never thought--"


    "What''s the matter with you?... Why can''t you behave?"


    His father''s intolerant remark took the child by surprise. He tried to get to his feet as his father left him behind, but another hand caught him roughly by the shoulder.


    Ignoring the child''s feeble "Ouch", "How hard is it to listen to your elders? Huh?" Dan uttered in a low but irritated tone as he pushed him away.


    Hitting his back to the wall, the child plopped down and stared at an empty plate.


    "Is it fun to hear the sound of us wailing?" she asks in a stern tone, her voice tinged with apathy.


    The child was about to raise a question in a low voice, but was forced to remain silent at the sight of displeasure on his mother''s face.


    "Who do you like more?" she continued, "I like my husband more. So you better not be a nuisance to him too..."


    "I''m not doing it because I want to..." the child spoke in a fragile tone.


    "Do you mean to tell me that you''re doing this to make me remember how pathetic I am?!" Glenn inquired with a serious expression.


    Perplexed, the child quickly turned to the old man, but was again forced into silence.


    "Are you bragging that you are alive and my son is dead? Are you implying that you are better than him?...... You are not my son... Go... go away! Right now!"


    The anxious child withdrew slowly as he saw the old man about to throw the bread at him.


    But the stone aimed at his head veered off course, striking the child''s hand instead as he stood helplessly with his back to the wall. Disregarding the cries of pain, the boy with the bobbed haircut seized the child, who was nearly his age, by the hair and savagely drove his head back against the wall.


    "How many times do I have to smash your head before you understand ''Stay away from Jerome''?" he pressed on, battering the child''s head, "Do you really think we need your sympathy?! Always flaunting your mother''s cooking! Always feeling superior because you have parents! Is that it?! Huuuh?!"


    The resentful boy tightened his grip on the hair and yanked it with such force that it sent the child tumbling to the ground.


    Gradually, the child dragged himself to a haphazard corner as his weak legs refused to support him... or perhaps due to his shattered kneecap and protruding shinbone.


    Once again, his entire being seemed to be urging him to recall the agony, but a flutter of a modest¡ªfar from extravagant¡ªcloth captured his attention, as if the world had cast a spotlight on the spoiled, solid black mantle cape.


    The figure of a person confronting the bizarre creatures racing toward him went unnoticed, but regretfully, his words did not.


    "Yes, just sit there and cry. Nothing you do will bring change."


    As the rampaging creatures engulfed the mysterious figure, the heinous devil bent down from behind the child, and muttered, "Tch, tch... More... a little more..."


    The impatient demon raked up the child, forcing him to stand upright as it shoved him through the hanging dried stag hides.


    Standing in the scorching heat, the last thing he needed were his father''s lethargic remarks, which dismissed a child''s natural curiosity and impulsiveness.


    "It must be nice for you to be so carefree. My life is hard enough, and you... Tch"


    Bound tight with a bristly rope and on the verge of being tossed into the well, his ineffable soul was wounded by his relative''s strict words, which ignored the child''s earnest effort.


    "I don''t expect anything from you, other than to act as you''ve been taught! Right?!"


    Standing at the partially opened door, blocking the intruding sunlight, he bit his lower lips, unable to find the motherly love he desperately sought.


    "If only I knew you were going to be like this, I wouldn''t have bothered having you..."


    Soiled by the dirt from his fall, he steadied himself, ready to flee, unable to confront the old man''s words, which he had deliberately evaded all this time.


    "You took away my son! You! He was such a brilliant young man! Give him back!"


    Standing in front of the towering wall, he felt so little, even with his head high, seeking solace from his only now-silent friend as others relentlessly pushed him back.


    "You know... Our lives would be so much better without you..."


    That was the only thing echoing in his mind.


    Even though the person in front of him has been replaced, the words reverberated the same. Even as he stumbled back from the hanging hides, as he fell into the well, as the door shut on his face, as he landed on the gnarl of filthy roots, as he got beaten down...


    ...and as he plummeted into the abyss, his teary eyes watching them, not even extending a helping hand. Ultimately, crashing into the cupped hands of the devil, as he lay there staring at the broken roof that shone no light.


    Yet, the child did not let a single tear fall.


    It is true that all this time the child was burdened with ugly realities, but they were merely an imitation of self-doubt. But the projection of the child''s mind, lying in the palms of the devil, truly has yet to shed a tear.


    Perdant De La Porte Divis¨¦e; a blessing that allows the user to pry open the doors of the mind construct... However, it is mostly limited to that. Even if he can arrange the doors to his liking, they are not the truth, nor will they become the truth.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The perverted devil knew of this, yet he believed that in itself would be enough to break a child''s peace...... Disregarding the doors that he thought were of no value... the doors that taught the child the values.


    The ignorant demon clasped his palms, letting the harsh realities flow again.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    But the scary part is that even if this brat clings to life, his sanity is already a lost cause. Ew, did that just send chills down my spine?


    "I''m only adding this because I really want your full focus here."


    With a hand counting the points, I slowly start to move towards the severed hand.


    "One, they can''t move when he activates his power, so the child won''t be physically harmed. Two, any external force can easily break their trance, so I better hurry to enjoy the result. Three, take responsibility for what you have done to me."


    "......"


    Stopping at the souvenir he refused, "And four, I would like to make a throne out of your living corpse to sit on and watch the kid go crazy."


    "You really have bad hobbies¨C" he voice stopped at the sight of a hand flying towards him. Simply deflecting it with a casual flick of his wrist, he prepared to counter the demon charging at him with a black spike.


    "The mouth works from a dead man are no pleasure to me," I jumped, readying the black spike to stake.


    Yet again, with a mere redirection of my hand, he plunged the spike into my chest, causing an obscure black blood to seep out. As my red legs strained to push the immovable man away, he incessantly pressed the stake deeper, taunting, "You are the one mimicking a dead man, you pervert..."


    "Yeah..." leaning my left shoulder back, "But too bad for you this dead man is immortal!" I exclaimed, ensnaring him in my legs as the spinning hand reattached itself.


    With giving him no time to think, I protruded the red spike to stab him from behind. Yet, with his stubborn defense, he put down his right arm to intercept the strike. However...


    "Forgetting something?" his pupil dilated as my comment showed him what he had overlooked.


    Repositioning his arm and slamming me hard into the ground simultaneously, he made the rubbery hand to arch awkwardly above his head, causing the spike to drive into the ground due to the sudden shift in momentum.


    With my grip loosened on him for a second, he quickly created distance between us.


    Slowly rising to my feet, I pulled my hand out of my chest while the other hung limply below my waist. Despite my failed attempts, my shadowy face definitely had a satisfied grin on it.


    "Come on, give me a challenge. You''re making the moths drawn to the flame look like a high priest," I said, gradually retracting the spike.


    "Yes, father, but there are just too many conditions around that loincloth!" he exclaimed, stretching his right hand to the side.


    "You better work your brain rather than working on conjuring your weapon out of thin air."


    "It was worth a try. And as for you, a spike sticking out above the waist is black and fragile, while one below the waist is red and sturdy because the bone has broken through and turned into a spike! And that''s just the beginning! Ahhhh!!!"


    "And do you know why I chose this blessing?"


    "Because the name sounds as indecent as you?"


    -The partial translation of BENIfudasousakKOSHI is likely something red below waist-


    "Because it can put the man titled ''Domovoy'' to shame," I nonchalantly flicked a black spike at his chest, which he failed to catch, leaving a black stain on his breastplate.


    However, it wasn''t my intention to harm him, and he too understood it, evident in his dissatisfied face.


    "So the black spike turns into paint when you release it?"


    "Ohh... Looks like you have resolved yourself firmly. Not even flinching at the mention of that guilty title..."


    "And what''s the deal with the red spike? I''ve always heard a different story."


    Seems like a little explanation is in order.


    "Firstly, the whole interpretation is a bit off," stretching one of my hands out, "The spikes are not black and red. Everything about me above my waist appears black, while everything below appears red."


    "Secondly, once I extend a spike, I can''t shift it to a different color zone," gently lowering the black spike below my waist, "Else it disappears," which vanished like a shadow in the changing light.


    "Thirdly, once they''re released, they are not spikes anymore. They become [Ôý(fuda)]¡ªlabels or tags. As you''ve seen, the black tag can''t harm you, and the red tag will make you wish that it should have never reached you!"


    ¡¾Ïà¡¿(Sou)


    Startled, the piece of iron stepped back instinctively. It was probably, no, it was obviously due to his perception of the world being altered.


    This blessing gives the user heightened senses, but robs them of their sight, or rather, everything they see is in varying shades of red with minimal detail. Paired with limited movement due to the nature of the spikes. Tch, tch.


    Some kind of fairy power with so many down sides, but one more chance to feel fair was this and different perks to the tags.


    "So, Domovoy. How''s the world looking? Or how''s half of the world looking?"


    "A trick that makes me perceive anything below your waist as a shadow¡ªpitch black. Just the thought of moving my legs is unsettling, even though I can feel my legs, but it''s still creepy."


    "Slightly different for me. I''m blind to the world above my waist, and anything below it is a various shades of red."


    "Having information and actually experiencing it is totally different! Incredible..."


    "Just like sex, right? Ew, man! Ew! You are such a bad influence! Since when am I talking like this?"


    Indeed, as mentioned, he perceives the world half black. Like a man half submerged in the calm black lake.


    The black plane¡ªthe flat expanse of the black water¡ªis perpendicular to the direction of gravity.


    So even with my unusual moments, the part of the loincloth farthest from the ground serves as the base of this black plane.


    And, of course, my world feels like being in the center of a street at midnight, illuminated solely by the red lights that shine beneath my waist.


    The man''s eyes were shut tight, lost in the direness of the situation as he pinched his chin thoughtfully.


    With a casual roll of his eyes, he asked, "You do know I can fight blind, right?"


    "This is not the world of [Karma] you know of, right?" I shot back wryly.


    He stepped closer, probably with a smirk on his face, "Thought so," he muttered, just before his legs disappeared with a soft whoosh.


    Sh*t! He noticed!


    At once, I extended the red spikes and crossed them overhead. But the thought pattern of my defense was neatly read, and his vanished legs suddenly appeared perilously close to me.


    And before the curses could escape my lips, a brutal strike to my plexus sent me hurtling backward, rolling before I crumpled to the ground.

 5. Will the sea of opportunity drown me… (4)

    "So this bleak surface can rise and fall, but it won''t tilt," he remarked, his right fist ready to throw another brutal strike to my reeling form.


    However, my right black spike shot out, piercing his arm and halting another blow.


    "Why are the black spikes still around, exhibitionist? And don''t lie, I saw them emerge from below."


    "You would know if you just let me finish my explanation!" I launched my left black spike at his head, but he dodged with a slight head tilt and caught it with his left.


    "Probably because of this murky surface," he said to himself, ignoring me.


    No wonder he said nothing when I called him a freak fanatic. His sharp wit is genuinely intimidating. It felt almost pointless to be cautious.


    "Yes, irritably true. In this state, they can move to any zone, with me controlling their disadvantages."


    "So many conditions, it almost feels useless."


    "Not in my hands..."


    I snapped the fragile stake pinned to the ground with a hasty flick and extended another one, swinging it to cut off his head¡ªor at least where it should have been.


    However, it wasn''t his head that came crashing down, it was the same stake, covered in a red liquid.


    Ignoring it, I drew back my left hand, but by the time I realized that my fist was missing, he had already driven my own fist with the stake into my thigh, preparing to amputate my leg.


    A careless mistake I made in swinging my right hand had confirmed his suspicion.


    With a feeble kick to his left leg, I made him stumble forward, opting to retreat instead of confronting this savage man.


    "HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"


    "What''s so funny, you hunk of metal?!!!"


    "Haha... ''Not in my hands!'' AHAHAHAHA!!!"


    ¡¾Ïà¡¿(Sou)


    "Eh? Why are you deactivating it? Is having zero perception above waist really that troublesome?"


    As I reattached my fist, my mind drifted into a haze. No, it was forced into contemplation. The impatient swing I made in the dark signaled that I had no perception of the dark world.


    How much anguish did Hidesato endure to best himself? Why was he so loyal to this flawed humanity? Even after they had burdened him with such a harassing title...


    I truly wanted to stay away from your fighting technique, not wanting to tarnish it with my amateurism. Yet, it seems I must rely on your skill. So, let me express my gratitude for assisting me with this daunting task.


    "Human..."


    A single word was sufficient to signal the firmness in my voice, instantly bringing a serious expression to his face¡ªenough to stop his laughter as he lay there.


    Hunching steadily, my hands dangling, "I am not trying to act cool..."


    Gradually bringing out the spikes, "I will prove that every word I''ve spoken is true."


    My face changes to a shade of red, "The truth that I am going against my ideals."


    Leaning below my waist, "The truth that I am going to shame you."


    Turning into a blood devil, poised to charge, "The truth that you can''t protect. Again."


    ¡¾Ïà¡¿(Sou)


    Reintroduced to the dark sight, a red demon melded with shadows heralding the start of the final struggle, in time with the rising intensity of the toccata and fugue.


    ¡¾Ïà¡¿(Sou)


    The instantaneous change in visibility made the human instinctively duck¡ªknowing I had only turned this phase off to look up¡ªin anticipation of a strike from above, but ended up on the tip of a red stake before it drove into his right shoulder.


    As sharp as his wit is, he quickly understood that creating distance was the last thing he should be doing and tried to grab me, ignoring his punctured shoulder. However, the red tag finally penetrated his endless defense.


    If we look at the physical properties of the red spike, aside from the red tag, we find that while the black spike is labeled as fragile, the red spike is not only sturdy, but also has another terrific feature.


    Look closely at the spine; it is menacingly covered with backward pointing barbs, each imitating a splinter of glass. Helping not only to pierce through flesh with ease but also making it excruciatingly painful while extracting them.


    Not one, not a thousand, but tens of thousands, collectively worked together to elicit the first cry from this madman.


    A pain so great that it can remind anyone of the first time they thorn-riddled themselves in an abrupt mishap. A pain so great that perhaps only a mother''s concerned chiding can ease the pain as they are pulled out.


    ¡¾Ïà¡¿(Sou)


    A giant leap backwards to distance myself while he was lost in agony was taken, but this unusual form caused me to slip, and the human''s eye, which was coincidentally aligned with the horizon, noticed the disturbance in the shadows.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    At this point, the tendency of the human with the hole in his right arm and shoulder is almost readable. The left arm that tried to grab my right horn was ready to be staked with a black stake.


    Like hell I''d let myself get caught again! If I had, he would probably have caught my stake just to get my hand and eventually me.


    As I made the rough retreat, the human leapt towards me, not wanting to lose sight(?) of me. Despite being dropped flat on the surface, I crawled away like a dragon lizard.


    He might feel his legs, but that is all his perception is limited to. Just like me, who have zero perception of light and faint perception of sound above the waist.


    "Don''t rush... I will reach you eventually... Ah, you can''t hear me..."


    Within the shadow barely reaching his knee and the red spike dug into his calf. "That''s for trying to amputate me," the red spike grated against his muscle.


    Time to take advantage of the human on his knee.


    The black surface ascended slowly as I swerved around him, and another spike drove into his lower abdomen. If you recognized the ferocity of this human, you also knew that the stake that had impaled him was now in his grasp... But not a problem.


    Bracing myself against his shoulders for the next swift move, I emerged from the shadows, while submerging him until his head was alarmingly close to mine. In a flash, I lifted the red spike just above the darkness and shattered it as I leapt away from him with the kinetic energy built up in my legs.


    Once again, I successfully created some distance. However, I still hadn''t managed to sever his legs, which were crucial for activating the red tag. It''s not that I couldn''t activate it now, but immobilization was necessary to create the exact scenery.


    The bloody world to stand in, the abandoned world to gaze at.


    Next... Huh? The right hand... This is not a cut, but a blunt damage.Did he actually succeed in pinching off my muscle in such a short time? He... Hehe... Quite the character.


    This power is [: Base limited] for a reason, and this human is proving the point. Let''s just mix in some of my moves.


    That impressive spine of this human kept him standing tall. It didn''t even waver at the sight of the devil rising from the murky shadow. I simply stood there, with barely any movement, yet it conveyed to him as a mere taunt and charged at me.


    With a flick of my right hand aimed directly at his sight, he instinctively blocked it with his already injured right hand. That hand, which I had previously impaled, was once again pierced by my own right hand I had severed myself.


    Still, the human pressed forward, only to be skewered by the red spike hidden from his sight. Heeding no mind to my actions, he hugged me tightly. To say it was an embrace might be a lie, but let''s just say it wasn''t because I don''t know what I''m feeling.


    Barging his salivating jaws, he sank his teeth deep into my cervical muscles. "Take whatever you can. Take how much ever you can. Take this as my gratitude," twisting the stake, "...for showing me the heretic that I am," I continued, yanking it out ruthlessly as his muffled screams sang a lullaby in my ears.


    His metal nails began to claw into my back, but getting any closer would be foolish. Hidesato would never let himself be so close to his foes, but unlike him, I''m an immortal confronting an unarmed human.


    My guess was binary as I threw away my fist, anticipating his movements based solely on what I could see, but now to retrieve it......


    The human didn''t have much of a grip, as his hands came loose relatively easily after a brief tussle. Unconfident in my ability to pull him down, I wrapped my legs around his waist and arched back.


    In that fleeting moment of surprise as he watched the shadow change sides, I kicked my severed fist away from him.


    Seizing the momentum, I sprang straight back at him, leaving the shards of glass into him again... and again... and again... Countless stakes skewered, many blades shattered, drenched in his own blood, silenced by the agony of every last barb in him, enough to hate your own existence. Yet... this human stood tall.


    With his movements growing sluggish, the red devil rampaged, the world was ridiculed by the shifting shadows, leaving him no choice but to witness the hopelessness dancing around him.


    Along with that, I made one last rush towards his unsteady feet, determined to make him kiss the ground... And I succeeded in completing the last piece of the puzzle.


    ¼tÔýÏà²ìÑü (Benifudasousakkoshi); this blessing didn''t have a black tag. It was only to simplify the understanding that such a lie was made up. So what was the black paint? It was just a shadow that lost its host, trying its best to not also to lose its existence.


    The crimson tag, Benifuda, relies on the miniature thorns embedded within the enemy. The thorns that were deserted by the red stake, the thorns that are concealed from the red realm, the thorns that resent their host for losing them.


    Including the major condition being that the victim stays in the red world.


    With all the extensive movements and continuous world alterations, the red thorns that failed to stay in the red world may have vanished, yet those that remain should be more than sufficient.


    ¡¾¼tÔý¡¿(Benifuda)


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA


    It is a call to them... A summon to inform them that their host is beckoning them. A summon to urge them to rush towards me¡­


    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH


    The air became thick with the cries of human suffering. Neither the pounding against the ground nor the harsh coughs of bad blood was enough. Moreover, the absence of the summoned thorns only confirmed the prolongation of the ongoing misery.


    HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH


    There was no way that the dispassionate call of their master could satisfy their abhorrence, causing the pouted crimson needles to distance themselves from me, even if it meant ambling deep into the victim with their phantom limbs.


    HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"


    Maintaining the distance, I steadily rise to my feet as a swell of pride(?) fills my chest with each gasp of air.


    Surely, this must be one last effort from the human, I mused, watching him spring forward in a desperate lunge from the tips of his toes. A pitiful effort, driven by a bloodied head, destined to end beneath my foot... once again, painting the canvas with the same unchanging hues of red and black.


    His screams became muffled cries as I continued to push his head deep into the ground, muttering, "Will that count as shameful enough?"


    There he goes again, trying to cop a feel¨C Tsk, tsk! Moving his feeble fingers in an attempt to still get a grip on me. After a casual kick to his face, I turn my attention to the brat as the man loosens his grip.


    Slowly extending a red spike, "And now¡­ To show you that you are gonna fail once again..."


    "True that..."


    With a sharp inhale, I quickly turned around, and before I could fully grasp that the human who should have been there was absent, a fierce strike hit my head, sending me rolling to the floor and reminding me of the only disrespect I know.

 6. Or will it carry me to the shores of hope and change? (1)

    "I know, even if you didn''t remind me."


    Not even allowing myself to emerge from the shadows, I focused all my attention back on the human, clenching my teeth in disbelief.


    "When I ran for my breath, I lost my home¡­"


    Wait? What''s that smell?


    Once again¡­ another blow struck me, sending me scrambling, still hiding in the shadows as I tried to gather my thoughts.


    "When I stopped for my love, I lost my hatred¡­"


    Again! A swift blow struck my head, and to my shock, I realized my right hand was missing. Yet, I pushed aside the bizarre loss and focused on the more pressing danger, drawing another spike.


    "No matter how loudly I called out the name of the land"¡ªAbove me?!¡ª"to remind myself of my pride in them¡­"¡ªNo! In front!¡ª"This heart cannot escape the guilt that drove me to seek that pride."


    A sudden clash of blades ripped through the air, loud enough to ring my deaf ears.


    "What are you doing?! Why the hell am I being predicted?!"


    "Even Hidesato himself, ugh¡­" the man who swung his blade to sever my head struggled to stay on his feet, blood spilling from his lips as he muttered, "¡­died protecting the beliefs of his people when he¡­"


    "Burned in a house fire set by those same people! So what?! ¡­wait, fire? The smell!"


    The claws he had dug into my back earlier, the fleeting touches during those frantic movements, each time he doused me with the gunpowder?! How naive I was to think it was just these surroundings, foolish me!


    In the instant I lost myself in the thought of the strange smell, he lunged at me. There was another brief tussle, but it was nothing like what I remembered¡ªjust like this human. His abrupt and rapid movements made me wonder why he is so¡­ Fast!


    "What kind of pig are you to be able to smell such a distinct scent?!"


    "Given the conditions that''s not possible," he drove the thorn into my hand and pulled me closer as he continued, "All I needed was a faint wisp of the smoke¡­"


    "That doesn''t explain how you set me on fir--AHH!!!"


    ¡¾Ïà¡¿(Sou)


    It felt almost fated that I was not even given the chance to pull away.


    "How can you move, you piece of tin?! Aren''t you feeling any pain?!"


    Taking advantage of the difference in the perspectives and my hand trapped in his grasp, he began his barbarity.


    "You are the one who called me a dead man¡­"


    He stabbed the stake into my hand, ripping through the muscle, and then forced his hand through the wound to tighten his hold on my bicep.


    "Cut with that bullshit!"¡ªGrabbing his collarbone.


    "Just because of that you can take a bashing?!"¡ªHeadbutting him.


    "Just because of that you can endure the pain?!"¡ªApplying pressure to the injury.


    "Just because of that you can push forward?!"¡ªI reattached my hand and severed the other as I kicked him.


    Changing his grip on my severed hand, he held it as if to use it as a feeble club.


    "And you also referred to yourself as life¡­"


    "Huuuh?!"


    Frustration overwhelmed me, lunging me towards him as I aimed to push him to his limits. I flung the black tag at his sharp eyes that grazed the irritating itch in my head, and drew a red stake.


    With a swift motion, I swung it along his knee, anticipating a counter that could help me reclaim the limb I had lost. He may be fast, but I have confidence in mine too.


    "Then I must show you¡­" he muttered as he stomped on my foot.


    Whipping the rubbery hand, I successfully drove the stake into his thigh.


    "That no matter how much you shame me¡­"


    I proceeded with the determination of making a thorned tower, even at the risk of my head in a deadlock with my own severed hand.


    "¡­I must force myself to sleep through the night of humiliation!"


    I saw the man grunting softly through his bloodied jaws, crimson drops falling onto his hand, but it wasn''t either of our blood.


    "No matter how many times I have to wake up to the same day!"


    It was merely a distorted view of my own saliva.


    "I will keep going until I rise to a peaceful morning!"


    Ah¡­¡­


    "After all¡­"


    Such a distorted view¡­¡­


    "Dawn will always pierce through any darkest night!"


    Unlike the strangulation I expected, he gave my body a vile toss.


    There was no lie in his words, which was evident in his swift action. There was no time to think of a counter, or rather, he was simply faster than what I could process, each strike forcing me to retreat.


    Where the hell is all this explosive energy coming from? Has he been hiding it all along? Why would he do that? He¨C


    A swift blow to my jaw, almost strong enough to knock me out, sent me into deeper contemplation, so deep that I vehemently tore into the instincts of any vulnerable prey¡­


    Run!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª©–


    "Why won''t you show me¡­? That pitiful side of you!"


    The twisted black demon, ever patient, remained fixated on his singular aim of seeing the bellowing sight of the child in distress.


    Yet he found himself unable to accomplish what he deemed an easy task, even after attempting to show a blend of hopeful and despairing realities, which he believed should be enough to crush any unyielding spirit.


    Deep down, he was convinced he could succeed, for he saw the child huddled in his cupped hands, hugging his own legs as if clinging to life itself.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Feeling that this was the moment to break the child''s faith in his own beliefs, the demon leaned in closer as he let out an eerie groan, ready to weave a new nightmare¡­


    ¡­but the unexpected roll of the child''s eyeball to stare at the demon''s unfounded confidence caught him off guard, causing him to lurch back.


    The discomfort was unmistakably evident on his detail-free face.


    Taking advantage of his staggering form, a door suddenly burst open.


    And before the demon could even react to the sound, before he could even register the sharp sound that ripped through the air, a thick, black bar shot through the darkened ceiling, and mercilessly impaled him from above.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Any attempt to flee was proved futile, but at least each blow that struck me gradually brought me back to reality. As confident as I was in myself, I was equally naive.


    I was too late to realize my grated and battered body. But at least in time to¡­


    "But you know it too! That what I said was true!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. "You can''t and will never¨C"


    Another crushing blow landed on my mouth, sending blood splattering. "Don''t make me repeat myself¡­" he replied in an annoyed tone, tinged with a sense of helplessness.


    Pulling me closer, his eyes shut in discontent as he muttered under his breath, "You don''t get to test my resolve¡­"


    Taking advantage of the man''s brooding as he softened his forced stance, I made another attempt to flee, ignoring my severed hand. However, before I could make a full turn, his grip on my hand suddenly tightened.


    "¡­¡­you don''t get to decide it."


    I strained with all my might, only to find that each tug proved that escape was impossible.


    "Others don''t get to decide¡­"


    A solution remained elusive. Despite the memories of how easily my limbs could be severed, I couldn''t figure out how to recreate it.


    "Well, even I was the same. Every time I felt lost¡­"


    The pummeling ceased, as if his words demanded attention.


    "I foolishly questioned the determination of the bee that sacrificed itself to protect its hive."


    And as if to suggest that I was to hurt myself.


    Perhaps not, but that is how I felt. To rip off my own arm to get away as quickly as possible.


    "I foolishly questioned the resolve of a tree that let go of the hands of its children like leaves to protect itself."


    The jutted horn on my head remorselessly dug into my shoulder, and I screamed, desperate to dislodge the bone and tear through the muscle.


    "Every time I pondered, every time I bled with guilt, I questioned and questioned and questioned!"


    Balancing myself to avoid falling, I prepared for a sprint. But, as bizarre as it may sound, he threw my arms back to me and made them reattach themselves.


    "But after we walked the path, supporting each other''s shoulders¡­"


    In that fleeting moment of distraction, he lifted his right hand high, and wisps of air began to gather in his palm.


    "The answer became clear¡­"


    As his voice regained its calm, the disorderly gathering began to take shape. The shape of a¡­


    This¡­ This can''t be¡­! No, it''s impossible!!!


    "Holding what I can; bearing what I must. Consequently, realizing¡­"


    His grip tightened around the long, long, long blade, poised to strike down. With a limited choice of actions, I readied myself for the strike while simultaneously surrendering my body and spirit to his harbinger of doom.


    "¡­that I am the only one who could truly decide for myself."


    The air shattered with a thunderous roar as his strike cleaved through the very essence of our conflict.


    Every piece of my flesh, every ounce of my soul, every part of my existence that was in its path, convulsed against the impact¡­¡­ but strangely, the damage I felt disappeared in an instant.


    "You really have high senses, huh?!"


    Or rather, the damage I felt wasn''t linear to my thought, completely evident in his chirpy remark.


    "Looks like the gamble worked¡­"


    Huh? Gamble? What is he¨C?


    The unnecessary mulling came to an end as soon as I realized that I was plopped down with no foreseen damage.


    By gamble¨C This man¡­ Just to prove me wrong¡­ So the reason he returned my arms was to make me pause, to catch me off guard, and seizing the opportunity, he used my high senses to project a false image of this weapon?


    Does this mean that this was all planned? And I¡­


    "Should just accept that?! Do you think you are safe that¨C"


    "Buddy?"


    "What the hell is your problem?!!! Huh?!!!"


    I directed my frustration at the buffoon who was shedding his thin black skin, exposing his¡­ or changing into his new skin¡ªan illuminating pure white skin.


    "Wh-What are you¡­?"


    "Would you please allow me to take some of your time for my reflection?"


    Why the hell are you talking like that?! More like, what the hell am I doing here?!!!


    My confusion was answered in a flash as I looked at the man walking past us.


    So it wasn''t just the last bit that he had colluded with fate for his scheme. Then¡­ Since when?


    Since I turned my back towards him?


    No, he just showed his true speed at that time.


    But why did he hide it? Why didn''t he just stop me to begin with?


    No, he did display it when he tried to maim me.


    Did knowing I was immortal change anything?


    No, he changed his ways a bit before that. When he saw the child¡­ When he saw my power¡­


    Power?!!!


    Not power, but powers! This son of a mammoth''s power!


    Since then?!!!


    Being unaware of his powers, he made me blurt out every detail he needed!


    No! It was certainly before that! Since he first ripped my hand and changed his position!


    Assessing the distance. Ascertaining the situation. Gathering the information. Strategizing a solution. All while keeping me unaware of it.


    Yet, it still doesn''t add up. Why did he leave me unharmed? What is he so sure of?


    "Well then, Buddy¡­"


    "What the¨C Ah¡­"


    Was it this¡­? Seriously¡­?


    The reason he only attempted to restrain me was so that he could immobilize both me and this fool simultaneously. By ensnaring me in his bizarre illusion¡­


    Was this also a gamble¡­? To see if it would work¡­


    Probably not¡­ It was likely the kick I delivered to this imbecile''s head that led the human to believe this strategy would work¡­ A simple display that I am on bad terms with this fool.


    So, this is a human?


    A human who has come to terms with the taunting world.


    Definitely not captivated, but I remained still because of his unshakeable spirit. I surrendered to his game and allowed this white figure to take me along for the ride.