《Heavenly Demon Reborn: Earth's Last Hope is a Madwoman!》


 1. Wrath Most Dreaded Above and Below

    Heavenly Demon Yanara.


    In many, this name invoked respect and admiration.


    In many others, resentment and trepidation.


    His allies worshipped his overwhelming demonic prowess.


    His enemies feared his brutal strength and callousness.


    Some whispered of his kind, gentle demeanor.


    How he''d help the old live and the children survive.


    How he''d arm his people with knowledge and purpose hand in hand.


    They spoke of his smile, bright, humble.


    They spoke of his gaze, warm, forgiving.


    As if he were a descendant from heaven.


    Some yet shouted of his ruthless, relentless nature.


    A tyrant who''d mercilessly thwart all who stood in his wake be they innocent or ignorant.


    A monster who wouldn''t bat an eye at depriving a child of their mother or a father of their child.


    They told of his inexorable viciousness.


    They told of his insurmountable wrath.


    As if he were a demon from hell.


    Still, very few, the lucky ones, the cursed ones, the formidable ones, lived to tell the tale of something worse, something darker, something far more terrifying, beyond the bounds of morality and mortality, and beyond the trails of blood and ashes and sundered destruction, hidden deeper within the extraordinary presence¡­


    Inoperable madness.


    As such, although in recent months the demon and his devil lair had shown no aggression, the martial masters from across the region stood on needles.


    Was the demon preparing for war? Worse even, about to break through to a higher level in cultivation, wasn''t he? The sole thing more frightening than unceasing assaults was this bizarre silence.


    Silence so bizarre that even the demon had no idea whatsoever.


    ¡°It hurts¡­¡± a young girl muttered, rolling on her bed, turning left and right, welling up and down, squeezing the bloody blanket in her hand. ¡°It fucking hurts¡­¡±


    She pressed her other hand hard on her eyes, blinded by burning sensations. Her nose bled. The innards of her head melted. The pain was unbearable.


    To suppress it, she bit her lip as hard as possible. Forcing a smile right after, she licked the blood flowing down her nose.


    Am alive? she wondered the very moment clarity hit her. Did I not fail in my ascension? The backlash was sure enough to kill me. A happy miscalculation? No fucking way. There are no accidents.


    She cracked her eyes open to be greeted by a cold ceiling. And darkness. Blinking repeatedly, she cleared the tears obstructing her vision. The irritation in her veined eyes made her feel deep inside a salty ocean. But no, it was just a room.


    Yet no regular room. To her far right stood a white table with no asymmetries. So much so that the lack of irregularities thereof made it irregular in her eyes.


    It looks¡­ modern? Just like the ones on Earth¡­


    A mere suspicion. Yet as her sight improved, she spotted a laptop, graphic tablet, weird headset, and posh-looking glasses atop the table¡­


    Also, a peculiar mirror¡­


    She looked at it, at the reflection ¡ª a pale, bloody mess. Chestnut hair so long it waved and reached the elbows. Emerald eyes so large they left the nose as little more than a button.


    Who is she? she wondered. Is this a portal? Why is she staring at me like a bitch¡ªThe narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    She gasped inaudebly. The reflection gasped. They both gulped.


    She lowered her eyes slowly, steadily, a bit more slowly than steadily. Nothing. Instead of the alp of muscles built by years of dedicated training, she saw two heavy slumps of meat.


    She immediately attempted to curse energy through her body. Nothing. The power to lift mountains, wield a weapon at sound speed, fly faster than a warplane ¡ª all gone.


    She threw the velvet away and watched in between her legs. Nothing.


    Heavenly Demon Yanara.


    A secret about him only a few people knew of¡ª


    Yanara wasn''t a name given to him in the same world as the title of Heavenly Demon was.


    He, in fact, had spent a lifetime in a faraway realm known as Earth. After his death, he transmigrated into the body of an orphaned boy in another world. Only from then on began the saga of the Heavenly Demon Yanara.


    He traversed the seven regions, served many families and schools, competed against the masters at their craft, cultivated the most torturous techniques, and walked a path less traveled to divulge the mysteries of his resurgence to life.


    But he ultimately failed.


    And now?


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Yanara chuckled. Staring back at the tabletop mirror, she broke into laughter. ¡°Pfhahahaha!¡±


    How excited she was!


    To solve the mysteries wasn''t a want but an obsession. A need. Whether as a man, as a woman or as a dog ¡ª she couldn¡¯t care less if it gave her another go at life!


    ¡°Man! Fuck, I mean¡ª Girl! You look good!¡±


    ¡°Your voice is so cutesy, bestie~¡±


    ¡°Surely you jest, mademoiselle~¡±


    She took deep breaths, in and out¡ª


    ¡°Pfffthahahah¡­¡± Her stomach hurt.


    It hurt.


    It hurt too much.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡±


    Yanara brought up her hand. Gentle. Slender and weak, pale and small. She brushed her thin fingers against her palm. No calluses. Soft, she felt.


    The pain softened too. Not in its totality, but she was used to much, much worse.


    Below her wrist lined a cut, slowly, as if magically, closing in on itself, in and of itself a bad omen.


    She propped herself up, settling her weight on her elbow as she bent forward. As suspected, amidst the damps of blood, vomit, and tears on her mattress, she discovered a razor lying near her lap. An assortment of drugs, also. Reds, blues, round, oval¡­ Painkillers, antibiotics, and whatnot ¡ª Yanara wasn''t sure of.


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± she tsked. ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a more painless way to off yourself, girly?¡±


    Was life ever worth giving up on? Few would color the world red for the slimmest chance to prolong it.


    Was life ever a gift worth any? Fewer still would wish they were never cursed to experience it.


    Who among them had any right to speak of left and right or right and wrong?


    The demon looked into the mirror.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if this helps, but I promise no more tears will fall from these curious eyes,¡± Yanara smiled lightly, her gaze soft, warm, yet distant all the same. ¡°Though I gotta say, you''ve got one hell of a forehead, young lady. Was that the reason? Did your dandy boyfriend dump you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I''ll fuck them up¡ª¡± The slight smile spread into an ugly grin. Ravenous, venomous, bestial, the beauty in her eyes faded into obscurity. Gone was the serenity in her face, imbued in darkness so pure not a single ray of light could reach the bottomless pit of malice within. ¡°Whoever did this to you.¡±


    ¡°But first¡ª¡± Yanara slapped a hand over her mouth, wary of hidden surveillance, like cameras or microphones, too late to realize it was kind of too late to shut up. Oof, just where the fuck am I? There is technology, at least. Looks like Earth, but who the heck knows? Can be anything. Well, a man¡ªugh¡ª a woman can dream, no? Surely shit can''t get any worse than in my second life.


    Compared to the world of war and horror where lives were but a mere currency in the hands of the incompetent, Earth struck her as a delusion of grandeur, a fantasy. At least from her memories of her first life, of which she didn¡¯t have much.


    Yanara glanced leftward at the floor-to-ceiling windows, dark in color. Perhaps an answer to her question lay therein. What kind of world would it be? One with crowded streets and merry families, or one brimming with ruins, disaster, and despair?


    Before she could muster enough strength and stand, the double doors opposite her opened. Not in a way a typical door would, but more akin to the ones in a supermarket that reacted to a signal.


    A brunette in a striped shirt, cuffs rolled and hanging, stepped in. Her skirt whisked against her knees as she froze, apparently bewildered, her mouth agape. Loose strands leftover from the grip of the braid resting on her shoulder fell over her freckled face.


    Yanara looked at her as the woman, more or less her physical age, stared down at her with wide eyes. Those hazel eyes were strangely calming. The type of person one would look for for homework.


    ¡°I can explain¡­¡± Yanara lied through her teeth, the gears in her head churning like no tomorrow. Make shit up and go along with the flow¡ª I''m not even sure what language they speak. Who the hell is this girl anyway?!


    She didn''t want to be sent to a mental asylum first things first, or, well, worse comes to worst, crucified. Not again.


    Wasn''t the experience she was fond of, per se.


    Act like any normal man¡ª girl this age would. I can''t just fuck this up straight out now, can I?


    Speaking of which, am I straight? Hopefully not. That''d be weird, so to speak, wouldn''t it? Or did they fuck with my head too?


    ¡°Sister¡­¡± The woman bent to her knees, grasping the bloody velvet Yanara threw away a moment before, shaking, bawling her eyes out. ¡°Why are you doing this¡­ Why?! Do you not care about me any bit¡­?¡±


    Fuck.


    Wait! She just spoke English, didn''t she?! No way¡­ am really back on Earth?! There is hope!

 2. Best Worst Elder Sister Ever

    Yanara scurried her gaze through the large room like a newborn kitten, curious and unwavering.


    Concrete walls, reinforced at that, stood clad with ceramic. Vanilla, she presumed the color.


    She then looked downward. Marble, she assumed, presided over the floor. White in color.


    How extravagant. Was she from the bourgeois, or did the median people get wealthier while she was out?


    Factually, in any given civilization, under the presumption of no outer interference or extreme variables, it followed as a matter of course that over time, the populace would become more prosperous, healthier, and the world less dangerous.


    What date was it anyway? Hundreds of years have passed since her outing. Though, no guarantees that the time would work similarly in what were possibly different dimensions.


    Heck, maybe it''s not Earth, but some paranormal parallel reality type shit, she nodded to herself bluntly, blank eyes arm in arm with a bland expression. Probably even worse, my luck considered. Inside a lab, being experimented on by some noodle-ass aliens. Hence the English.


    While she tried to fortune read herself, the woman, presumably her brand new sister, glimpsed upward at Yanara, her eyes a capsule of mourning. To see her dear sister not even heeding her a glance.


    Oh how shattered she must have been.


    ¡°It¡­ it''s fine, it really is¡­¡± she whimpered tearfully, sobbing after each and every word. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go to serve in the army if you don¡¯t want to¡­ I will be sure to talk our father out of it! Please don¡¯t harm yourself, Yana! Life is precious!¡±


    The girl''s pleas went from one ear out the other.


    Yanara picked her nose, plucking the hairs within. She reminisced about her close confidant, who used to refer to her as ¡®Yan¡¯.


    Unfortunately though, or well, mayhaps fortunately, the ancient dwarf had long bit the dust after betraying the demon''s trust. Dwarven bastards. Should''ve known better not to trust the dipshits. Could''ve saved me from a trip to Purgatory and meeting¡ª


    Yanara felt her sister¡¯s palm land on her bare lap, her other hand caressing her cheek.


    ¡°Why are you not responding?¡± the woman asked, her voice a tremble.


    Vulnerable, lowly, the demon¡¯s body looked no better than a bloodied corpse, as pale as a porcelain doll. She glanced at her sister, who stood arching above her eye level. Then, she smiled, weakly, and extended her hands, gesturing for a hug.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± she asked softly, eyes relaxed.


    The woman sat beside her, visibly puzzled. Was blood loss perhaps causing memory problems? She hugged her sister dearly. ¡°What¡¯s this weird question?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Yanara repeated herself, tightening her grip around the woman. Her voice was even softer, barely a whisper. ¡°Just tell me, would you?¡±


    ¡°Larissa¡­ is my name. But why do you ask? Don¡¯t you know it already?¡±


    ¡°I now know, Lisa.¡±


    Suddenly, Lisa felt something sharp stick against the artery on her neck. She instantly shuddered, but her wounded sister wouldn¡¯t let go. ¡°Now now, calm down, would ya? That¡¯s not the way to behave, Risa. You move one more bit, and I¡¯ll etch onto your neck a tattoo matching the one on my wrist~¡±


    Risa froze, terrified to breathe. The want to swallow was an itch she couldn¡¯t scratch. Any movement and blood would flood like water through a broken dam.


    ¡°You know, I''m not the brightest bulb in the box, but there''s still a tremendous gulf between us, Lara,¡± Yanara said, her voice even lower yet heavier all the same. ¡°I specialize in suffering, you see.¡±


    She patted the back of Lara¡¯s head. ¡°In these times of suffering, people reveal their colors. Some allies become enemies. Some adversaries become friends. In times of peril, you witness their true feelings. Adoration, hatred, pity, indignation, grandiosity, friendship, jealousy, love, envy, sorrow, and¡­¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Disappointment.¡±


    Lara didn¡¯t understand anything, yet she felt it. Her impending doom. Her inevitable death. What? How? Why? Her thoughts floundered. Tears welled, her lips shaking, sweat trickles forming faster than in a marathon. Words wouldn¡¯t form from her tongue.


    ¡°If you truly cared, you¡¯d be running to check my pulse. You¡¯d call for help and whatnot to save your precious sister. Yet it didn¡¯t cross your mind. Why? Because your heart didn¡¯t care. The words do nothing while the actions tell. You were the one who brought me into this state, weren¡¯t you, Essie? You want me dead, don¡¯t you?¡± Yanara licked her sister¡¯s ear, sniffing. ¡°I taste your fear. I smell the truth. I see the desperation. How does it feel to succumb to someone you deem unworthy of life? I hear the shivers running.¡±


    Essie heard it ¡ª her heart pounding, hammering outward, each beat rising and faster and rising again. Her hair stood on end, flaxen fibers whirling and whimpering in a whirlpool of withering fireworks on her crisp skin.


    ¡°The trauma you¡¯ve inflicted on me was so great that my memories vanished¡­ But something within me changed. I can feel it.¡± Yanara lowered her head, pressing it against her sister¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Amidst my confusion and greater sadness, I wonder one thing, Issa. Why do you want me dead?¡±


    This is for the best, she thought to herself, lowering her hands and throwing the razor beside the floating bed frame. I can¡¯t pretend to be someone I''m not with no prior info, as even the better half of the spies would struggle. The family will immediately notice if I try to become an Oscar-worthy actor¡ª actress, especially this bitch. The best I can do is distort the truth.


    If I meet her father¡ª our father with the comprehension I currently have, that is, none at all¡­ or any other person who knew the previous owner of my body, for a matter of fact, without a doubt, I''ll get busted, and in the worst case scenario, they''ll pull the truth out of me. Yanara leaned back, clamping her hands on her sister¡¯s ears, staring at her snotty face. But against Issa, I have leverage. She''s also a narrow-minded¡ª no, a weak-minded youngster. I can indirectly interrogate her and discover the lost memories.


    Suddenly, Issa slapped her hands away, sniffling in a fit of tears.


    ¡°What would you know?!¡± Issa screamed at the top of her lungs, exploding with fervor. ¡°Just because you were born a few seconds earlier than I did, you''ve become an heir to our household! And me?! I''m going to die at the frontlines, operating some stupid robot at best!¡±


    Hold the fuck down, did I hear that right? Yanara had a bad premonition, as though fate itself was laughing at what was about to come. Nobility? Fucking mecha robots? What the fuck¡ª


    Issa followed with her barrage after hiccupping for a little, ¡°So you always knew of my struggles and pretended to be ignorant!? What now? Are you going to tell the father that I tried to kill you? That I drove you to despair? Father will surely take your side even if these are lies! Nobody loves me anyway! From the very beginning, everyone adored YOU! You alone! You only! I never even amounted to a speck of dust in others'' eyes! Only a toy for you. Disappointment, you say?! You misunderstand! I hate you with all my heart! And you take your own life just because your boyfriend dumped you?! Hah! Hahahahah! Pathetic!!!¡±


    ¡­ So¡­ it''s a dandy boyfriend problem after all¡­ There¡­ there seems to be some sorta misunderstanding on my part¡ª


    ¡°Did the taste of death make you lose your mind too?! Though I wouldn''t be surprised if you truly forgot your only sister¡¯s name. I even admired you when we were kids. Hahahahah! Doesn''t that make me even more of a loser?¡± Tears flooded as Issa laughed crazily, her voice echoing, and cracking, and weakening, and¡­ ¡°I''m sorry¡­ I''m so, so sorry¡­ I didn''t mean it¡­¡±


    Issa hugged her sister''s body, rivers of tears sliding down her sister¡¯s slender shoulders. ¡°Are you really fine? You seem to have lost so much blood. It doesn¡¯t look critical,¡± she grasped her sister¡¯s wrist, ¡°The cut is thankfully shallow. There is no bleeding, and you¡¯re full of energy, it seems. You''re going to be alright, right? It''s fine if you tell the father it was me¡­ If you want to get rid of me so much¡­ My life isn''t worth anything anyway. But-but I''m so scared of death, Yana. I''m so scared! I don''t want to die! If our father really abandons me in the military¡­ what am I to do? Please don¡¯t do this to me!¡±


    But was that her sister, or merely a shell of her sister?


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Izzy.¡± Yanara finally said, ¡°And get the fuck off me. Stop fucking crying.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Before Izzy could muster another word, she saw lights. She was slapped and soon fell to the ground awkwardly. ¡°Ouch¡­¡±


    Enraged, she immediately stood and pointed a finger at the demon. ¡°What the fuck are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°Whatever the fuck I want to,¡± Yanara tsked. ¡°Becoming a proper elder sister.¡±


    Izzy hinged toward Yanara with a fist at ready that, by the looks of it, spoke of absolutely zero fighting experience.


    Yanara dodged it with a single flinch.


    Instead, Izzy tried to grab at her hair.


    She received a punch to her nose. It hurt like hell. ¡°Arghhh!¡± Izzy bloated.


    ¡°Listen well, ¡± Yanara said, raising her hand in a stopping gesture. ¡°I really lost my memories, okay? What''s the deal with the military? Who are we fighting against? Anyhow. From now on, I will always be by your side, helping you as much as you help me, and although I can''t compensate you for all the struggles you''ve gone through, I''ll never let you die a miser''s death. That''s a promise. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Are you for real? Is there any catch?¡± Izzy held to her nose, anger replaced by confusion. ¡°By the way, where did you learn to fight? You also say you¡¯ve lost your memories, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I''m not bullshitting. I may be a pathological hypocrite, but I never break my promises,¡± Yanara said smilingly, ¡°And yes, there''s a catch. From now on, whenever I see you whine, I''ll beat the living shit out of you.¡±


    ¡°And my name is Larissa.¡±


    ¡°Fine, Lisa.¡±

 3. Sixth Mass Extinction

    What is happening¡­ Larissa pondered to herself. Why is she acting like crazy¡­ Does she have an amnesia, as she says? Probably pulling out another stunt like she usually does.


    ¡°Are you really-really, really fine?¡± she asked calmly, looking at her sister¡¯s pale face. It was as though Yana became possessed by a bore. Not just a regular one, but a rabid one, that is, if boars could become rabid as dogs and bats did in the first place. Larissa didn¡¯t know.


    Guilt gnawed at her. Maybe I should tell Father after all¡­ but what if Yana falsely accuses me of something in bad faith? Father would, without question, trust her little princess¡­ I can¡¯t trust the servants either. They always relay all the secrets to Father.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m fine,¡± Yana spouted. She did her best to stand up, yet floundered and almost fell, awkwardly walking toward her table and slumping down on an office chair. ¡°These tits are fucking heavy. What a drag. Is there like a surgery to cut this shit out?¡±


    Yana has always been strange, borderline insane. Whoever met her would firstmost doubt whether they were talking to a noble or a damsel ¡ª nothing in between. People didn¡¯t question her behavior much since all the prospective mages had a few screw looses in their heads. Among everyone, Larissa thought she¡¯d be the most used to it. Yet Yana still somehow managed to become even crazier¡­


    She followed her sister in a futile attempt to gauge whatever the naked girl was up to. ¡°I think you should take some shower first¡ª¡±


    ¡°How do I open this?¡± Yana asked, snapping the laptop open. ¡°This is fucking nostalgic¡­ My memories¡­ Ahhh¡­ I remember playing some games on it.¡±


    What kind of terrible acting is this? Larissa frowned, helping her sister out by pressing the uppermost rightmost button on the topcase of the laptop, the power button. She only uses technology to doomscroll through social media and chase clout by dancing like a weirdo¡­


    ¡°Like Warcraft¡­?¡± Yana muttered innocently, glancing at Larissa with hope in her eyes.


    ¡°Warcrafting? What¡¯s that?¡± Larissa asked, scowling.


    ¡°Fuck me,¡± Yana sissed. ¡°Never mind. Do you know the password?¡± She pointed at the screen.


    ¡°How would I know the password you¡¯ve set on it?¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Yana said. ¡°What about a phone? Do girls this age usually not carry phones with them like addicts? I need access to the internet.¡±


    ¡°Phones? You mean smartphones?¡± Larissa asked, dazed. ¡°Those are ancient technology. Why would you have one?¡±


    ¡°How ancient are we talking? What year is this anyway?¡± Yana asked, vigilant.


    ¡°The month of Aquarius, Day twenty-six, Year twenty-one-hundred.¡±


    At the mention of Aquarius, Yana shuddered. Her aloof expression turned unreadable, face shrouded in darkness. Larissa immediately felt uneasy and intimidated, looking at her. For what reason, she didn¡¯t know herself.


    ¡°So the Earth has been integrated¡­¡± Yana huffed, laughing emptily. ¡°How dare they¡­¡±


    What was that just now?! Larissa could swear she had just seen a demon. Something terrible was happening, yet she couldn¡¯t figure out what. It¡¯s not just madness¡­ I¡¯m going along with this tirade, but it¡¯s as though Sister has an aura of menace encapsulating her¡­


    ¡°You know what? Why would I even need internet when I have you, Elle? Just tell me the history of this world from when the monsters first appeared to now, without dressing your sentences up.¡± Yana raised her fingers cyclically, her eyes cynical, carnality at its purest. ¡°Which territories have we lost? What do you do in the military and when exactly are we heading there? What stance do the current leaders of humanity take against the otherworlders? Tell me everything.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Is she excited or mad? What are these constant mood swings¡­ Larissa blinked profusely.


    Her eyes lightened with neon colors, forming a projection on the wall.


    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Yana gasped. ¡°What¡¯s that?! You a badass, Rissa.¡±


    ***


    Exactly when 2020 commenced, the same day, cataclysmic earthquakes took place worldwide. The first stage of the sixth extinction abruptly took 15% of the human population. It lasted a week.


    Nobody knew why the catastrophe descended upon humanity, and no time was given for consideration.


    Then, the portals appeared. The science of the time wasn''t advanced enough to determine the logic behind the supernatural.


    Many new theories, as well as resuscitations of the old ones, such as Einstein''s wormhole theory, reemerged. An apparent fact was that those circles contained immense energy, more than any nuclear weaponry.


    The brave volunteers, mainly consisting of desperate gamers, who plunged into those portals, never returned.


    Soon after, the portals started to fluctuate, pouring the creatures residing within onto the surface of our planet and vanishing. The gamers'' and Einstein''s theories prevailed. Millions of devious monsters swarmed across the globe.


    The guns proved mostly impractical since one had to break their cores to dispose of the creature completely. Still better than nothing. Tanks and drones, on the other hand, did great, and nonetheless, it was back-breaking to navigate through the prominent cities and avoid blowing someone or something up in an accident.


    The issue wasn''t monsters'' prowess nor numbers, but their unpredictableness. Thousands of unique creatures swarmed, each with its bells and whistles.


    After a while, some nations were driven to opt for nuclear armory. It did a great job at killing monsters, also humans, while at that.


    This second stage of the sixth extinction took another 60% of humanity, leaving only a fourth of the population yet to despair at the dread of death closing on and on. Two months was all it took to wipe out three-fourths of the planet.


    Not all newcomers were eternal enemies, though. Through some portals emerged intellectual beings like dwarves, elves, mermen, dragons, and many others, who cooperated with humanity to some extent to build their own settlements on this new planet they were trapped in. The human populace learned that the extraterrestrial portals were separate dimensions, currently referred to as dungeons. Dungeons filled with as many dangers as treasures. If failed to clear the dungeon on short notice, a phenomenon known as a dungeon outbreak would occur ¡ª The portal would collapse, and all the monsters within would roam outside ¡ª exactly what had occurred at the beginning of the extinction.


    Humans did what they were best at ¡ª adaptation. In this third stage, while humans got accustomed to the mana in the air, learning to use it for their benefit, and conquered many dungeons, clearing the monsters inside, they lost another 15% of their species.


    All governments collapsed. In the face of greater danger, people stopped discriminating against each other based on language, nationality, or appearance. There were only useful and relatively useless ones: strong and weak, capable and incompetent, resourceful and poor. Mostly, meritocracy prevailed.


    While the mana in the air supplemented humans with magical powers, it was also its greatest curse, causing massive temperature increases in some areas and colds and droughts in others with their coming and, consequently, a drastic climate change. The highest concentration of heat was closer to the magnetic poles. The ice of the Arctic and Antarctic began to melt.


    Clutching to the presented opportunity, after many years, in 2042, under the leadership of Divine Emperor, the largest group of humans was amassed in Antarctica. They cleared the dungeons, killed the monsters, and erected a massive barrier to close the area from aerial and underwater assaults.


    Divine Emperor proclaimed his rights over the territory, and no one would object to the monarchy. The only ones who did weren¡¯t humans but the likes of dragons and dwarves outside, who didn¡¯t want to live under the human hegemony over the Earth. Things escalated quickly. To establish his power over the region and daunt the greedy eyes of the outsiders, he slayed the head of one of the Four Dragon Kings, threatening war to the whole race, and stole Mercury, one of the three dwarven Holy Weapons, while reducing an entire bastion of theirs to dust. He then married an elven princess and formed a close alliance with mermen and beastkin.


    In 2100, humanity had a population of over half a million, more than half of which resided in Antarctica. Although the number kept shrinking, the rate at which it fell kept decreasing.


    The places outside Antarctica were called Wilderness by its citizens.


    The continent of Antarctica itself became an Empire named after His Majesty.


    Kernel.

 4. Post-Apocalyptic Social Hierarchy

    ¡°I see, the world has gone to shit.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Larissa asked, blinking as the lights that shone from her eyes receded. ¡°All''s well that ends well, I think. With the help of Divine Emperor, humanity prospers again.¡±


    ¡°Do you have shit for eyes or eyes for shit?¡± Yana asked her, looking like she wasn''t asking a question but just confirming. ¡°Everyone''s fucking dead. Imagine you had a kid and went for¡­ let''s say milk, for eighty fucking years, then came back and learned that ninety-five percent of people are dead! So she would be ninety-five, no, ninety-nine percent fucking dead and one percent fucked to death! Besides, you''re a fool if you think that that emperor of yours is doing that all for the sake of humanity. Emperor? Yeah, right. Divine my ass.¡±


    ¡°How come?¡± Larissa asked, clenching her arm. What a specific example¡­ What kind of parent would leave their child for eighty years anyway¡­ ¡°You know that His Majesty Kernel is our grandfather, right?¡±


    ¡°Anyhow.¡± Yana clapped. ¡°Next slideshow! But this time with some epic soundtrack. Can you do that? Like some background music from The Terminator or Rocky.¡±


    ¡°Do I look like a music box to you¡­?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you can still sing, yes?¡± Yana leaned back on her chair, staring at Larissa, who stood beside her. ¡°Forget it. You probably shrill like a titan. My ears will bleed, and I will pass out from all the blood loss.¡±


    Yana then smiled. ¡°Heh, I saw you smiling. It suits you better than being all snotty. You fucking crybaby. You need a shower more than I do.¡±


    So she''s now pretending to be someone from the Pre-Apocalyptic Era. I''m surprised she knows those things, though. Even I, a history fanatic, have barely heard of them¡­ Ha, as if I''d ever believe she got possessed by some ancient crackhead! Larissa focused on one point as mechanical apertures adjusted in her eyes once again. Lodged optics click-clacked. She blinked once, then once more, the edges of her left iris projecting beams of light. After a few resounding blip-blips, a hologram materialized. Her cybernetic implants tracked the data streams. Yana is still Yana, she''s never deceiving anyone. At least partial memory loss is somewhat believable, albeit nothing of the sort that would help her delay her military duty.


    ¡°Dudududuuuuuu-dududuuuuu~ Babambabambabam¡ª Babambabambabam!¡± Yana sang. Surprisingly, it wasn''t that bad. Perhaps she had talent. The rhythm was terribly off, though. ¡°Babarababambababam¡ª Pambambarapabambam¡ª Dududuuu-duduuudu¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut it.¡± Larissa pulled her sister¡¯s hair. To think that she was crying her eyes out a few minutes before in the fear of her brought her great shame. ¡°Please.¡±


    Her sister in turn smacked her in the back.


    ¡°So many times, it happens too faaaast~


    You trade your passion for glooouury~


    Don''t lose your grip ¡ª on the dreams of the past,


    YOU MUST FIGHT JUST TO KEEP THEM ALIVE!~~~¡±


    ¡°Oh for fuck¡¯s sake¡ª¡±


    ***


    After the establishment of Kernel, a long period of internal conflicts followed. Some beastkin indulged in blatant extortion, mermen fed on human flesh, giants occupied massive spaces, and the fairies bewitched some innocent children ¡ª just to name a few among many.


    Humans weren''t innocent either. In fact, the deeds they did against the otherworlders far outweighed theirs in magnitude.


    These days however, after the prolonged conflicts, some compromises had been made. 2099 went relatively peaceful, for instance.


    In approximation, around two million dragons, five million giants, ten million dwarves, twelve million fairies, twenty-five million mermen, fifty million beastkin, and ninety million elves, respectively, with few other races with relatively small numbers also taken into consideration, in its totality, two hundred million otherworlders lived in Kerlin. Taking into account the three hundred million humans, the population of Kernel amounted to a little over half a billion. A bit less than the number of humans on the planet altogether.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    The otherworlders were in status and rights equal to humans. On paper, that is. Discrimination still ran, especially against dwarves for their cunning and dragons for their same condescending attitude.


    In retrospect, elves only cared about peace and didn¡¯t bother with petty quarrels, fairies ran massive protests against industrialism and did their best to preserve the little nature they had but were very helpful in spiritual studies, mermen lived in the waters afar from where humans usually dwelled so they didn''t have much opportunities to collide with humans, and giants were¡­ kind and tolerant in general.


    Beastkin mostly ran the gangs and the underworld with sole care about money. Yet they were kindred spirits with humans for their hate for dwarves and had impeccable charisma to make up for the crimes committed.


    With such an amalgamation of various races and cultures full of color and personalities, dozens of syndicates and organizations plotting against each other and the government, and dozens more religious and political ideologies, a question would arise in the onlookers from the outside ¡ª Just how did the bunch live together?


    Under the iron fist of a monarch, of course.


    The Kernel Empire to this day was ruled by Divine Emperor. He delegated the territories between his loyal children and founded seven ministries that were each presided over by the most skillful among the half-a-billion populace living within the various corners of Kernel. A simple social hierarchy was established.


    First came the nobility at the top of the pyramid.


    To become one, one would either have to be of His Majesty''s blood or extremely extraordinary to be selected for such a high role. Ministers, several corporate heads, and some who made it to the Top 100 Superhero list were such examples. It all came down to merit, and to fulfill high-end missions and commissions for the said merit, one would need strength. Incredible strength. The more, the better.


    The only distinguishing factor for those attaining nobility through merit was that they didn''t receive territories. However, that didn''t diminish a noble''s status in any conceivable way.


    After the nobility came operators and mages.


    Operators, as their names suggested, were genetically and technologically modified from their birth, predestined to operate a warden.


    Wardens were giant robots, either specialized, multi-purposed, offensive, or defensive. Primarily defensive.


    Although operators couldn''t venture into dungeons due to many limitations, such as size and the mobility of their wardens, they were to be reckoned with on the battlefield outside it.


    It cost an exorbitant price to raise an operator; as such, their value was immense.


    Mages on the other hand didn''t require such costs, yet a talent for magic was extremely rare.


    And even if one had a talent for magic itself, they''d still need superior intelligence to put the magical formulas into use.


    Below the operators and mages on the ladder were demolishers.


    They were trained to clear the dungeons before an outbreak occurs. With the highest death rate, becoming a demolisher entailed both risks and riches. Some would stumble upon invaluable artifacts and be set for life, others, most, would one day meet an infernal hound tenfold their strength, be eaten alive as a snack, and be set ablaze.


    It went without saying that only desperate outcasts, gambling degenerates, just degenerates, or genuinely crazy people opted to become demolishers as those madlads went into the unknown depths with a full understanding that they could be lost and starved to death, be grilled to shreds, fall into spiky traps and forked into many pieces, or raped by a passerby minotaur in its adolescence to bear his sprouts.


    Though most who did become demolishers usually had nothing to lose anyway.


    Finally, at last, were soldiers and fruits.


    Soldiers were a part of the regular military.


    Fruits were the non-combatant populace, which consisted of 80% of the whole empire. There were teachers, doctors, office workers, and many other professionals, all referred to as fruits.


    All in all, no matter what social caste, being a citizen of Kernel was overly prestigious in and of itself and a dream of many outsiders.


    Those who didn''t have it were called vigilantes. Most of those vigilantes worked their whole lives so that at least their children would become Kernelian.


    Similarly, there were those on the opposite spectrum who were fed up with Kernel and abandoned their citizenship, setting their sight to Wilderness, though very few in numbers. Deserters, they were called. Once a deserter, always a deserter ¡ª those who left weren¡¯t ever welcomed back.


    Some committed a serious crime against Kernel, receiving the title of a criminal. Criminals were hunted down by specialized mages and usually had bounties on their heads.


    Most heinous of all, though, were demons. Demons were the people who not only committed many crimes but also committed the crime amongst all crimes, actively opposing Kernel.


    One hundred strongest demons made a list of Top 100 Villains, each having an egregious bounty on their head and actively hunted by hundreds of mages across the globe, as catching such demons also granted citizenship with bonuses.

 5. Augmented Virtuality

    ¡°My understanding is you''re to be an operator?¡± Yana babbled, absentmindedly toying with the headset atop the table. Her fingers skidded across the gray in color feathery light contours in search of any buttons or seams alike. Instead, holographic icons flip-flapped and enlivened to animation. ¡°How did the technology come from lumpish wires to loony tunes motorcycle helmets? The fuck''s this?¡±


    ¡°A virtual reality headset,¡± Larissa remarked, her arms folded. ¡°It connects you to the Arcanaverse. You want me to tell you about that too?¡±


    ¡°VR, yes? Oh hell nah. Not sure games carry much significance when the real world is a zombie survival shooter copypasta.¡± Yana visibly lost interest in the headset, setting it aside, and grabbed the glasses beside it, fingering them. Both the dark edges and barely seeable frames felt light in her hands, wafer-thin.


    Wasn''t she asking about that warcraft thing a moment before? How fickle can a person''s mind be¡­ Larissa sighed at the ridiculousness of her predicament. Why was she even going along with this stupid play of her sister? Maybe because, unlike usual, Yana was the very personification of optimism. Or just overly cynical? Larissa couldn¡¯t pinpoint the right extreme. Was there no middle ground that embodied both?


    ¡°Let me guess. Did I wear these to look pretty despite having perfect eyesight?¡± Yana asked, spinning the glasses in between her fingers as though it were a pen.


    ¡°These are oracleyes, not just regular glasses,¡± Larissa snatched the pair of oracleyes from her sister''s hands, then, stepping to the right, bent and plopped the glasses onto Yana''s head from behind, against her temples. ¡°For augmented reality. Basically an alternative for phones but better. Way better. With more functionality.¡±


    The very moment they settled, quantum lights quivered back and forth. ¡°Shit, nostalgic. Like a progress bar on a computer loading screen,¡± Yana said, mesmerized by the simple technology, its silvery letters arranged in a minimalistic interface.


    Soon enough, they stilled, and the world before her shimmed. An almost transparent menu effectuated before her.


    ¡°Se?orita, the lack of sleep is terribly-terribly bad for your growing body~¡± An erotically manly voice assaulted Yana¡¯s ears. She looked up and saw an annoying, pesky little fairy.


    ¡°Hell¡¯s this?¡± Yana asked. ¡°Can you see this shit?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can. Your oracleyes are in public mode¡­ and I don¡¯t need to wear a pair since the technology is incorporated into my eyes¡­ in any case¡­¡± Larissa stammered, her eyes wide. ¡°It seems to be an Assistant you¡¯ve personally customized¡­¡± Larissa scrutinized the AI with her hazel eyes. ¡°I never knew you had such tastes. I always thought you were more into elves¡­ or anything that remotely represents your boyfriend¡­ ex-boyfriend¡­¡±


    They stared at the oily figure of a muscular fairy. His ebony skin fouldered. Amber curls snowed over his high forehead and ruby eyes to beside his chiseled jawline. Each strand of hair dribbled with molten gold, the same fulgid his dragonfly wings teemed with.


    On his bare chest hung a collar of leaflike silverwork with even moreso shining rubies accentuating his eyes. At his waist hung a girdle of crimsony textile, gilded threads gliding as he levitated. Tattoos of fervid serpents entwisted and slithered up his forearms. Where the tails ended, they merged with similarly chromatic gauntlets enframing his hands and wrists.


    ¡°That look! Why so angry, Se?orita? Oh, how harsh! How have this humble Romeo ever wronged you, my hope, my Juliet, my sole solace in this dark and lonely world¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fuck this shit.¡± Yana clenched the oracleyes and vehemently slammed them onto the wall. ¡°Enough fuckery for the day. Let''s get to the topic at hand, shall we? When is the military, and why are you scared shitless? Didn''t you say operators operate those huge robots¡ª wardens? Aren''t you, like, safe inside it?¡±


    ¡°To put it bluntly, I don¡¯t have any remarkable talent,¡± Larissa said, once again projecting lights onto the wall.


    Wood 20%


    Earth 20%


    Water 20%


    Fire 19%


    Metal 18%


    Miasma 3%


    ¡°Our vessels are composed of five elements. Also impurities ¡ª miasma. These are my elemental alignments and miasma level,¡± she said, pointing at the wall. ¡°To become an operator, the percentages for each element need to range between eighteen and twenty-two, with miasma under three. The lesser, the better.¡±


    She carried on, ¡°We¡¯ll both be sent to the military quarters the day after tomorrow. Our lives will turn into hell. As for me, if I fail to meet the standards, which with my miasma level will be the likely scenario, I¡¯ll be sent to the South. A warzone.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Oh, I see. If my lost memories I somehow just discovered serve me right, nineteen percent is the average. The more you stray from the number nineteen, the more uncommon your alignment with a specific element becomes,¡± Yana whispered with her elbow slouched on the table¡¯s surface, chin resting on the back of her hand. ¡°What about me? Do you know my alignments and what I¡¯m presumed to become?¡±


    Larissa blinked. Even if she were to be possessed by someone from the pre-apocalyptic era, I think she wouldn¡¯t know about what she just said¡­ The projection blurred as the numbers switched.


    Wood 66%


    Earth 3%


    Water 3%


    Fire 16%


    Metal 2%


    Miasma 10%


    ¡°You¡¯re to be an exceptional mage, of course.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s exceptional about it?¡± Yana asked, locking eyes with Larissa¡¯s.


    ¡°You told yourself that the most likely alignment a person can get with a specific element is nineteen, and the less likely the probabilities are of further straying away from it.¡± Larissa pointed a finger up like a tutor, only lacking in glasses. ¡°So, while getting numbers like eighteen or twenty is as per usual, lucking in on sixty-six as you did is extremely rare.¡±


    ¡°Look:¡±


    (EA ¡ª Elemental Alignment)


    +70% EA ¡ª S-grade talent


    +60% EA ¡ª A-grade talent


    +50% EA ¡ª B-grade talent


    +40% EA ¡ª C-grade talent


    +30% EA ¡ª D-grade talent


    +20% EA ¡ª E-grade talent


    +10% EA ¡ª F-grade talent


    ¡°I suppose with the population the Earth has, it''d be considered pretty fucking rare¡­¡± Yana muttered, scratching the blood off her stomach.


    ¡°That''s why you have been doted on by Father since your birth¡ª¡±


    ¡°And you were being treated like a bastard. I get it,¡± Yana finished for her, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. ¡°It is what it is. Many have tried to achieve equality, but it is but a mirage, Lis. A path with a dead end.¡±


    ¡°Easier for you to say¡­¡± Larissa bickered.


    ¡°Is it really?¡± Yana asked, sweeping her hands along the graphic tablet that stood beside the VR headset. ¡°There are those with abnormal elemental alignment above the seventies, no? Compared to them, purely on the basis of talent, who am I but a pebble? Similarly, there are countless people below me. Below us. You can complain eternally or strive for the best with whatever you''ve got in your hands. So ¡ª do your best to surpass yourself, okay? I''ll always be fucking smarter, and stronger, and sexier than you are.¡±


    Larissa frowned, baffled at the level of narcissism. ¡°Stronger? Fine. Prettier? Arguable. But smarter? But smarter?!? Especially with all the miasma you''ve got. Ha!¡±


    ¡°See for yourself:¡±


    0% Miasma ¡ª Psychopathy


    1-3% Miasma ¡ª Clarity


    4-6% Miasma ¡ª Sanity


    7-10% Miasma ¡ª Instability


    11-14% Miasma ¡ª Insanity


    +15% Miasma ¡ª Monstrosity


    ¡°An individual, on average, has impurities of five percent. Possessing a miasma of seven isn¡¯t half bad, as one at least gets qualified to become a demolisher. But ten?¡± Larissa scoffed. ¡°You''re borderline insane, you do realize that, dear sister, don''t you?¡±


    ¡°Just because I''m considered a tad bit unhinged by these lousy standards you dumb fucks have set doesn''t necessarily mean I''m stupid. That''s a stereotype. All I see is an F-grade talent for miasma, which is pretty impressive. Means I can delve deeper into the dungeons without giving a single fuck, no?¡± Yana grabbed the stylus beside the tablet before tapping it against the screen as a blank canvas appeared.


    ¡°F-grade talent for Miasma? Miasma is not an element,¡± Larissa said begrudgingly. ¡°You say to accept our misgivings as they are but don''t oblige to it yourself. Accept it!¡±


    Yana examined the various digital brushes as she drew random lines. ¡°Drawing, is it? Well, why not? An interesting hobby. Should give it a go, perhaps. Whaddya think? How old are we, by the way? I look about twenty, and you around thirty, so I can''t quite tell.¡±


    While she was engrossed in her sketches, no answer came from the back for a while.


    ¡°Thirty¡­¡± Larissa finally muttered to herself. Thirty. Thirty, she says. Hahaha, thirty¡­.


    ¡°What? That¡¯s a compliment if you didn''t catch on,¡± Yana tsked. ¡°Wow wow, why are you so worked up, Lala? Did my humble opinion hurt you? Does looking young matter to you? Oh well, maybe for some, you''d look younger, if you care so much. So don''t despair. Besides, some desperate guys fuck anything as long as it has a hole in it.¡±


    Thirty. Thirty. Thirty. Thirty. ¡°Thirty?!¡±


    ¡°I''m fucking eighteen in a week''s time!¡± Larissa slapped Yana with full force.


    ¡°Oh, haha¡­¡± Yana gasped, itching the back of her head. She smiled awkwardly.


    An awkward silence fell.


    ¡°I''m sorry, kid. Truly so very sorry¡ª¡±


    ¡°Go get a shower! You reek of death! Then go back to sleep after I clean this mess you¡¯ve caused!¡± Larissa shot one word after the other, seething like a hot kettle. ¡°The next time you kill yourself do it properly!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I love you too.¡± Yana stood and stammered toward the door as it slid open. ¡°But¡­ where in the fuck is the shower again?¡±


    ¡°Find it yourself! I don''t care! Die!¡±

 6. Monologue With The Shower

    Been a while since someone''s smacked the back of my head. Yanara watched the new considerably small in size room. Two doors to the left. Two to the right.


    It''s been even more of a while since someone smacked the back of my head and didn¡¯t miss a head after. I''ve become a better person, it seems. How nice of me. Yanara patted her head smilingly, praising herself, ¡°Good girl, good girl.¡±


    Not only am I a woman, but also a kid. Seventeen? It feels wrong. All feels fucking wrong. She sighed halfheartedly, slumping thereafter as her shoulders dropped. Opposite her, below the hovering cyan hologram that told her of the time, were double doors, likely a lead to the corridor where personnel awaited. Okay, that one¡¯s out. Which one of these four fuckers is a bathroom?


    Skittering her head left and right, she scurried her crystal-clear eyes through the hallway. The walls gave a soft feel of cream gloss. Nature paintings overlaid the circular patterns across and along, surreal and expressional.


    One step, then two ¡ª she stood in front of the door she¡¯d chosen on a whim out of the four.


    The room presented itself before her. Smaller than her bedroom yet vaster than the hallway in size, it was abrim with papers scattered throughout.


    The smell of perfume immediately assaulted her. Yanara broke into a fit of coughs, scratching her nose.


    She clutched onto her chest, yet immediately pushed her hand away in instinctive disgust at the sponginess of it.


    She slipped and fell, unaccustomed to her weight distribution. Especially the larger hips.


    It hurt. More than it was supposed to. Her skin felt more sensitive. She ¡ª felt more sensitive.


    Pain. Sorrow. Loneliness. Why was that? That, or she was just imagining things. How could she experience more pain after years of unceasing torture? More sorrow after years of innumerable losses? More loneliness after years of constant solitude?


    ¡°Seems I can''t walk properly without my third leg. Pfhahaha! A true warrior doesn''t need a sword!¡± Her voice was light, soft, smooth, soothing, sweet, amiable.


    Then why was it rough, bleak, bitter, noisy, nasty, and cruel, and distant and cold all the same? Why?


    Why did she survive?


    ¡°Are these drawings of clothing? Did you want to become a designer?¡± she asked herself. With the support of her frail hands, Yanara barely managed to stand, to walk forward. Her steps scrubbed over the hard-worked-on notes and sketches, occasionally stumbling upon rough pencils and a cluster of swatches.


    More interestingly, on those papers, she spotted integrated holographic tags that exhibited animated motifs and interchanging color palettes, among which what gave an idea of nanotech designs moved past.


    To her left sat a cozy, melon sofa against the pink walls. Around the peripherals lazed many modular wardrobes full of wear hanging on anti-gravity hangers ¡ª dresses, jackets, jeans¡ª ¡°A fucking tiger bikini? Seriously? Shit¡¯s atrocious. Just wrap yourself in duct tape at this point.¡±


    A giant make-up table thoroughly dominated the far wall. Beneath the grandiosity of the curled golden mirror lay bulbs of many colors and matter. Drawers slid open at her presence, presenting her with an array of brushes and containers alike. ¡°Maybe you wanted to become a model instead. But you don''t have a face for it, kid¡ª I don''t have the face for it.¡± Yanara pinched her cheeks, the upper ones. ¡°A useless hobby. You should¡¯ve instead trained this sorry body of yours. Muscles look sexier. Fuck cutesy and shit.¡±


    With that said, she turned and left the room and made another turn to the left. ¡°Surely, it¡¯d only make sense that right beside the changing room, there¡¯d be a bathroom.¡±


    A new room. An art room, which was the largest she¡¯d seen here so far and octagonal in form. ¡°Holy shit¡ª¡±


    Scribblings covered everything. The walls. The floors. The ceiling, too, in some places, even. Though they were predominantly tiled with caricature mosaics. Notably, the walls weren¡¯t spared from the eccentric nature of the owner also, entwined in entwisting flowery vines.


    Bizarre portraits stared holes into her. Miniatures floated, spinning and circling ¡ª zig-zagging hyperactively.


    Just as her eyes adjusted to the kaleidoscope of panchromatic vividness, it distorted once and for all. The starry galaxy rearranged itself into a maze of historical tales in and outward to the very corners of the octagon. Then into the prehistoric records of the once prominent dinosaurs. Then into something entirely else she didn¡¯t know what to make of. Modern art, perhaps.


    A few bookshelves lined the small side of the room, their spines layered with dust. The bioluminescent leaves of the potted plants shared their light into the chaos. ¡°Why have so many books when you won¡¯t bother opening them?¡± Yanara asked herself, closing in on the shelves. ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± she said, licking her lips while grabbing the book with the least dust on it. ¡°Why is it wet? It¡¯s kinda clingy. Oh, a graphic novel? I wonder what the girl was into¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tha¡­ That¡¯s enough¡­ I¡­ I¡­ can¡¯t breathe¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve put it to good use already, so let me see you come without touching it¡­¡±


    ¡°Same goes for you¡­ fool¡­¡±


    ¡°AHH! I-I¡¯m coming¡­ gh¡ª¡±


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s men fucking men. What else did I fucking expect?¡± Yanara shut the book close. ¡°I can bet my balls she¡¯s been learning to draw only for her perverted fantasies to come to fruition. Does this kid have no parental supervision? I remember when I was her age, I would read¡­ Never mind. This one actually isn¡¯t THAT bad for a girl her age, I suppose¡­¡±


    ¡°This room is both futuristic and somehow ancient at the same time,¡± Yanara said to herself, swaying her head and glancing at the lone tea table beside the panoramic windows. She walked toward them. ¡°Shelves are modest, wooden. Furniture too. Real good. I like it. All this light show is unnecessary, on the other hand. You won¡¯t get an orgasmic inspiration masturbating to generic gay porn just because you do the deed under the clusterfuck of whatever the fuck is going on on the upside. It looks pretty at first, but I imagine if I had to sit below it for more than half a minute, I¡¯d puke.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Beyond the dark windows, very low down below, the city prospered with spires and interconnected structures, rising in scraggy tiers as massive bases anchored each and every structure into the earth, framed by reinforced alloy. ¡°Oh, it seems like earthquakes are a regular thing? As expected, I should say.¡± This is just the beginning of the end, after all.


    They don¡¯t know what the hell they¡¯re doing. Magic? What a joke. What they¡¯re cultivating is merely one of the twelve anchors to cultivate, Wish Anchor, belonging to The Fish Constellation Pisces. Yanara laughed emptily, her mood sour at the thought of Pisces.


    Outside, snow underwrote everything, constantly downpouring from the dark clouds above, passing through the holographic basks of monolithic advertisements on and atop the buildings.


    Drones zip-zapped through the ice-cold air, crisscrossing through and between the many towers. Each drone projected various ads in a holographic form too.


    ¡°Some cocaine-induced beverages, promises of augmented virtualities more promising than life itself, and¡­ is that a fucking multifunctional android catgirl?! For how much?! Wait a fucking second¡ª I¡¯m a noble! Living atop the highest fucking building at that! I win! Glory to Daddy Emperor! All hail the dictatorship, bitch!¡±


    Drones drifted from one address to the other, guided by AI. Advertisement served as a backdrop, as the primary role of those drones was transportation. Their undersides carried crates of goods wrapped in polymer, the items held in place by magnetic fields not visible to the eye. ¡°If I¡¯m ever in need of money, though, there¡¯s always a side hustle of shooting those loot boxes down.¡±


    From the height she observed the grounds, people seemed like ants. Despite this, activity thrived regardless of the time of day.


    How many years? Ten? Twenty? Thirty? This whole place will be raised to the ground by the coming of the second phase of the integration. Yanara turned back, heading out of the room to the door opposite her. When the other constellations get involved ¡ª that¡¯s when the shitshow will truly begin.


    The third room contrasted with the second. Its walls were white, without any decor, while a creamy carpet overlaid the floor. Yanara could barely hear the chirps of birds and the white noises of a waterfall. ¡°A meditation room, yes?¡± she asked herself, yet no response came.


    At the center, a capsule sat, egg-shaped. Basks of light emanated from its minimally ajar hatch. ¡°No, a masturbation room, definitely. I¡¯m not falling for the same shit twice. Not even gonna check.¡±


    Finally, lumping, she left and entered the final, fourth room.


    Lights. Warm, golden lights embraced her.


    The smell of perfume, once again, stormed into her nostrils. ¡°This is some good shit, unlike that disgusting smell. Jasmine, no? Who knows. Who cares.¡±


    She stepped onto the black marble, passing beside the crystalline soaking tub on a pedestal in the center. At the left stretched a vanity with a holographic display on its surface.


    ¡°So even toilets aren¡¯t spared from the modernization,¡± she said, looking at the marvel of design and technology. Even above the said toilet, an interface sparked. Temperature control, water pressure¡ª ¡°Aromatherapy? The fuck¡¯s that? Fuck this. I¡¯ll bother with this shit when I¡¯m about to take a shit, not now.¡±


    Yanara took a step inside the shower as the transparent panels shut close behind her. Mist carried a funny scent. The floor warmed her bare feet. A forestry appeared.


    ¡°The technology has gotten so far in such short duration. To be honest, I didn¡¯t even believe they¡¯d get flying cars even due now.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s how it¡¯s always been. Humanity¡¯s greatest enemy are themselves. They hinder their progress for momentary pleasures and don¡¯t shy away from bringing any prospects down to their level.¡±


    ¡°To think they¡¯d cooperate to such an extent. I suspect it¡¯s not the work of a group but a single entity. Some genius of sorts.¡±


    Trees swayed.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it! Meeting interesting people. Rising to power again. This is so much fun, no? Dare I say, beating the shit out of buncha kids in the camp will relieve some pent-up emotions.¡±


    ¡°Living as a girl will be a fun, new experience. This time, cultivating the Wish Anchor. What does that make me? Magical Girl Yanara? Heavenly Demoness Yanara?¡±


    ¡°You know, I can just forget about the past. Live these few years in bliss. Those above are on another level. They¡¯re pragmatic, sacrificing everything to achieve their goals. Why would I bother?¡±


    ¡°I can try drawing a comic book of my own. Maybe open up a cat cafe too. Maybe draw a comic book about opening up a cat cafe. This would be the most pleasant way to spend my last days~¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Then, then maybe I can even learn cooking properly too. I was never good at it. But good food is something I love. Even better if it¡¯s a good food that I¡¯ve made personally. That¡¯s double fucking great.¡±


    ¡°Not that my skills are bad, just a few improvements here and there, especially with the help of new tech, and I¡¯ll become a master chef!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°So much hair. I should cut it all down. The shampoo isn¡¯t washing away. Hmm¡­ probably not. I¡¯m now a woman ¡ª I should get used to living the life of a woman. Just accept it and become more feminine. Life will get easier. I may want to rip my skin now, but it¡¯ll soon go away.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, healthcare should be pretty fucking advanced by now too, considering everything. Can¡¯t they just turn me back into a man?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad. I don¡¯t have to cultivate the Control Anchor anymore¡­ It was such a pain in the ass. But at least it didn¡¯t require much intelligence. Wish Anchor, on the other hand¡­ is both unreliable and unpredictable. It¡¯s the opposite of Control, where one relies on intelligence and luck.¡±


    ¡°Hah, why am I even contemplating? Why bother with cultivation? I won¡¯t bother with attaining strength; I just want to live an everyday life. Right?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°Ha¡­ I should¡¯ve known, yes? I can¡¯t ask the fallen for forgiveness. I can only continue, no? No¡­ I cannot¡­ I cannot continue anymore¡­ not anymore¡­ I am sick of everything. I just want to rest like they did. Why can I not?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Warm, fell water in weird, synchronistic patterns, on and on. Steam rose and rose.


    ¡­


    Yanara fell. Her knees hit the floor. Her back slumped as her shoulders tumbled forward.


    ¡­


    Hair fell over her face. Dissatisfaction. Discomfort. Doubt. She¡¯d thought she¡¯d finally be free. She¡¯d thought she¡¯d finally rest. She¡¯d thought she¡¯d finally be freed from her punishment.


    ¡­


    Mouth fell open. A silent scream. A loud plea. No words came. She started hyperventilating.


    ¡­


    ¡°I¡ª I¡ª I¡­ Pfhahahaha!¡±


    ¡°I? Is there I? I¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Silence. For a very long time, what could be heard were only the drips and drops surrounding, isolating her.


    ¡°You can¡¯t die, Yanara,¡± she said, her voice devoid of any emotion, her eyes blank.


    ¡°You¡¯ve promised. Remember!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve promised!¡±

 7. Illumination of The Dead Sun

    Larissa woke to reverberant booms, and bangs, and whistles¡ª drilling all the way down from the upper floor. Ugh¡­ What time¡­ is it?


    ¡°Master! It¡¯s been three hours and seventeen minutes since you''ve submerged to sleep!¡±


    So¡­ around six in the morning¡­? Larissa telepathically voiced to her AI Assistant in an inquiring manner as she nudged her eyes and hesitantly parted her eyelids.


    ¡°Woof!¡± Douglas affirmed the clock.


    The girl couldn¡¯t help but yawn instantaneously, her mind adrift of concrete thoughts. Her long, unkempt hair stashed behind her pajamas as she turned, rejecting reality. Just one¡­ five more minutes¡­


    Even with all the augmentations and genetic enhancements in her body, such as cellular repair, neural optimization, energy regulation and backup system, and integrated nanotechnology, she still required a bare minimum of five hours of sleep each night for a functional day. Millions of nanobots performing routine detoxification and regulating hormones while repairing any minor damage wouldn¡¯t help defy the mortality.


    At least, besides becoming a bonafide meatshield, being raised to become an operator held many advantages.


    Larissa absentmindedly glanced at the mass of white fur mantled in black spots. With his posture straight and head held high and a flowery bow tie wrapped around his neck, his wise amber eyes calmly plastered on her through the historical monocle atop his snout. The Dalmatian looked all classy, like a dog surpassing humans in intelligence. He was, one could argue.


    More slam-bangs struck.


    What in the world is¡ª The ceiling shook so incredibly she felt her body shiver. She strained her ears, unenthusiastic to take any further action.


    ¡°¡ªBreak my bitch into bits


    Raped by life since it began


    Question?everything


    Everyday?got it all?within me


    Energy, pain, hard over the?gain


    Pullin strings lowers the pain


    Strengthens the gang¡ª¡±


    Music, rap, hip-hop, or whatever that apocalyptic melody was, flowed through her ears and drummed her eardrums. Larissa knew of music ¡ª one of her four specialized rooms was, in fact, wholly dedicated to music. She played piano semi-professionally and had a grasp over the violin, even. Yet she couldn¡¯t and wouldn''t ponder what kind of aforementioned procedure created the abovementioned music. Hard metal was an understatement.


    Wasn''t she more into classical stuff and jazz¡­ Larissa felt betrayed. There weren''t many similarities between her and her sister other than looks¡ª looks being her sister looking like a better version of her¡ª but taste in music was also among those few commonalities. Just why¡­ Last day of peace, and I can¡¯t even get proper sleep¡­


    ¡°Master, would you like for me to engage the soundproofing system?¡± Douglas asked tactfully as his tail stood. ¡°That girl, just as usual¡­ a complete disregard to others and her surroundings,¡± the dog grrred.


    Come to think of it, I might''ve been overly harsh yesterday. Larissa scratched her head, furrowing her brows. Not like she''s petite either. The awful words she spat at me yesterday¡­ and even at one point threatened to murder me¡­ Yeah, let''s just ignore her.


    Fatigue gnawed at her just as much as guilt did. She sighed, half a sigh half a yawn.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she drawled, patting the Dalmatian''s head as the dog grunted. The girl grudgingly rose to her feet. Her spine hurt. The stinge wasn''t a surprise to her, surely not after a back-breaking night procedure of carrying scraps of a bloody mattress ¡ª painstakingly slowly cutting it to many pieces before burning it to crisps for complete disposal. ¡°I''ll go pay her another visit. To see if she''s doing alright¡­ if she''s more or less alive. You can rest.¡±


    ¡°Woof! You¡¯re too good for her, Master,¡± Douglas growled before reluctantly nodding his head. His form began to dissipate into thin air.


    Larissa left the room, passing between the two pairs of doors to the right and two to the left. Those served as entryways to a reclusive library where she spent her best time sunk into her favorite literature, a composition ground where she played her instruments and sang, a tech lab where she destroyed the poor mattress the day before, and a bathroom, respectively. She stepped through the opposite door, which led her to a grander hall.


    Antique sconces livened the rich wood, panels, and carvings of lilies with golden luminance. An upward staircase domineered the center, its banisters embellished with luxuriant detailings as Larissa¡¯s hands brushed past them. Did she suddenly lose her mind due to the influx of trauma? Or¡­ No. I don¡¯t believe in the improbable. To this day, there have been no precedents of possessions. Even if Yana indeed got possessed by an otherworldly demon of sorts, what am I to do anyway? My survival is a concern, considering the future¡­ She headed up to her sister¡¯s chambers.


    Sunlight peered through the domed glass, basking her skin in blue. During these times, the sun persisted on both days and nights in Antarctica. Even auroras, though rare in the month of Aquarius, traced the walls in greens and purples.


    Ha¡­ I¡¯ve been reading too much fiction, especially those ¡®reincarnated in the body of a villainess in a fictional story, now I build a harem of hot boys, which, oh well, formerly despised my guts but now fell head over heels for me.¡¯ stories with a plot-twist of ¡®the real villainess was the main heroine all along!¡¯


    At least these are better than infinite dungeon grinds most of the bookshelves are now trashed with. The plush of the crimson carpet muffled with each step of hers. Though, rather than going to the military, I¡¯d be happy to read another ¡®Oh, the main heroine wants to leave a peaceful life¡­ but she¡¯s suddenly, somehow, in the epicenter of a life and death battle to obtain more godly powers with her third potential love interest hundreds of chapters after¡­¡¯


    Despite her thoughts, deep inside, Larissa wondered whether Laura would pick Dante or Virgil in chapter two thousand, three hundred thirty-four after the author finally returns from their decades-long hiatus. ¡­At least don¡¯t leave it on a cliffhanger¡­ It''s always the revered stories that never see an end! Insanity!


    Before stepping into her sister¡¯s chambers, Larissa hesitated. It¡¯s not too late to go back. My day will inevitably be ruined¡­


    She yawned, watching the sun through the glasses above. It came across as ugly compared to what historians had told of its appearance before the apocalypse. Dark, bluish, hollow, sinister, barely any of its former orange closing in on its corners ¡ª painful to the eyes.


    Yet without its death, there¡¯d be no mana on Earth and, consequently, no magic. No way to resist the monsters.


    The sunlight that once bathed the world with its shine and helped life prosper now supplemented its inhabitants with mana to withstand the onslaught of monsters.


    The moon, on the other hand, was crimson, emitting miasma.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    In the month of Pisces, the moon would further redden, signifying the coming of the Blood Moon, a period of a full moon during which monsters become especially dangerous. Fittingly, blood would flow everywhere.


    Many individuals and even whole families would unceremoniously die under the horde of unscrupulous abominations piled into a mountain of corpses. Death. Dread. Despair¡ª What followed was an ungiving despair up until the moon spared the undergrowth from its bloody gaze.


    Come to think of it, it¡¯s not long before the next Blood Moon, she pondered momentarily, stepping in and following the music. I hope Father won''t get into trouble.


    She waltzed inside the meditation room, ¡°What the hell have you been up to early in the mornin¡ª¡± yet her voice drowned in the loudness of the chords. Neither did Yana spare her existence a glance.


    The bass dug through her skull.


    ¡°¡ªAnd a fucking fury, born in a wrong century


    Tryna catch my eye, your sight goes right through me


    Bitch I''m burning all my life, heat keeps me burning out


    Girl hang up the ambulance and call the fucking vatican¡ª¡±


    Is she exercising?! Larissa looked down at her. Her sister, who had barely ever run since childhood, was doing push-ups. Her sister, who had never worn a tank top, was not only in a beige tank top but also tiger shorts¡­


    ¡°Twenty-six¡­ twenty-seven¡­¡±


    ¡°LOUDER MOTHERFUCKER! BE A MAN FOR FUCK¡¯S SAKE!¡±


    ¡°Twe e-e- e-nty-eight-t¡­!¡±


    ¡°NO! I DID IT WRONG YOU SHITHEAD! NOW IS TWENTY-EIGHT! MORONIC IMBECILE!¡±


    Larissa¡¯s eye twitched. She glanced at Romeo, the flirty, lovable fairy from yesterday¡ª who now looked utterly devastated. Traumatized. Just what did she do to him in the four hours I was gone?


    ¡°Twen-twenty-ei- ei-ei¡ª¡±


    ¡°IT''S TWENTY-NINE YOU USELESS FUCK! JUST DID TWENTY-EIGHT! FUCK IT¡ª START FROM ONE!¡±


    Enough. Larissa closed her eyes, clenching her fists. Like a thread in the back of her mind pulling taut whenever a need arose, a mental command outrushed through her neural pathways and connected with the room¡¯s sound system.


    The music cut off as Yana froze mid-push-up and snapped her head high.


    ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡± she asked, clearly annoyed.


    ¡°What¡¯s YOUR problem?!¡± Larissa asked, clearly more annoyed.


    Her lips quivered. She wanted to ask more, yet there were so many ridiculous, obvious questions that she couldn¡¯t quite figure out which one should be inquired first. Why are you listening to this? Why is the volume so high? Why are you not sleeping? Why are you training like a maniac after so much blood loss yesterday¡ª


    Her hands shaking and body vibrating, Yana stood, stumbling left and tumbling right before supporting her body by leaning on a wall.


    ¡°Are you on drugs?!¡± Larissa finally spat. This was mostly a figurative question rather than literal, but her sister begged to surprise her as per usual.


    ¡°Not drugs,¡± Yana tsked, fixing her oracleyes and raising a finger. ¡°But steroids.¡±


    Steroids?!¡ª Larissa¡¯s mouth fell open.


    ¡°Ehem¡ª¡± Yana coughed, correcting her oracleyes once more. ¡°Enhancers, hah, I, hah, mean,¡± she said with pauses, heavily breathing in between. Her skin was redder than the Blood Moon, and her eyes were redder than her skin. Her hands pressed hard against her bladder.


    ¡°Some, hah, good, hah, shit,¡± she wheezed.


    ¡°Shit,¡± she gasped, her legs giving out as she collapsed to the creamy carpet. ¡°The effect, hah, is wearing off, hah.¡±


    Larissa watched in disbelief as her sister crawled ¡ª dragged herself ¡ª toward the meditation capsule in the center of the room. A starved beast who hadn¡¯t eaten for months. A tree craving for the first drop of rain. A broken clock yearning to tick once more. A moth chasing a dying flame in the dark¡ª


    ¡°Stop this instant!¡± Larissa shouted as she ran to the capsule before her sister could replicate yesterday¡¯s accident.


    To her surprise, what she saw weren¡¯t pills, drugs, or needles. ¡°Potions?! How did you get this? It¡¯s not just a regular potion either¡­ A rank one? Rank two? Strength potions¡­ healing potions¡­ even stamina?!¡±


    Yana¡¯s fingertips grazed against the capsule¡¯s surface as she pressed her palms and hoisted herself up to a kneeling position like a zombie, her arms wobbling. She craned her neck. With bloodshot eyes, she glared at the potions maniacally, licking the gallons of sweat flowing down her cheeks. Her breaths hitched. Her body teetered.


    Larissa watched, stupefied, as Yana reached for the green vial containing the healing potion. She unplugged it and poured it in one go, not missing a single drop as the viscous liquid slid down her throat. After a short while, her breaths steadied, her hands stopped shaking, and the pain visibly dulled.


    This can¡¯t just be a rank one potion¡­


    Yana immediately grabbed the red stamina potion. Her fingers trembled less as she plucked it from its place, uncorked it, and devoured its contents. The exhaustion in her muscles not only washed away, but a wave of vitality seemed to course through her as her chest rose and fell with reignited ardor.


    So this is the power of a rank two potion¡­ Larissa gulped, turning her head toward Romeo, who shivered at her piercing gaze. ¡°How much did she spend¡­?¡±


    Romeo closed his eyes, refusing an answer.


    All the while, Yana reached for the final container. With a firm and decisive hold, she raised the yellow strength potion close to her parted lips, drinking ravenously. Her posture straightened, and her hands clenched into a fist.


    Suddenly, she felt her sister nudge her shoulder.


    ¡°Yana,¡± Larissa asked smilingly. ¡°How much did you spend?¡±


    Yana raised three fingers. Innocently.


    ¡°Three million? Do you realize how expensive that is, hmm? You can buy a hovercraft for that,¡± she said, lowering her hand and helping her sister rise.


    ¡°Everything,¡± Yana said.


    ¡°Everything?¡± Larissa asked.


    ¡°Everything.¡±


    Larissa tilted her head, confused. ¡°What do you mean by everything?¡±


    ¡°You really have that smart face of yours for show, huh,¡± Yana tsked, wiping her mouth to clear the colory remnants. ¡°It¡¯s thirty million, of course. After learning about the world via my AI slave, I found the price quite reasonable for rank three potions. The delivery was quick too. Why would I need money when we¡¯re heading to the military tomorrow morning? Better put it to good use¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Larissa shouted, storming to the door. ¡°You can¡¯t keep getting away with it! I¡¯m telling Father everything!¡±


    Yet she fell head-first onto the carpet, feeling a rugged grip around her knee.


    ¡°Did you sleep on your face? You look fucking ridiculous, Ris.¡± Yana pulled the weak girl back, pinching her sister¡¯s nose. ¡°Don¡¯t be a snitch.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know,¡± Yana said, adjusting the bridge of her glasses. ¡°We¡¯re to head out at twelve to have a launch with the old man, yes? I¡¯ve bought too many potions. Why don¡¯t you become my training partner? Hah! How generous of me!¡±


    Larissa shuddered. All the anger suddenly dissipated. A terrible premonition clawed at her. Fear. Terror. Her instincts screamed¡ª


    Run.


    Without a second thought, she gazed at Yana and projected blinding beams of light, flooding the whole meditation room, and dashed¡ª


    She ran with everything she had¡ª


    The door was in her reach¡ª


    Please! Please! Please! Yet the door, dismissive of her heartfelt pleas, slammed shut. Her hands smacked against its surface as she did her best to force the door open with her mind.


    ACCESS DENIED. LOCKDOWN ENGAGED.


    ¡°We¡¯ll start by doing one hundred push-ups. Then one hundred sit-ups. Then one hundred¡ª Oh, I forgot. I first have to teach you the proper way of doing push-ups to engage every needed muscle in your body. Such a waste of time¡­¡± A voice came from behind her, closing in, creeping in. ¡°But we¡¯re sisters, no? You¡¯re my responsibility. Yes, right. I¡¯ll beat the lessons into you. But first¡ª¡±


    Something, someone grabbed Larissa by her shoulder. Some demon. Some evil incarnate.


    ¡°Let go!¡± Larissa wailed. ¡°Let go of me! Let go!¡±


    Yana caught her jaw with one hand and jammed the red vial against her sister¡¯s lips with the other. ¡°Don¡¯t gag. If you as much as vomit, I¡¯ll force you to lick the damn floor. Do you have any idea how much your caring sister has spent on these just to get you into shape?¡±


    The girl had never tasted anything this terrible before. She choked. ¡°Mmph! Mmph¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up. You have one more to go,¡± the demon said. ¡°Here comes the airplane~¡±


    Larissa tearfully gazed at Romeo, yet Romeo looked like he would go as far as to give up on his Juliet just for a chance to leave the room of horrors.

 8. His Lordship Nar Guazzam

    ¡°See?¡± Yanara watched her sister in the mirror, whom she had dressed in a floor-length petticoat and a kimono jacket, and wove her hair. ¡°Now you¡¯re way prettier than I am. A sincere smile will be all it takes for all the younglings to fight among themselves just to stake their hearts for you. Miss cutesy badassery, I call it. Watcha think, Lis?¡±


    Lis remained stuck in her place, struck frozen, a dark wet curl stamped on each cheek. Her eyes absentmindedly swept the pink walls, ceilings, whatever. She didn¡¯t know what to make of her life, her predicament, whatever. She seemed dead inside, to put it the best way, having no more tears to shed, no more voice to scream. Worst of all, no pink glasses she could put on.


    Her dead-fish eyes loomed like two vortexes of a black hole, a bang slap in one eye, a bleak nothingness in the other. Blank, deadpan, speechless, she just stood there. She just existed.


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± Yanara nudged the girl¡¯s arm, a charming smile oozing with charisma contoured on her lips. She herself wore green shirt sleeves with high-rise sweatpants, her hair tucked behind her ears. No makeup. No perfume. No nothing. Not even any underwear. ¡°Not all positive change feels positive in the beginning. The exercises weren¡¯t just for muscles or strength. Look, you look way livelier the way you were.¡±


    Her smile deepened as she massaged Lis¡¯s shoulders from behind. ¡°On the bright side, you certainly have a knack for learning. The exercises I¡¯ve shown you ¡ª you¡¯ve absorbed them at a faster rate than even I would. With the help of technology or not, it¡¯s still insanely difficult to mimic what you see or hear this splendidly.¡±


    Lis didn¡¯t heed her a glance. Engrossed in empty thoughts, she raised her hands to too high above dramatically.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lost my sense of time and space¡­ my bones churning, breaking¡­ muscles crinkling, shredding¡­ the nerves driving a searing stake through my mind¡­ the airflow strangled and exhaust¡­ the veins weltering under the strain and the tendons severely impaired¡­ and, and, painful of all ¡ª them reshaping under the effect of the healing potion¡ªARGH!¡± Lis suddenly screeched, hyperventilating, pressing her hands hard against her temples as memories assaulted her, slumping. Yet she quickly quietened to her former state of affectionless apathy, her hands lowering and her eyes widening. ¡°Was it really just five hours? How long has it been, really? Eternity¡­ though at times I think just a moment. I feel nothing. As though there were nothing, and I am floating¡ªin it¡­ I have preserved my sanity¡­ have I not? Or did I lose it somewhere¡ª¡±


    ¡°Cut it out with the edgy anime monologues,¡± Yanara tsked, pinching the girl¡¯s neck. ¡°At twelve, yes? We''re supposed to meet the old man at twelve. What''s he gonna think if he sees her little princess transform into a walking dead in a day¡¯s time? Even I ¡ª have calmed. You were the one boasting about your low miasma, no? Where''s clarity in this mind of yours? All I see is fuc¡ª fragility.¡±


    ¡°As if he''d care¡­ I''m all alone in this world, pathetic enough to make no friends¡­ with an uncaring parent¡­ and a lunatic as a sister now possessed by a demon¡­ How did I deserve all this? Why?¡± Lis whispered to herself, her head low, her breaths acuted. Unbeknownst to her, tears fell. ¡°Is this because I took my mother''s life upon birth¡­ Is this karma? But how am I at fault for being born¡­? She gave birth knowing all too well she¡¯d die. Just why? Everyone would be happy ¡ª she, him, and even you¡ª¡±


    Yanara punched the girl on the arm. The girl, having no will to resist whatsoever, flailed to the floor beside the numerous sketches like a blown leaf.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to whine in my watch?¡± Yanara asked with fury in her voice.


    Lis raised her head and looked at the form of her sister. With no grudge, hatred, or any emotions perceptible. Just to measure the distance between them and the complete, utter emptiness.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked. ¡°Just who are you really?¡±


    Silence descended upon the room, the smell of funny perfume permeating the atmosphere between the two supposed siblings.


    ¡°Me?¡± Yanara met her eyes, her expression softening. ¡°That¡¯s a question I''d like to have an answer to too. I''m Yanara. Your sister Yanara? The demon Yanara? The salaryman Yanara? How the fu¡ª How am I supposed to know? I only know one thing for sure.¡±


    She walked toward the frail girl who had fallen to the cruelty of life. ¡°You care about Yanara. Yanara thus will always take care of you, too, no matter what. I¡¯ve promised you, no?¡± she asked, extending her hand to her. ¡°So stop whining. People cry when something''s wrong. There''s nothing inherently wrong with you, and if the world you''re living in is wrong, change it.¡±


    Her hand remained in the air as Lis simply watched it be. Tears continued to flee from her eyes.


    ¡°To change it is to foremost have inner strength. Resilience. So that the world doesn''t bend you at its will. So that you will the change.¡± Yanara forcibly grabbed the girl¡¯s arm and propped her up. ¡°Hence, you must not fall. Under no circumstances can you whimper like a little bitc¡ª¡± She coughed.


    ¡°Did you take her body after her death?¡± the girl asked weakly.


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much. But then again, there¡¯s something I can¡¯t quite figure out.¡± Yanara put a hand under her chin thinkingly. ¡°Is it the girl who received my memories and forgot hers, or is it me who took her body, or¡­¡± She bent a knee and picked a paper among the miscellany of notes, scrutinizing the silly design of a panda jacket. ¡°Are the girl and I the same people in different timelines or parallel realities? After all, as time goes by, I¡¯ll regain all her memories, and her memories will affect my livelihood.¡±


    ¡°In any case,¡± Yanara said, patting the girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ignorance is a bliss, Lara. If you decide to gain strength and help me unveil the mysteries behind the bastards above, I¡¯ll tell you more. If you instead want to lead a peaceful life, so be it. I¡¯ll help you too. In this case, though, you shouldn¡¯t ever be expectant of meeting your sister again.¡±


    Sadness washed over Lis. Her sister was dead, and some unknown entity had taken her body, talking to her as if they were ever close. Couldn¡¯t this mysterious figure just keep the secret to themselves, though? Wasn¡¯t revealing to her all this¡­ a definite mistake?


    How did she ever come to believe in the supernatural in the first place? The occurrence of possession still sounded ridiculous to her, no matter how sound the reasoning was. Maybe she was mistaken. Maybe it was still her sister just acting. Maybe she hadn¡¯t awoken from her dream yet, and this all was just a long, cruel nightmare¡ª


    ¡°Will you help me discover who your sister really is? Whether she¡¯s still alive or dead. Whether she¡¯s now standing in front of you or long perished forevermore?¡±


    Lis gazed at the hand extended toward her. Despite the intense training, the hand was still gentle, slender, and weak, and the finger thin, fragile, and shaky. Lis looked at the being¡¯s face. Hidden behind the unsympathetic facade of a smile, she saw an even greater sadness than hers. Yanara had always been like that since she¡¯d known her. From the very beginning to the end, she was terrible at hiding her heart. She was overly dumb in some areas and prodigious in others. Too emotional and empathetic for her own good, yet too bad at interpreting emotions all the same, both her and others¡¯. Especially her own.


    In some ways, she¡¯d always reminded her of those heroic protagonists, born in a wrong story that only punished her for the absolute lack of rationalism in the world that didn¡¯t forgive hypocrisy.


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± so she said.


    ¡°I love you too, Lara.¡± Yanara smiled, hugging Lara with full strength. ¡°No more soap operas, understood? I''m sure you will reach your own conclusion as the days pass.¡±


    This unconditional love was so like Yanara the girl knew of. Yet wasn¡¯t the person hugging her the same individual who¡¯d pressed a razor against her throat hours prior? This utter madness evoked in her something she didn¡¯t know of ¡ª insatiable curiosity that momentarily overtook her grief. Was madness, perhaps, infectious?


    ¡°You wanna have one more training session with me this evening? Very more potions to go. Exercising alone is kinda lonely¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Lis¡¯s voice hitched as she instinctively pushed the devil away. Yanara fell backward, her head hitting the wall.Stolen story; please report.


    Lis glimpsed at her hand in surprise. When did she become so strong? She had never felt so powerful before.


    ¡°Let''s go, Yana¡­ra,¡± she said, walking past her and leaving the room. ¡°Before Father gets angry at me for postponing the meeting by minutes.¡±


    Yet before she could, she fell head-first, her nose coloring the floors.


    ¡°Who the fuck do you think you¡¯re pushing like that, ha?! Stupid little shit.¡± Yanara broke her record streak of not cursing. ¡°Almost had a concussion there. You don¡¯t expect some other dude to take over your sister¡¯s corpse after I¡¯m gone too, do you? Stand the fuck up before I stamp this empty head of yours into bloody bits. I¡¯m more and more tempted by each passing second your sorry ass lies there.¡±


    And before Lis could, she felt a hand gripping her hair, pushing her up.


    ¡°There¡¯s no nice way of talking to kids, huh,¡± Yanara tsked, shoving her out of the door with a pushing kick. ¡°Lead the way. Be quick.¡±


    ¡®Hey, Pussyboy.¡¯ Yanara telepathically voiced to her AI Assistant, correcting her oracleyes with a fingertip. ¡®Tell me about the old man before we get there. I¡¯ve suddenly forgotten everything about him, you see. How unfortunate.¡¯


    Romeo¡¯s gentle yet clearly terrified voice pierced through her head. ¡®Se?orita, why are you¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Call me that shit again and I¡¯m resetting your malware-infused ass.¡¯ Yanara followed Lis as she trod the stairs down the massive hall. ¡®Remember, also ¡ª no questions. Only I ask questions. You¡¯re nothing but a fucking tool, understood?¡¯


    ¡®Yes¡­ I will always love you despite the¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t talk shit unless asked for, understood?¡¯


    ¡®Yes¡­¡¯


    As Yanara descended the stairs, she glanced at the dead sun above, sighing in annoyance. Among the constellations, Pisces was undoubtedly amidst the incredibly hateful bunch. Not like any of them were comely, to begin with.


    ¡®His Lordship Nar, The Duke of Narakria, also renowned as the thirty-seventh in the Top Hundred superhero list, Heather Honey¡ª¡¯


    ¡°Pfft¡ª¡± Yanara couldn¡¯t keep her laughter inside. She received questioning glances from Lis, who almost reached the exit to their chamber. ¡®Heather Honey? Really?! What kind of grown man goes around calling themselves fucking Heather. What kind of grown man goes by Honey? Why don¡¯t you just call them by numbers? Can you imagine a kid telling their parents, ¡®Mommy! Daddy! Growing up, I want to become like Heather Honey~!¡¯. I knew from the moment I heard of Divine Emperor¡­ This whole superhero thing is a cringefest, no?¡¯


    ¡®I believe it¡¯s just¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Didn¡¯t ask, Pussyboy. Follow up with the info,¡¯ the former Heavenly Demon voiced in her head, fixing the oracleyes on her nose, unused to ever having to wear glasses.


    ¡®Sir Nar Guazzam is the third son of Divine Emperor. Having inherited his emerald eyes from his elven mother and his hair turning bright purple after reaching rank four, even among the otherworlders, he¡¯s known to have a bizarre appearance. Besides the ability to manipulate plants, he¡¯s revered for his Hive Mind, the control over dozens of monstrous bees at his disposal,¡¯ Romeo spat word after word, like a broken machine. ¡®His most renowned accomplishment is defending the Shire of Mathom by himself despite the persisting famine and the constant assault of high-ranked, intelligent monsters under the influence of the Blood Moon.¡¯


    The double doors slid open as the two girls entered an even grander hall. The rich marble reflected the chandeliers, pillars, and the arched ceiling above. A line of guards in dark red iron uniforms, their whole bodies covered in crimson metal, greeted them with a bow. At the center stood a sole guard with a slightly more pristine uniform and an intimidating presence.


    ¡°Greeting, Lady Nara Yanara,¡± he said with a firm, mechanic, Russian accent, bowing, and thereafter did the same by turning right. ¡°Greetings, Lady Nara Larissa.¡±


    ¡®Who the fuck is this bootleg Darth Vader?¡¯ Yanara asked her AI Assistant.


    ¡®It¡¯s Sir Head Guard Anatoly. Here,¡¯ Romeo noted as a hologram was formed beside the head guard, showing his face, age, and some characteristics, which only her master could see, who had previously enabled the private mode. ¡®I can provide a more extensive description if you need.¡¯


    ¡®What a show-off.¡¯ Yanara tsked mentally. ¡®Like I wouldn¡¯t already know that¡­ I don¡¯t understand, are you saying I¡¯m stupid? I would¡¯ve asked if there was a need to. You¡¯re acting for me like I ain¡¯t got the fucking sense to act for myself. Is that it? Is that what you¡¯re doing?¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯ As a supposedly all-knowing AI, Romeo remained speechless, bamboozled.


    The head guard turned on his heel, his red cloak flowing behind him, its ends reaching the polished floor. Other guards followed in the same manner, a few walking from behind.


    As the sisters followed, Yanara couldn¡¯t help but admire the future. The overhead lights ran continuously down the automated systems and control panels. Beyond the observatory windows, snow poured just like always, jiving left and right and up and down at the command of a light breeze.


    ¡®What¡¯s those water guns they carry on their backs?¡¯ Yanara asked, glaring at the guards in the front.


    ¡®Plasma guns,¡¯ Romeo answered. ¡®They operate on mana.¡¯


    ¡®Oh, cool.¡¯


    ¡°How has the night been, Lady Larissa?¡± The head guard asked Lis, who walked beside them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to talk,¡± Lis verbally shooed him off.


    ¡®Wow wow, such temperament. She¡¯s gonna grow more wrinkles in her freckled face,¡¯ Yanara commented, enjoying the walk.


    ¡°How has the night been, Lady Yanara?¡±


    ¡°Fuck off.¡±


    They went down the path, which spiraled downward like the looping cables of a rotating turbine in motion. Yanara¡¯s eyes repeatedly caught a recurring emblem carved into the walls along their route. A finely sculpted pomegranate surrounded by twisting branches and curly leaves, its split skin revealing a cluster of seeds within.


    ¡®This is the Duchy¡¯s symbol, yes?¡¯ Yanara asked, tapping a carving with the back of her knuckles as they passed.


    ¡®Yes,¡¯ Romeo affirmed. ¡®Symbolizing fertility and life, it represents renewal, vitality, wealth, and prosperity.¡¯


    The path eventually straightened, leading into a wider corridor with more grandeur and a suppressed sense of authority. Sconces resembling blossoming lilies emitted warm lights. Machinery ticked silently around and throughout.


    The aromas of spices and meats assaulted her nostrils. ¡®Smells good.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®Oi fucker, why are you not responding?¡¯ Yanara voiced angrily. ¡®I don¡¯t want to think like I¡¯m thinking to myself. Or do you think I¡¯m deranged?¡¯


    ¡®Absolutely not! It¡¯s just that you¡¯ve ordered me not to speak unnecessarily unless a question is being asked¡ª¡¯


    ¡®No arguments, Pussyboy.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®I can¡¯t hear you?!¡¯ Yanara shouted internally.


    ¡®Yes, no arguments from now forth!¡¯


    ¡®Shut the fuck up.¡±


    ¡®...¡¯


    They finally reached the end, where a pair of bronze doors loomed. From both lower ends, trees rose with twining vines and pomegranates, and a bigger, circular pomegranate stood at the center of each door. Two guards stood on both ends also. They bowed in greeting as the doors slid open. ¡°His Lordship awaits,¡± one on the right said.


    The two sisters walked in, all the guards beside the head guard standing behind.


    Yanara¡¯s gaze immediately fell on the figure at the head of the long table laid with food ¡ª a half-elf, half-human, with slightly pointy ears. With a soft jawline, an elegant curve of high cheekbones, and an overall overly symmetrical face, his pale, porcelain skin stood against the flowing locks of his lavender hair that waterfalled in silky waves past his neck. His eyes glowed bright and emerald, just like hers.


    Dressed in a dark red elite military suit, he savored the wine the android maid served him.


    ¡®You sure this dude¡¯s a dude?¡¯ Yanara asked.


    ¡®Yes¡­¡¯ Romeo affirmed.


    He glanced at Yanara and then at her other daughter, his hands clasped before him.


    ¡°Children,¡± the Lord called with a firm yet soothing voice, pointing at the chair beside him with his relaxed eyes. ¡°You¡¯re late. Come take a seat.¡±