《Ethereal Paradigm: Arcadia of Darkness》 -2 Foreword: Icarus Deceptions Hi! Icarus here, but the Icarus who fell even before receiving artificial wings and even before he could take flight...Hehehe. Oh and uh, I also felt the need to say this here. Just in case, this novel''s sudden appearance on run-down websites. Contents are protected under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. Any website that pirate the contents are PUNISHABLE by law. READ ON WEBNOVEL ONLY. Now, it might actually be trivial to publish this here along with those chapters that I''m quite proud of, but I hope that this would somehow be integral for you to understand my perspective in writing this fantasy novel, the only work that I consider to be of significance in this dull world of ours. A little extra word of caution. If by far, philosophic standpoints do not intrigue you, then you are free to move on toward''s the first arc. No problem. But first, let me welcome you, to the Ethereal Paradigm! Have a nice stay... Here goes the pessimistic foreword... While it is not an intent to make this book seem one of those religious doctrines, which clearly isn''t, I am laying hold of this chance to canvass a subject of importance. Please take heed. "Satan, in the garden of Eden told Adam and Eve to transgress a commandment of divinity and eat of the Tree of Knowledge to be equal with God themselves, able to discern good and evil. " For several eons, this sacred mantra has always articulated this way, the commencement of humanity''s fall from the grace of the omnipotent. The starting point of mankind''s plummet to various abominations and probably, "Lucifer, the light-bearer''s" debut to becoming mankind''s villain, his transformation to becoming "Satan- the adversary and the prince of darkness". Yet, one viewpoint that humanity failed to consider, is that the adversary did not say anything about perpetrating mass murders, diabolical lust, disparaging adulteries, covetousness, and many other forms of whatnot immoralities, that drowned the whole world today to the deepest pit of oblivion whilst experiencing ignorant euphoria. He said no such things, as his main intent at that moment was only to make humanity sever their link with God. In other words, it was man''s fate led astray from the dependence of God that made them the paragons of sin, and not of a peculiar fruit that was eaten in the center of a vast garden as per instruction of a talking basilisk. It was man''s foolish decision to favor the knowledge of evil that made them the cancers they are today. You see, eating of the fruit means humanity now has a live embodiment of extinguishers between what should have been good and what should have been evil. Should our ancestors have had eaten that forbidden fruit, and then considered favoring the knowledge of good, the rampancy of evil should have still ceased to exist. Yet sad to say, that they had planned the otherwise. Moreover, what defines good? How about evil? Simple. We know if it is good if it abides or adds to power and evil if it is aftermath caused by weakness. But, don''t take my word for it. Several more authentic philosophers out there think the same. What''s more fiendish, is how they often hold liable the name of the fallen angel when they sin, knowing first hand that it was their very own heart that told them to do so. Still, to be clear, I am, at any means, also not laying my favor to Satan, as he was the first to cause strife in the midst of the heavenly castle and to rebel against the unalienable authority of the highest. It was his pride that caused the primal mayhem, the first sin to ever emerge in the timeline of creation- the very first weakness to arise. And as for Adam and Eve, I stand firm in my belief, that even if Satan did not tell them to transgress the commandment of God, I think that they would have still sinned either way, because the moment the concept of "Free Will" came to subsistence, it was then presaged that our fate as striving entities was and is to be congealed not with a rainbow of colors, but either with crimson blood, azure agony, or monochromatic emptiness. Hypothetically at that time of the fall, Satan was predestined to be there, to brisk the leisure turn of events, and to merely spell the progress of this tragic story. After the fall, the pedestals of transgression were forced to be called outcasts from the eyes of God. The beautiful garden which mas mainly prepared to be their habitation, submerged at the basal part of the sea, was sealed with impeccable divine jurisdiction from the presence of men and was then guarded with four heavenly seraphs, one in each corner, all armed with greatswords engulfed in unquenchable flames, that would obliterate anything that dares to enter the closed ephemeral halcyon without a single spark of failure. Adam and Eve then continued to live in the outskirts of the garden now with turmoil and hardships. Although they have fallen short in the expectation of the highest, he continued to look at them with compassion and still blessed the land that they were in, so it will not be barren, and that it will yield its produce in due season. The word "Starvation" was still nowhere to be found in the human lexicon, not until the first murder was executed. It was then, that the blood of the wronged was absorbed by the land and it retrograded its produce, so that man might know for the first time, what it means to hunger. Later, new sins were committed as generations came and go adding more vile words to the human language, of which seven of the most cardinal were pride with Satan as its perpetrator, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and lastly, the sin of sloth. All seven, the almighty one hates, and not one is acceptable in his sight. To save humanity from their continuous plunge to this seven sin cardinals, God himself, spearheaded fathomless plans of salvation and sent different pioneers to intervene, by which out of weakness, became strong, subdued kingdoms, became valiant in battle, destroyed enemy fortresses and stopped the mouth of lions. But with each successful deliverance, there followed a successful myriad of sinful ricochets. It was becoming an amaranth loop of battle and the progress of the story stands too corrected to be moved. What''s the point of re-telling this ancient anecdote? It reminds me of how vague the future of this world had become and how I, hated to be a part... of humanity. Welcome to this life that neither we deserved nor wanted! You!... Yes you, reading this rather cynical part of modern literature! I did not say these lengthy drivels to sway your opinions and philosophies. I only wished for your perspectives to be not as colorless, bleak, and negative as mine. -1 Codex: System Overview NOTE that this auxiliary chapter is intended to extrapolate and recap the ''Ethereal Paradigm'', a system that controls the 3rd realm called ''N?thervale'' and thus, contains ''SPOILERS. If by far, you want your reading experience smooth and flawless, then you should read the FIRST TWO VOLUMES, before you can read this, clean of doubt. On the other hand, if you''re a masochistic Nimrod who likes to bend the rules for no reason at all, I''m gonna have to disqualify you...And remember, disqualification means? Right...DEATH! [IT IS RECOMMENDED FOR YOU TO READ THE PRECEEDING CHAPTERS AND VOLUMES, AND JUST COME HERE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SYSTEM.] Furthermore, I would like to remind, that the information inscribed in this chapter is NOT Final. Some things will be added along with the upcoming updates. -Hermes (The Magistrate''s Messenger) ? This chapter contains information in accordance with: Excursus. The Warfare of Fates I. Persona Interface (PI) II. Sentient Contender Count (SCC) III. Herrschers in Contract IV. Ethereal Paradigm V. Monster Classification VI. Relic Classification VII. Divine Hierarchy VIII. The Four Realms IX. Synthesized Angels X. Decoding names (and MC Design) Excursus ? The Warfare of Fates (SPOILER) (Explained on the SEQUELS and as well as on the other preceding chapters) A Divine Decree for War from the ''Highest Majesty'' where deities are mandated to choose a human vessel for their own, which they will call as their ''Herrscher'' (A human who will bear their will as a divinity and will be subjected to their overwhelming powers) It would take place in the Third Realm, ''N?thervale'', where unlike earth, has a surreal system that the deities emblazoned as the "Ethereal Paradigm." The deity who triumphs in this war will decide the ultimate fate of humanity and the human gets to have a wish of his own accord. I ? PERSONA INTERFACE (PI) (Explained in Chapters 51 and 52) An interface/platform prebuilt in the Ethereal Paradigm that shows the participants'', Herrschers'' and N?thervalians''; 1] Profile, 2] Re: Characterization Database 3] General Information. It contains the most basic information that can be kept hidden, depending on the user. 1] PROFILE Name Classification Affiliate Crusade Pass Two Kill Counts ( the ''Killed Participants and ''Killed Herrschers'') 2] Re: Characterization Database Paradigm Name: Type: Definition: Paradigm Shift: Limit: Consequence: Usage Violation: 3] GENERAL INFORMATION Shows stable updates on Sentient Contender Count, Herrscher Count and showcases announcements from the Goddess Athena. II ? SENTIENT CONTENDER COUNT (Spoiler)..... SCC. A live count, daily accomplished by the magistrates'' appointed game master/emcee, Goddess Athena, which pertains to the remaining participants, alive, well and still striving in the warfare. Current SCC= 345, 457 - (has been decreased GREATLY) III ? HERRSCHERS IN CONTRACT (HEAVY SPOILERS)... These listed below are the assured Herrschers currently on the warfare, confirmed to be alive and well. This list is dynamic and can CHANGE ANYTIME, as the warfare continues and as we meet new characters which have agreed to form an alliance with a Deity, thereby having an ''Insignia'' somewhere on their body, a symbol of the contract. If the Herrscher will have an ''(x)'' mark after their name, it signifies the Herrscher has been ELIMINATED. 1]Name: Jaiden Axcel Cendrillon Deity: Dea Lacrimosa 2]Name: Celes Reignsworth Deity: Deus Ex Machina 3]Name: Zen Wolfenschtein Deity: Midas 4]Name: Alexandra Ludenburgh Deity: Athena (To be Confirmed) 5]Name: ??? Deity: Cheshire Cat IV ? ETHEREAL PARADIGM... Unlike Earth which incorporates the ''Reality System'' where supernatural occurrences are almost all banned, and the connection between a deity and a man is limited, this system is the complete opposite. It is a surreal system currently installed in N?thervale, a massive realm thrice the size of Earth which hosts the eon''s Warfare of Fates. It incorporates a virtual-like environment for the contenders'' grandeur, where monsters are killed for grinding and experience, Relics of discrepant origin are equipped, where you can create your own faction alongside others with shared-goals... except, their life is at CONSTANT STAKE. (WAS EXPLAINED ON THE FIRST 30 CHAPTERS) 1] CONTENDER''S INTERFACE Health Points [HP]: Hidden Magical Points [MP]: Hidden Stamina [STA]: Hidden Experience Points [EXP]: Hidden Level: Hidden Physical Attributes [PA]: Hidden Magical Attributes [MA]: Hidden 2] BESTIAL INTERFACE q?|TTTTTTTTTT|?r Name: LVL: HP: MP: Type: t?|TTTTTTTTTT|?s All are shown, before engagement. After the first damage has been inflicted on the monster, no matter the type, it will again be HIDDEN. 3] ROLES This solely lies on the liking or the finesse of a contender. If by far he/she wants to have more than 1 role, THEY DEFINITELY CAN. What Is listed below are Ethereal Paradigm''s major roles and each contender is NOT limited to just one... A] Mage B] Fighter C] Assassin D] Warlock E] Paladin F] Fortress G] Fulcrum H] Berserker I] Dual Blade (Will be Explained thoroughly as the Warfare of Fates continues) V ? MONSTER CLASSIFICATION (By Elemental Attribute) 1] Salamander - Fire 2] Sylaphe - Nature 3] Oried - Wind 4] Undine - Water 5] Siren - Ice 6] Dyrad - Earth 7] Gnome - Ghost 8] Dakini - None-elemental VI ? Relic Classification 1] Damage Weapons... A. Dagger B, Blade C. Sword D. Mace E. Hammer F. Greatsword G. Spear H. Chain I. Scythe J. Archer K. Scepter (Each can be customized at will) 2] Defensive weapon/equipment... A. Armor B. Greaves (Boot) C. Shield D. Headgear E. Gauntlet (Each can be customized at will) 3] Relic and Item Tier A. Prevalent B. Rare C. Prototype D. Mythical E. Sacred F. Arcana (Extrapolated in the next updates) VII ? DIVINE HIERARCHY (In Ascending Order, SPOILER)... 1] Lesser Deities A. Spirit Deities B. Quasi-Deities C. Relic Wardens D. Mythic Deities E. Archangels 2] Higher Deities F. Magistrates 3] Creation Deities G. Primordial H. Highest VIII ? The Four Realms 1] Heavenly Realm / Nirvana 2] Earth 3] N?thervale 4] Tartarus / Gehenna (There is also the 2nd type of realm. "MINOR REALMS", although it''s a bit intricate. It''s a realm designed by a deity to fit their own liking. A realm for themselves alone.) IX ? The 12 Synthesized Angels (MAJOR SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER 72) 1] Calypso (Harvest) 2] Hitchcock (Glamour) 3] Vale (Valor) 4] Beowulf (Order) 5] D'' Artagnan (Fortitude) 6] Daedalus (Amends) 7] Longinus (Temperament) 8] Sartre (Wisdom 9] D'' Nostradamus (Insight) 10] Tsukuyomi (Remark) 11] Kurenai (Heal) 12] Bismark (Benediction) ?DECODING NAMES For more imaginative means, and as per a suggestion, this auxiliary chapter is published here, to somehow set into transparency, the outward appearance of the main male character (who had not attained a chance to describe himself, even for a bit). As for the other characters, who are thoroughly described as the story progresses, I would just explain their names'' meanings. Assuredly, I can''t let my days of name research also lie to waste. Yes. It may sound anti-climactic, but I researched them individually, before bringing them to subsistence. Hahaha! If you find yourself caring little for details such as these, then feel free to move on towards the chapter where you left prior. No problemo... I. Jaiden Axel Cendrillon Name Decode: (Jaiden- meaning ''treasured'', ''valued''; Axcel-derived from ''Axel'', a German, Scandinavian originated-name meaning ''Father of Peace''; Cendrillon- derived from ''Cinder'', meaning ''little Ash'') Decent: Western Age: 18 years old Height: 178 cm Weight: 69 kg Hair Color: Dark Brown Eye Color: Deep Black Skin Tone: Neutral Undertone II. Dea Lacrimosa (Dea- a Latin word for ''Goddess; Lacrimosa- also translated as ''Weeping'' and/or ''Tearful'' in the same Lexicon) III. Celes Stella Reignsworth (Celes- short for ''celestial''; Stella- short for ''Stellar''; Reignsworth- one that is worthy of authority and triumphs.) IV. Deus Ex Machina (In case you don''t know, it means ''God (Deus) from the Machine (Ex Machina) or God in a Machine) V. Shiro (Japanese-originated name, Meaning ''White) (MORE WILL BE ADDED) 1 Prelude 1 : Perspective of a Divine Outcas "There are no beautiful surfaces without terrible depths." -Friedrich Nietzsche ? "Men are doomed to damnation! We can''t let them live any longer!" "What? Are you saying that we should abandon all hope and plunge them to the deepest pits of the abyss? Just like that?" "Unacceptable! That would by far, waste our eons of efforts for their deliverance!" "Then what are we supposed to do? Let them continue committing these abominable sins?" Arguments like that came ricocheting right inside a luminous, and quite grand heavenly headquarters where 333 deities and Magistrates, all in charge of governing natural laws are gathered together to discuss a critical controversy that none of them can afford to be lenient about. It''s whether they would let humanity continue striving, in a hope that one day they would embrace repentance in their own initiative, or let them sever once and for all to obliterate the amaranth immortality of sin. Yet, seated at the edge of the large rectangular table encrusted with both gold and silver... the same place where the ecstatic crowd is loudly contending, is a deity who could not care less towards the point of the congregation. She is the Goddess of Disambiguation, "Dea Lacrimosa" in her usual black and noble apparel that makes her seem like an outsider in the very sacred and perpetual scene. "This is a waste of my time... Wait, why did I even approve to be here in the first place?" She interrogates herself seeing how prosaic the conference is and how tedious it is just to listen to the endless concussion of arguments that she finds superfluous. Then, without any sense of the proper decorum that one is subject to display when around the other Divinities, especially with the revered magistrates present on their thrones, she decides to stand up from her medieval-themed seat and leave the argumentative charade for good. "Creak!!" The sound of her chair as she stood up echoed through the room''s vast space, making everyone cease their clamors while taking a moment or two to look at her with piercing glares. Moreover, the goddess, completely ignoring why it got silent all of a sudden begins to leave the presence of the Divinities, dauntlessly. "Lacrimosa, where are you going? Are you planning on going astray again?" A virile and low-pitched voice from one of the table''s edges reacts, seeing her leaving the congregation in her own brazen accord. The intrusive voice came from a member of the magistrates, who are tasked to keep track of the deities, their decisions and of course, the order within the Divine Realm. Usually, deities would not even dare showcase the most diminutive, uncivil acts in their presence and yet, Lacrimosa is the only exemption who fearlessly can... "Correct. I have no comments about this dispute that all of you are tackling rather vehemently. You can do whatever it is that you want, while I''ll do mine." She declared, whilst trending her jet-black feminine heels across the venue''s unblemished porcelain floor tiles. And as she starts to head towards the one and only exit, some of the 332 chose to pretend not even seeing her, some begin to cower in fear for comprehensible reasons while some, chose to throw words with sharp edges, words that the Goddess herself has grown accustomed to. "At it again, huh?" "That''s so like her." "Sshh... Quite! You know that she is in the higher ranks, right?" "Of course we do. I even heard she climbed the Divine hierarchy in just a few years!" "Right. That''s why she can do whatever she wants with no one stopping her. There''s even this rumor that her points of authority are even enough to rival the Magistrates." "Eh? Doesn''t that make her dangerous?" "Yes. But look at her, all sad and alone. I don''t know why but she always pushes the others away." Statements like that bombards the place which fortunately are from the heretic deities, and Lacrimosa''s prowess is not so limited that she could not hear what everyone has said, and yet, for her, arguing is nothing but trivial. All that has been said are true anyways. As she is about to opt outside through the room''s aristocratic and surreal door, slowly opening with an unseen force, another voice echoed, addressing the lady... "Lady Lacrimosa, surely you know that we can''t let such risque behavior sustained on our watch. " "My, my. I know. It''s just that, taking commands from you guys is too monotonous. I''ll come by around if the decree of assembly is from the ''Highest'' himself. For now, I''ll take my leave while you continue on your little feud... Later." She left with as little as a graceful hand wave as an alternative form of bidding farewell, while the doors as she made it outside, shut in its own vocation. That''s right... She is an outcast. It''s not that the 332 others actually consider her to be one, but the emblazonment was decided by herself alone. A divine life of isolation, away from any forms of significant contortions. An introvert so to say, but an elevated and a divine category Moreover, her life was not always like this... Once, she was just a lowly spirit residing in the third realm gifted with the innate prowess to manipulate negative forces and to turn it to a power of her own. The ability, however, was fated to alter her once lowly life ullaged in candor and demureness. The same day the magistrates heard of her unique ability, she was then cardinally promoted to the Hierarchy of the Divines and was sent to the second realm ''Earth'', for her first divine errand...To get hold of despair, sadness, and any ill emotions altogether from the new creations called ''Men''. Prior, she also received discrepant warnings that she must always take heed when dealing with the creations and as well as with the fallen that runs to and fro in that realm, especially with that one figure whose name''s utterance alone would cause panic for the lower deities. However, she was adamant about the promotion and just ignored the counseling statements. She was to set on a pilgrimage as a novice divinity on the lowest hierarchy and live a candor life on Earth. "Humans would call out to me and I would answer them without falters", she thought. She accepted the task presented to her by the same magistrates without waivers and yet, little did she know that the favored realm is a dominion that she least expected it to be and that, it was all made proven the moment the actual day of the official commencement of her pilgrimage, came forth like a devouring lion... She arrived on the appointed realm only to see a very discrepant world from where she grew in, and her first steps were all that it took to crush all of her early prospects for the realm. A deity''s connection to a man is very limited that they can''t even speak with each other vis-a-vis, without special reasons. The use of paradigms for leisure is banned and magic is non-existent, and the world was so grotesque and was like the depiction of hell before the unquenchable inferno came in. Violence. Crime. Despair. Sadness. She could all see clearly and vividly as it never ceased to rule the hearts of the majority. In other words, the realm is and had always been Dark by Default... and these, however, spelled more power for her unique ability, slowly turning her into something which she was not. 2 Prelude 2 : Decree for a Paradox "For anything worth having, one must pay the price." -John Burroughs ? She refused to give up the task just yet and continued to manipulate dark emotions to a bare minimum as instructed. Every day she would get out from her self-created space and, would just like that, obliterate ill and bleak emotions from anyone she could see. The process repeated itself for a few decades making her see the evolution and innovations that man had catalyzed as years came and go. She even got promoted to the second-to-the-last Hierarchy and seeing the slow, but apparent progress, she decided that she could live like this for as long as it takes, until she reaches her new desired rank, to be considered as a "Relic Warden"- the threshold on the Hierarchy where she then would be allowed to live on the Divine realms in exchange of guarding a sacred relic. Yet, fate again took another hundred and eighty-degree turn. A table-turner that would make her climb up the ranks without having to wait for another eon in such an ugly workplace, but with a relatively large price that she has to pay, and a fallen deity caused it all. "Viscount End"-The Prince of the Ruined, in his heinous shenanigans, to increase his power by making men sin by any feasible means, begins to plan another major incursion and there''s nothing more perfect than his callous scheme to inflict "The Great Depression"... And so it happened, without any prior warnings. The incursion happened fast, whilst Lacrimosa is still in its havoc''s midst, left alone in the eye of a great catastrophe that men had never seen before. The plan took hold of mankind in the eeriest ways, an event that was least expected and is currently underestimated by history. That time, it was the Dark Ages but thrice the agony, thrice the deaths, thrice the despair, thrice the poverty and a hundred times the horror''s disambiguation. It was truly an occurrence that made earth similar to Gehenna, a place uglier than that of the abyss. And yet, caught up with the task she was to bring to fruition, Lacrimosa then utilized every bit of her power to subdue the subsistent melancholy, only to see and realize... that her power had an unmarked limitation. Adversely, as she attempted to spell the end of the eerie timeline in a single usage of her peculiar prowess beginning by obscurely extracting the unfathomable negativities, she began to feel the darkness first-hand that she would usually just cast out from her. The call for food. The feeling of being killed. The feeling of utter hopelessness. The feeling of being in an endless loop of agony and sadness. She experienced it all. And what''s more is that just by being cognizant of the fact that Earth is in a crisis unlike any other before, her authority level rose up unprecedentedly breaking the charts of the magistrates that made her equal to them herself. But, the magistrates, fearing that she would eventually surpass and reach the ranks of the two Primordials began to take measures. They stopped Lacrimosa, retrieved her from the realm, dully increased her rank to a much-desired level and let her lived in the Divine realms just as how she wanted, but she... was never the same. She hated her prowess as much as she hated her experience on Earth. It was a rare ability able to deform negative forces to become her own arsenal of power. Let her see sadness and she can kill you by that. Show her despair and she can turn the negativity to a sharp two-edged sword and plunge it to someone else''s heart. Cower in fear in her presence and her power would rise up via visible scales. Moreover, in all of its peculiar glory, she hated it. Not because having such potent ability made her life dull, but because it made her go through all of that putrid event as if she wore the soles of the constantly tormented mankind. The feeling alone is nauseating and the memory is very grim to be reminisced. Now, here she is. In the Divine realms known for her ability and her infamy of climbing the hierarchy quicker than almost everyone else. Feared. Isolated. Considered as an outcast by none other than herself. After all, she is very different from the other deities. Unlike them, she empirically experienced what it really is like to suffer and mourn. (.....) After the conference that she intentionally abolished, she lived another ten years of leisurely not caring about anything else. All she did was stay in her minimalistic self-made realm, enjoy the leisure and relaxing atmosphere it has to offer, play the piano that she could summon anytime if she feels like playing, and would just go out if called by someone with a higher rank than her. It was a dull life, a very sad one, and yet matched her title perfectly of being the "Goddess of Disambiguation". And then came the unprecedented news... "ATTENTION TO ALL DEITIES. THE ''HIGHEST MAJESTY'' PETITIONED FOR A MEETING IN ACCORDANCE TO THE CONTROVERSY OF MANKIND. PRESENCE IS IMPERATIVE. PLEASE BE THERE AT THE CONGREGATION..." And so, another gathering is to take place, but this time, it would be deprived of arguments and insignificant drivels and if not because of the ''HIGHEST MAJESTY'' address, Lacrimosa would have had deemed it another waste of her time, but now, it might as well be something that is worthy of her heed. The denizens of the Divine Realms, including the 333 deities and as well as the Magistrates found themselves facing each other, yet again on the same lavish rectangular table in a seemingly ordered manner. Well, they are to receive the words from the highest, so they should be. Furthermore, this time, the only one who will speak is the highest himself in the form of a conscious flame as he does not permit anyone to see him personally, not even the Magistrates themselves. Everyone then got to the same position they were in as the last time, including Lacrimosa herself who is situated on the innermost edge, but they, as a thousand-century practice, remained standing up while waiting for the Highest''s presence to descend. And then the flaming consciousness came and positioned itself right in the center of the table. Not even one dare to say a word and be underscored as an unholy braggadocio. Only the presence could speak, and that, any questions must be held back and be saved for later. "A decent day everyone! How unfortunate to say that all of you are now divided. One side favors damnation for the creation, while the opposition chose salvation. And in order to cease the ongoing Paradox, I am now implementing a new decree... ''The Warfare of Fates''. Each of you is required to choose a human for yourselves. The winning deity gets to decide the ultimate extremity while the human will have a wish for himself to be granted by me. Everyone in the basal part of the Hierarchy should make amends, and I also consider the participation from the fallen...I command thee Magistrates to further extrapolate the rules, not yonder." Then just like that, the presence left, leaving everyone with nothing but strong pounding heartbeats as they think critically as to what the Highest meant whilst hoping that their first translation is wrong. Then, a deity snapped out from his paralysis... "What? A war between deities? This is absurd!" "We can''t do anything about it. it''s the decision from the ''highest'' himself!", the magistrates further seconded and not one could object. Everyone left the congregation, with cold sweats that could heal the wounded running down their lit countenances... Except for Lacrimosa who was a bit disappointed. And so the magistrates, as instructed, began to make the rules of the warfare. From that point on, at least 10 important assemblies explaining the war took place of which Lacrimosa did not attend all. The Magistrates have long gone finished the structure of the decree and it is soon to begin without falters. The deities themselves also have had chosen their vessels which they would call as "Herrschers" and have been in constant connection with them... But Lacrimosa was still not in the mood to choose a human vessel, not until a note three years later came in her realm saying that she must need to choose now or face terrible consequence from the Highest himself and that, this is her last chance. Ten days have been set and if by all means, she would fail to choose a human to be the vessel of her will in that specific time frame, she will face the putrid price. The Goddess, speculating as to how troublesome it might be if she were to ignore the letter, not to mention that it acknowledged the ''Highest'' in between, she decided to venture again in the world that she hates leaving her self-designed realm with as little as "This is very tiring. Let''s just get this over with". She then descended, only to see that the world that made her suffer has changed quite drastically, but still, with the ever-increasing immorality and the rampancy of sins- visages that she was acquainted with for a few decades, that she would never likely forget... Choosing to ignore the somewhat familiar scenes, she then hovered throughout the landscape scanning for the possible adept Herrscher... Moreover, while the Goddess is very lazy and would prefer mediocrity over sound outcomes, she is not that frivolous to think alike when choosing integral ''materials'' like this. Not to forget that it''s a ''human'' that she''s talking about, the entities that have been the cause of the Divine Realm''s ruckus and the reason why she changed... Yet, eight days have passed and still, there was none that fit her criteria; First. It should be a girl. Second. She should be an abandoned street-child known by no one. Third. She knows how to behave in the noblest ways. Fourth. Her mouth is constantly thrifty in words. Quite the criteria now aren''t they? And then, came the ninth day. A time where she decided to alter the four criteria she spearheaded herself... It was a night like any other, still with the dull per diem visages of crime, violence and ill intentions, but one thing made it quite unusual... It was the endearing gargantuan moon that reminded her of her past humble life back in the third realm from whence she was but a lowly spirit. Unfortunately, all of that now is but an array of imaginative scenarios all starting with "What if''s" and Lacrimosa knows too well, that she can''t continue dwelling too much in the past. And then... "BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!" she suddenly heard an avid myriad of echoing gunshots intervening her, as she was rather busy of accommodating her endless reveries. And there, atop a mountain, by a mansion''s giant window she saw, a very young girl in a detrimental scenario crying her heart out while hugging two corpses lying cold on the floor, begging for her life. A young man in noble garments pointing a gun with a deranged demeanor coming for the defenseless little girl''s life, and dead bodies lying all around outside... And at the same mansion''s bedroom, one storey above, a boy is sleeping, without a clue of the derangement that''s currently taking place in the same household. "BANG!" the little girl died, suffering from a candid gunshot on the chest, while the next thing that the Goddess saw was the merciless perpetrator stretching his back and then taking a seat on a grand piano''s bench, smiling deceitfully as he beholds the deceased lying cold in front of him. "How deranged this realm really is. Perhaps it''s actually better for it to sever." She said with an expression of legitimate disgust, amalgamated with pure hatred. Power also came surging into her from the perpetrator''s freshly-executed negative intentions, a power that she neither asked for nor needed. She then cast a cold wind to pass through the sleeping boy''s bedroom, waking him up... "Guess I found him...my Herrscher." The Goddess exclaimed. 3 Moonlight Sonata "For those that love the world is in enmity with God." 1 John 2:15, Holy Bible ? A night of what was supposed to be an appointment for a joyous celebration. A time supposed to be full of smiles, laughter and mere thanksgiving, was a milestone that I wished had never happened. It engraved into my mind this single image that is redundantly being recalled... from time to time. Awoken by the cold wind that passed through my room window, I stood up from my bed, marking my thirteen-year-old footprints on the floor, through the stairs, and on the long hallways and is stopped by a picturesque view that I felt compelled to see. On one of the windows, I notice that the moon is so bright and is unusually big, so I took some time to look at it at the veranda and indeed was captivated by the Junoesque beauty the view boldly displayed. I look up and there, the gargantuan moon is which deems the lights of the minuscule stars in its background obfuscated, with its clear corona ravishing its gallant brilliance. In a state of complete reverie by the boundless beauty, I murmured to myself, "I wish that the moon would be as big as this every night"... Remembering that I actually have an errand that I can''t afford to miss, I hurried to meet my family in the living room for my brother''s birthday, hastily stepping out from the sight-seeing I was having. I am happy and rather excited, but what I witnessed the moment I got to the place is the complete opposite of what I thought would be... My mother. My father. And my sweet little sister, lying on a pool of crimson blood, cold and lifeless in a moonlit room of an aristocratic mansion. I''m stunned, I don''t know what to do, and my strength also begins to depart from me. Then all of a sudden, the piano by the giant glass window started playing. I looked out in the same direction, with confusion coalesced with fear, and overwhelming sadness, but without a shred of a tear, and the person who is playing the grand instrument is my older brother, stretching his hand across the keys while sitting in the bench with a serene stature, as if he is performing amidst a crowd of revered nobles. "BROTHER! MOM AND DAD AND JEAN THEY...THEY ARE!-..." Not wanting to say the word, I paused and looked at him only to see him, now gazing back at me with a very demented guise. His eyes are expressing this hunger for something. They''re becoming the gateway to such irrationality as such that I had never seen before coming from him. "Shhh. Hush now Jaiden. I know, I know. They are in an eternal trance. You don''t want to wake them up, don''t you? Father will be mad if you do that. Let them rest in peace", he nonchalantly answered as he continued crossing his hands across the piano keys with the most prestigious stance as if those people that are lying dead in front of him are not family ...nor human. "T-TRANCE? NO BROTHER! THERE''S BLOOD EVERYWHERE! W-WHO?... WHO WOULD DO SUCH A THING!... BROTHER DO SOMETHING!" Wondering why he''s resorting to such, not doing anything while our parents and our sister are pulseless on a pool of blood, I clamored as if I was angry. His hands then stop at a piano key, finishing a famed classical piece of which I palpably recognize as entitled "Moonlight Sonata, First Movement". Turning away from the instrument, he then got up from the bench with a very calm look while attaining this heinous charisma. He then stood by the window and looked at the bright moon. Confused and afraid I''m unable to move or say anything else. All I did is stare at him curious about his next move while there was utter silence in the room down to literarily a decibel or even less. "I wish that the moon would be this eminent every time I take glimpses upon it." He said. "What?! B-Brother...." "AAAAHHHHH, WHAT A SPLENDID NIGHT THIS IS FOR ME !" He said, with a very whimsical voice that sounds rather out of this world. "Brother what are you saying?!" He then made a very heinous smile towards the moon then swiveled to look at me with pure blood lust, with teeth both gnashed as if in deep hatred and his eyes are now burning with the insatiable passion to kill. "Jaiden, my sorry little brother... Tonight begins my threshold!" He exclaimed while extending his arms as wide as it can, taking a deep breath as if he was freed from something that imprisoned him from a long time ago up to this day. "I want to be free from the incarcerations that this cannon fodders gave me! So I, as a retribution for the suffering that they gave-..." "You, you...killed them? Brother are you out of your mind?!" "YES! I KILLED THEM JAIDEN... AND YES! I AM, BY ALL MEANS OUT OF MY MIND TONIGHT! AND IT WILL BE TOO DISAPPOINTING TO LET GO OF SUCH MADNESS, PITIFUL BROTHER!" The moment he exclaimed those vile words while expressing this demeanor that is far too malevolent to be defined through simple terms... this poignant and loathsome thought crossed my mind. "I''m... .. Gonna... ..Be... ...Killed" Silence engulfs the room except for the sound of the footsteps which are coming towards me, sounds that seems to be from Death himself. And as the sound of the footsteps gets closer and closer, my heart''s beating faster, and I am acquainted too well that I can''t do anything. My body is stunned, no, paralyzed. I''m gonna be killed. Just like them... For a moment, I ignored my despair and looked at my dead family. Memories came flashing towards me, memories that were of happiness without a taint of dystopia such as this. I remembered, how mom would inspire me in times of hardships. I remembered dad. He would be there any minute of the day when I felt alone and weak... I remembered my little innocent sister''s shenanigans that would make up our day. Lastly, I remembered how I wished to surpass my revered brother, who is now....coming to kill me. From a state of utter despair, it was metamorphosed to sadness that cannot be likened to other existent touches of melancholy. I am sad and yet there was not a single tear flowing from my eyes. All I know is that I am feeling rather empty, and that, there is this gap in my heart that could never be filled the same way again...This overwhelming and sudden flare of negative emotions would eventually kill me before my brother will. "Crack," I noticed the sound of a lethal weapon being loaded. I looked up and saw him pointing a gun at me a meter or two, away. "If I may know... Brother, why did you do this?" I asked as if it was my last wish to know why it happened. "Aaaahh you talk too much!" He answered. "You are a Cendrillon, right? The last bloodline of the land''s finest aristocrats. And as far as a father would tell me, that we ought to mind our own business. You are one bad descendant for not heeding your father''s own words. And for that, I''m gonna have to kill you. Say hi to them for me! Bon, voyage! " "Ha! He really had gone mad. " I thought... slowly closing my eyes hoping to be killed immediately to eradicate the dominant antagonism and emptiness that I''m feeling. And the moment my eyes closed, I heard three gunshots all aimed at me from point-blank range that would likely rip me apart from my own existence. "BANG!... BANG!... BANG!" A single bullet could have been enough. 4 Dea Lacrimosa "The best way to not get your heart broken is to pretend you don''t have one." -Sheen ? There was complete darkness. I still am conscious but, I don''t know if I''m dead or not. All that I''m sure about is that three bullets were fired, all aimed at a thirteen-year-old body, and what would you imagine for the soma to become? Of course, lifeless. Yet, as if my consciousness stands too corrected to be moved, I heard something. A piano, yet again, was gushing forth these melodramatic sonatas that are second to none, that not even my revered brother''s musical artistry could rival. With the superlative musical notes as the arch stimuli, I tried to feel my arms and my legs and there they were. Surprised that I''m still alive, I slowly opened my eyes and there, a few inches away from me were bullets that were floating on air and a meter away was my brother, still and frozen... as if the time at that moment completely ceased. And hovering in the room are these musical notes unlike any other, which I first heard prior I opened my eyes. I turned my head to the direction where it seemed coming from and there she is. A lady-like image playing the piano that my brother recently skylarked in. Her noble fingers starked across the piano keys. Her long silver hair symbolizes this Junoesque visage, while her facade lit by the beaming moonlight was indescribable in beauty and her sable apparel made her seem to be of noble stature. She has this majestic bearing that makes her easier to be likened to the noble deities of old. To behold such facade...was truly phenomenal that describing the picture through ubiquitous words would be deemed a crime. "Be careful now. I did not stop time. I just slowed it down a bit. Stay away from the bullets'' trajectory young Jaiden", she gracefully said mentioning my name, with this sweet, calm and tender voice that is truly incomparable. I was mesmerized. There are so many questions to ask. Why did the bullets'' stop mid-air.?... Why did my brother freeze?... Who is she? ... How did she get in here... Why am I still alive?... No, I''m dead, aren''t I? There''s no other explanation for this necromantic turn of events... These thoughts came to me, boggling my thoughts to the maximum perplexity there is, but, as if she read my mind, she stopped her gracious piano playing and said... "You''re well and alive young man. Hehe." She replied with a little giggle escaping from her cerise-colored lips. "Oh and uh, I believe I did not introduce myself yet... I am Dea Lacrimosa." She added with her hand at her chest, slightly bowing in a manner of a noblesse. Lacrimosa? That''s not a name that seemed to be from this generation. I thought to myself. "My. Of course, it''s not. I am a living Goddess, existing even before the almighty highest created you, humans." Highest? Wait... "Are you perhaps reading my mind, or I said that aloud?" Wondering why she could hear my thinking and can answer my questions that I only presented on my thoughts, I asked her. "Whatever it seemed to you, let it be", she replied calmly with an innocent smile on her face. Wait... Going back. Did she just introduce herself as a goddess? Without any doubt. Without having second thoughts, I believed her words as the evidence was lying live in front of me. The ''frozen-in-time'' fired bullets. "Yes. And I came here to...." Interrupting her words, I directly found myself kneeling at her with both my knees and my face kissing the ground as if she''s the only one I got hoping that she was there sent by the most omnipotent God himself to revive my family, or to turn back time to the way it should be. "Please I beg of you... " "You came here to save me... After all you, deities are once heroes, right? You''re going to revive my family, we could start all over again. " Having such implausible thoughts crossing my mind, with the sadness, despair, and confusion all combined, I uttered those words without a spark of sanity left, believing that it will happen. "I am here not to do those things. I came here to make you mine Jaiden. I will rid you of your freedom, yet I will obliterate your sorrow and your despair. After all, I am the Goddess of Disambiguation." "Make me yours? Obliterate my sorrows? Don''t kid around! Human beings as you deities designed are far too weak to not feel such trivial things! " Out of anger, I said it. Not a typical line that a teen can say, facing an elderly self-proclaiming Goddess. "My my... There is a way for you to eternally say goodbye to your sadness. If you want it I can give it to you. And... my authority is not limited only to annihilating sadness. I can get rid of every single emotion if you want to. " She replied. "Then give it to me quickly...please..." I want to have it. If it is the only means to eradicate my emotions right now, I am more than willing. "I have to say some things first", she insisted. "Oh. The conditions right. I don''t care. I am not one of those who go with cliches. " "My my! What resolve! Affirmative young Cendrillon." Having said that, her hand gave off this violet light engulfed in this dark-umbral flames, and out of it came a single piece of paper, embedded within a stygian scroll. The mundane-acquainted surroundings, reacting to the surreal phenomenon, the piano started playing by itself while the wind also became vividly strong. "Sign the contract with your blood..." She directed. As I looked at how the paper was, I knew that this might be a bad idea. Yet the sadness that night was far greater to be subdued by the doubt I felt that moment. I looked at my dead family, and on my frozen brother. All I cared about that time. Was to make my sadness disappear. That is of utmost priority. Without further adieu, I pinched my finger on a sword being displayed on the living room''s wall. And as I was signing the paper she was saying... "You see the moon outside? It''s beautiful visage? That will become of your heart. Colorless. Your heart will neither be red which is full of anger, nor yellow that is full of passion, nor blue that is set for peace. Your heart will utterly settle on the black... the monochromatic, and void perspective." I stopped Midway from signing the contract and asked a question of folly. "What do you mean? Isn''t black and white, colors? " "No, they are considered as outcasts on the spectrum of colors. Each is deemed obsolete by the existence of the opposite. This is how abstruse your life will be." she responded. "What is she saying". Not heeding attention to her words, I fully signed the contract without reading any of the conditions encrypted on it... And then, a scene as if I''m in a profane sorcery movie shoot... "The contract is complete. You are now my ''Herrscher'', the monochrome of my canvas. No power on either heaven, on Earth or the deepest pit of Gehenna will, or can revoke the contract! Oh and Cendrillon. In contrast with what you said earlier, that we deities are once heroes. That''s not true, and will never be true. Humans are so simple-minded that they have grown too familiar with the world. And those types, the Highest hates and so do we ranked deities... In other words, human beings did not consider us even once, as heroes, or saviors that will guide them to salvation. For we are in fact, considered as the hindrance to their self-claimed salvation. We are the villains in this story...Crime. Wars. Hate. The love of money. As you already witnessed, these things are the beloved of mankind, and they can''t let go. We deities are greatly opposed to it hereby deeming us as the villain of mankind''s selfish desires and wishes. The world is the main headquarter of all evil and the good are being mixed up in it too well. lAnd what''s worse is that, those deities can''t seem to bare having to watch over you guys for the next eon anymore... Now, that is rather unfortunate don''t you think?" As she uttered those words of confusion about salvation and whatnot, the paper which I signed suddenly clung into my hand and frantically begins to engulf itself in those black flames as it showed earlier. It was burning intensely as if it''s slowly incinerating my palm... I closed my eyes and screamed in agony and pain with sweat running down my entire body as if I am being melted by the unquenchable black flames. The wind outside became even more aggressive, that some of the sturdy trees that were encircling the mansion begins to fall, and the things situated inside were drifting all around, and not able to hold back the pain that the scorching flames is giving me, I rolled down the floor with screaming and with gnashing of teeth...until the pain subsided...and the flames slowly quenched in its own will. I was, at first unable to stand up. I took gazes all around only to witness that there is this clock-like tattoo in my left hand. I stood up still heavy with breaths while trying to brush the symbol off but I can''t. "That is now what testify that you are in contract with me. Your insignia. From now, henceforth I, Lacrimosa, declares you to be my ''Herrscher''. " The contract was effective. I was feeling nothing. I looked at my parents and my sister who is lying the floor lifeless, yet I did not feel anything at all. It was too good to be true and yet...is this the path that I really choose to take? Yes. It should be... There''s no possible alternative that I can endure. "Oh and Jaiden, what do you suggest to this frozen-in-time brother of yours who was the same imbecile who got you through this?" the Goddess exclaimed. I was expressionless. All I knew was that he did me evil and that he should be punished as retribution. It''s not like I felt a sense of vengeance. But... I slowly walked as to where the three bullets are frozen mid-air that could have killed me if it wasn''t for a goddess''s unprecedented intervention. And I, as someone who has lost a part that makes human, a "human"... Went as to where the bullets are, and reversed their position, changing their trajectory. So that it will all hit...my brother. "Lacrimosa, could you unfreeze the bullets, and my beloved brother now?" 5 Damnation of the Sovereign "There is no great genius, without a mixture of madness." -Aristotle ? "Lacrimosa, could you unfreeze my brother now? As well as the bullets... perhaps?". I said it and yet, I really did not know what was I asking that time nor did I know what was I thinking or what I was feeling. Interrupted at my thoughts, a voice suddenly expressed its words for admiration as if it''s focusing on a biography of a protagonist on some light-themed novels... "For a human to be this...fascinating is truly rare," the Goddess said. At some point I looked at her, what I saw first was her eyes glimmering with thoughts of fascination and amazement and her lips are on a "semi-smiley" shape that made her look like a sadist more than a goddess. "Fascinating?" What part of this is fascinating?... Hmmm. For a goddess, you are rather a demented one, saying that to a minor who just lost his entire family and who is about to be the perpetrator of his brother''s death. Don''t look into me as if I am some material for your mundane entertainment." "Right, right" she replied with a little giggle escaping from her lips. "Is there something to chortle about?" I asked. She shook her head sideways in a sort of disagreement then turned around and went towards my brother who was frozen in time. She laid her arms around him and said... "Ahem, to the main plot. Once done, it can''t be undone. Bare that in mind young Cendrillon."Lacrimosa asserted. "You know what will happen once I undo the power that I set in your brother''s stead right?" She added. "Of course. Lifeless." I responded with a half-assed face as if it''s not my brother I''m referring to. After all, he was also more than willing to turn me into a corpse just minutes ago and not mentioning killing the ones that I consider ''essential'' for my happiness....that is now gone. "His life will be the perfect retribution for all that he has done. An eye for an eye. Life for a life." "I see. Very well then. For I am a gracious goddess beloved by all who succumbed to sadness. I, for this moment in time, shall demonstrate to you a little of my power and authority. Your brother shall be unfrozen, but the bullets will remain drifting in the air. It can be unfrozen. Yes. But only by you. Once you point a finger to your brother will the bullets be freed from its congeal. " the goddess mentioned. "I get it, but why are you doing this Lacrimosa, the ''Goddess beloved by many''?" I asked coalesced with a little bit of sarcasm, as I was curious why she would suggest such intent. She then sat at the piano and with a sober expression said... "Perhaps I want to see your brother beg for his life, worse than how your little sister begged minutes ago for your parents'' lives." "So you were there this entire time? Why did you not help them? With such power you could have had stopped my brother..." with desperation inside my head, I stated those words, but still, with a dead fish''s expression. "Listen. As much as you want to consider us, deities as omnipotent, no we are not. We have our limits, the same as to how we can never surpass the Highest. If no boundaries exist, did you think that I will let this happen?" Lacrimosa replied with a cool-toned voice that if I am to describe, were words of sadness." "So the God of Disambiguation also gets sad huh..." "Hmm. Don''t underestimate me Jaiden. My sadness and your sadness affects us differently exponentially." Unable to grasp the meaning of what she is saying ... "Right. Right," I replied. "Now back to the main point. You will now have the authority to redo the flow of time in accordance with the bullets. Are you ready to meet your brother...one last time?" "Yes," I nonchalantly replied. "Ok then, in a count of three" The goddess, like a high class-trained musician, sat on the edge of the bench, her back, straightened and her arms relaxed with her hands in front of them. She then graciously started playing the instrument while counting backward, one tone at each count... "3"... ..."2"... As she was moving closer towards the last, she raised one of her hands looking like, she was preparing to showcase a bit of her authority over nature. ....."1"... "SNAP!" What I later heard was her fingers'' loud snap that echoed through the living room. And then everything around turned black and white. In the pitch monochrome scenery, there was utter silence except for a whimsical melody that sounded like the tick-tocks of a clock. And then...there were these loud consecutive chimes. "BONG!... BONG!... BONG!... BONG..." At the fourth loud bong, the gray scenery returned to normal and my brother, who was a minute ago, frozen in the chains of time starts gasping for breath desperately as if he was deprived of air being frozen that entire time. "You well?" "Cough-cough." He got into his knees and started panting for air. It looked like as if he was strangled by some unseen force that introduced him an inch to death. With heavy sobs and sweat running down his face he got back on to his feet and with difficulty. " Wha- cough. W- what happened?" "Oh, don''t worry brother. I just got help from someone unexpected. I am alive and well." "Wha...what are you talking about? " He said, baffled of the situation. "Now, this is the real face of a devastating confusion" After all, who wouldn''t be? I guess anyone who''s in the same predicament as this cannibal here, will also react the same. Moreover, now is the perfect opportunity for the greatest and most satisfying ricochet of the time- frozen bullets. "Wait, I shot you! How come you-y-..." With unequivocal confusion, he then examined the gun he was holding, supposing that it has some kind of defect as it failed to kill me in its three fired attempts. "With all honesty, I can testify that the deadly weapon your holding is in fact...working" "Then you should have died seconds ago!" With desperation, he checked the gun again looking stupid. I never imagined that my brother was like this. No, not at all. Usually, he would act fit as the next heir of our family. He was excellent in both academics and extracurricular. Everybody expected good and anti-mediocre outputs from him. Yet, looking at him at this angle has proven his admirers wrong. He wore a mask that many of us failed to unravel. A mask of deception and blatant intent of havoc. Prior, I would consider him as my greatest pedestal of identity. I wanted to be like him, and to surpass him at things he liked doing would be like the greatest achievement of the recent. But today, all I see is a demented animal, let out from the dog yard. Most hailed man in the Cendrillon Aristocracy, I, Jaiden Cendrillon shall demonstrate to you, the proper art of killing someone, who has unquestionably done you wrong... 6 Zeal With the Extramundane "What is particularly disappointing is that the human mind has its own limits, whereas human stupidity is boundless." -Alexandre Dumas ? As you probably had foreshadowed. After the tremendous spark of the insanity that night, my brother ultimately failed in killing me as his attempts were all made powerless by the intervention of a goddess''s prowess. Every bullet that he shot at me, stopped mid-air as if there was some unseen barrier present at that moment, protecting me from his heinous intents. However, the world, that night became so void and monochromatic. As if none around me gave a taint of color that would mean happiness or at least, a little ray of hope. Lacrimosa, the Goddess of Disambiguation, as the allegiance that I agreed to formulate was made into succession by a piece of contract, my heart was unable to feel anything else... at least that''s what I know. While I was taken on by my thoughts, a confused voice then came bombarding my hearing sense... "Why the hell is nothing working?, Wha-What? I-I can''t seem to get anything at all!! This is a dream, right? A dream, and what I can''t understand the most is how you''re being too emotional just because you lost these hooligans that appeared to you like angels, but for me, they are nothing but wolves in sheep''s clothing. SERPENTS OF THE DEVIL! They will train you, raise you up to be the best that you can be, only to kill you later with their parental ideals!" He can runt as long as he wants, but his words to me are now nothing more but mere putrid statements of vileness. My brother, in all folly, lost all of his strength in his attempts. He broke down to the ground with nothing but an unloaded gun in the palms of his hand. He then let loose a piece of paper from his pocket that looked like a cheque and shifted his attention entirely as if he did not notice the supernatural happenings that are taking place. For short, his idealistic mind refused to believe what he''s seeing that should have only occurred on some fantasy stories. He handed it to me slowly with hands that are shaking, I looked at the paper and there, I saw a blood-stained hand-signed cheque with a large sum of money written at the top, a three billion Euro...Seriously? Did he kill them just for this piece of garbage? This is not even worth the pain that they have to go through. At that point in time, it suddenly came back to me, as if the contract was nothing but null. The feeling of grudge and deep hatred that was supposed to be rescinded together with the contract I made with the goddess. I looked at her who was by the piano, with a demeanor that signified both disappointment and complexity as the contract failed to do what it was supposed to do just minutes after it was made to fruition. Yet, all I saw in her face was an expression that she wore in her first appearance, composed and noble as if she already presages that something like this is actually to happen. That''s right... I remember clearly. In haste to accomplish the primary endeavor for the night, I did not read a single line in the conditions inscribed on the contract. I, without hesitation, signed the paper without questions asked. There must be some kind of understatement that she did not tell me. Then, a voice which gushed forth a charisma so evil snapped me out from my self-thoughts. "MONEY IS EVERYTHING BROTHER! IN THE WORLD OF THE ELITES, LIFE IS NOTHING BUT A RUBBLE WITH THE ABSENCE OF THIS PAPER THAT BOTH EMBODIES THE TITLE OF AUTHORITY AND INFLUENCE!!!" "You''re gonna regret it now." In anger, I turned all of my attention towards him. "Hooo?? And what are you gonna do? Kill me? With that frail juvenile body of yours?" All of a sudden. The clock-like sign that was in my hand given by the scorching flames, of which the goddess asserted of it, to be a sign that I am under her provision moved one of its hands from 12 to two o''clock. Then from the scenery of black and white, my sight turned crimson. Everything around me seemed to be bright red. A color that dominantly signifies anger than love given the situation. I am indignant. I hate him now more than anything else... I will be sure to kill him slowly given how gruesome my parent''s death could have been. There was none in my mind but complete grudge against my brother and a voice with unknown origins that kept telling me to kill and execute the deranged person before me. "Your hunger for power disgusts me, brother. You weaklings only see power and authority coming from money. And what can you control in the end? When all of your trump cards are used up? Nothing. " "HAHAHHAAHAHA!! WHAT ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE? A LEGIT FINANCIAL ADVISOR? AND HOW CAN YOU EXECUTE AUTHORITY WITHOUT FUNDS? THAT IS BY FAR THE MOST STUPID CLAIM I EVER HEARD. How dare you call it useless? You are more worthless than these pieces of paper here..." He backlashed. "I, as agreed will make you beg for your life as you recently just did to our parents, I will not kill you easily. I will make you experience hell as a preparation for you, meeting your creator with that despicable look in your face." Thoughts coalesced with deep hatred came to me like this. I faced one of the frozen bullets in the air and undid the time-bound spell set by the goddess by a snap of the finger. First, I made it hit his right knee, which is indeed arguably the most painful spot to be hit one, without directly killing the target. "GGAHHHHHH!!! What, what did you do!!! You''ll pay for making the heir of the family experience such!" "Heir? Family? You? Look at you! You''re nothing but cannon fodder. An evolved livestock deserving of humiliation. A disgrace to the name of the Cendrillon Aristocracy." "HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT?- AHHHHHH SH*T, SH*T SHH****TTTTT" Whilst in the pangs of pain and agony, he tried to run from my presence with the help of a single leg which I, would be taking too, shortly. Second bullet. I hit his second knee, making any vigor of escape totally daunted and faltered. "G-GAHHHH!! YOU, HAVE YOU MADE CONTACT WITH A DEMOOONNN?!!!--AHHHHHHH CURSE YOUUU!" he hypothesized... "It''s not a demon. I...made creed with a goddess who was merely passing by, got bored and decided to help, in other words, this pain you are experiencing now was due to my zeal with the extramundane, a deity who calls herself as the goddess of disambiguation who bares an authority over time." I said it with hatred suppressed at both my heart and mind. "HAHAHAHAHAHAA, SCREW YOU, AND YOUR FANTASTIC HALLUCINATIONS! GAHHHHH! I-it hurts so much GAHHHH! HAHAHAHAHAHA" He burst into laughter, covering his troubled-self with that of an unfunny circus clown. In pain, he groveled to the ground. There was so much blood. He was bathing on his own, but how should I say this! It is such a beautiful visage! Third bullet. I shot his shoulder, popping off one of his arms "AHHHHHHH, S-STOP! STOP NOW!!!!" "Hmmmmm?? And why should I? Did you stop when little sister begged for her life?" "GHHH... A-and H-how did you know that? " "I told you already, a goddess offered help and is here with us spectating the very last living moments of the most foolish person that have ever existed." He then looked around with heavy grasping and blood gushing out from the wounds the bullets have inflicted, in search for the said-goddess. But it looks like he can''t see her. "SOME SH*T YOU ARE SPOUTING THERE! THERE''S NOTHING HERE BUT US AND THESE ROTTEN CORPSES!" "What did you just say? I dare you to say that again you retard..." I grabbed his wounded shoulder and cut the wounds more open using my finger''s tight grip. "GHAAAAAAAAAAAA!" There was nothing he could do but meliorate the pain by the means of desperate screaming. The fourth bullet, as I was still not satisfied. I hit his other shoulder, cutting off another arm. He then was losing consciousness, but I made sure that he would not. For every attempt of his eyes to close, I would gobble one of his wounds making him awake. And then I was getting ready to serve the main dish of pain. And that is, for the final three bullets to pierce his bare heart. "Pl- please... Kill me now. I- I want none of this no longer." He was hopeless. He was in deep pain that is incomparable for me to imagine. Yet, I know that he deserves more than this little chastening that I, his ''younger brother'' am giving him. "NOW THAT''S THE SPIRIT!, but before that, I would like to remind you of the sins you committed just this night." "1st. You let your hunger for power take over your humanity." "2nd. You killed ''our'' family which you even called ''Hooligans''." "3rd. You did not listen to our sister''s pitiful voice when she begged for life." "4th. You made me sign a contract with a deity, a contract of which I know nothing of (Well partially that was my fault, not to mention, I did not read the conditions prior approval)." "And lastly, the most deranged sin was... your existence itself." "Now brother... the heir not of this family, but of shame and the embodiment of foolishness, take your leave from this world with your legacy intact." Having said that, at will, I let the three remaining bullets....purge down, with his heart as the final destination. After a very loud shout, while wearing a pitiful and grotesque facade, he then breathed his last. That makes it the fourth corpse on the mansion. Then, from the crimson-colored environment, it returned to being monochromatic. I looked at the moon by the window to take back which I said prior..." I wish, that the moon would not be as large as this. it will just remind me, the size of the empty hole in myself and this shrewd picture of derangement. " Then later, I heard a gentle myriad of claps coming from behind me. I looked, and there she was, the goddess who forced allegiance with me and is, fortunately, hiding something I know nothing about. "*Clap, clap, clap*" "What a wonderful performance that was. Both you and your brother deserves Oscar''s award if I were to be the panelist." "Shut up. Could you tell me what happened? You promised that I will never feel anything again, yet what happened was the complete opposite." "My my! What a vulgar mouth you have there, telling a goddess to shut up, and besides this is partly your fault as you were too lenient to read the conditions, but I, out of the kindness of my heart shall tell you this..." "What?" "Truly, the contract promised to make your emotions null. But it did not say ''right away''." "What do you mean?" "Remember, how the clock-like symbol on your hand moved just moments ago?" "Yes it did, and what of it?" "That showed that you conquered the first and second emotions, which are ''anger'' and ''fear''. Tonight, was your last feel of those. As you can see, humans have 12 major emotions, each one assigned to the 12-hour threshold in that Insignia. Anger. Happiness. Sorrow. Disgust. Anticipation. Fear. Love and etcetera. To put it simply, there are 10 more emotions for you to encounter for the last time before your wish is wholly granted. There are no shortcuts, but to everything, there is a process, as the conditions which you did not read explicitly stated. That, young Jaiden, ends today''s lesson which you solely named as your ''Zeal with the Extramundane'', of which you were too lenient to inform yourself more." "Well, does that make me a ''Pseudo-Sociopath'' or some sort?" "Pseudo... Hehehe. I guess." 7 A Wish to Incinerate "Fire burns brighter in the darkness." -Suzanne Collins ? That night, with a deity as a legitimate witness, I killed my brother...along with certain emotions. Emotions that are of integrity on a mere human. Emotions that I don''t want to be associated with...anymore. If the decision itself was made to make me seem less like human, then so be it, as I could not care for more but to erase the feeling of emptiness and to free myself from the mercies and incarcerations from the reminiscence of the image... of my dead family. "What are we to do now? Your fate awaits." The Goddess asked wearing a face as if she already knew what''s coming next. "Hmm. In her omnipotence, this deity can be quite a pain." I thought... "I heard that you know, and for additional information, I am no omnipotent entity." the goddess frivolously replied to my thoughts extrapolating the fact that she''s not as powerful as I think she is. For the last, I took some time to glimpse at the cold corpses of my mother, my father, and my sister. They were such honorable personas, worthy of commendation from others as they were kind, and that, they showed goodness without partiality to people in need despite being aristocrats, who are as of that time, a family, that can control governments and systems at will. My family owned several businesses and large-scale corporations, yet that did not become a reason for our family to lose contact with the less fortunate. Yet now? They became nothing but corpses at the state of rigor mortis. Is this what they get back, for the good that they had done? And then, there is this foolish man, freshly pierced of bullets and dismembered, who destroyed everything on an instant... that demon. The next heir who was once a man of great stature. He was an academic prodigy with athletic reflexes. I aspired to be like him, but now, I probably realized that it was the stupidest decision in my life to try to compete with this man, as he is without a doubt, at the top of the food chain when it comes to insanity and drunkenness to the insatiable hunger for more worldly power. This man, today is nothing to me, but a pile of rotten flesh better set aside for the street dogs to consume. After being drowned by my self-dialogue, I shifted my gaze back to the goddess and said, "Lacrimosa, could we burn this house down? That would be my last request for this night." "If that''s what you want, then let it be done. But it goes without saying that I will do the incineration. Figured, it''s also a time for a little warm-up." The goddess answered. She then snapped her fingers and then, at the next blink of an eye, we were outside, in a vast garden that my mom engineered, facing the gargantuan mansion. I looked around, only to behold the same diabolical scenery, the same callous pavilion. I saw nothing more but corpses of whom, by the help of the beaming moonlight, I quickly recognized as our henchmen and servants who we considered as friends and an integral part of the Cendrillon family. It was, by the forensic term, a mass massacre, not a three- men murder, with my brother as the unequivocal perpetrator. I don''t know why, but I could not care less. My intent from that point was to entirely obliterate our household''s palace, the mansion where dreams were born and were despicably destroyed in a split second without warnings. Memories then came flashing again back into me, but this time it was our household, as a whole. There were these memories flashing before me as if it''s in vintage film, making me feel like having a giant boulder laid upon my back, in stacking order. Yet, I know, that dwelling in the past is not a very authentic choice judging by my situation. I must move on, towards an obsolete future that my brother made opaque and unclear... To my surprise, my eyes suddenly became watery and it became heavy. What I felt next were tiny droplets of tears flowing through my cheeks. I- I cried. At that moment, my heartfelt so much lacuna, a hole that is by far, the most disparaging to behold, knowing that I will never see my family talk in front of me again or inspire me the same way as they did before. In a world which I knew nothing about, surrounded by corpses of my loved ones, feeling empty inside. "I" "am" "Alone" So I thought, and yet, a gracious tap in my back, which appeared to be from a goddess awoke me from my melancholic trance. The tap was so warm that it erased the part of me that thought that I am all alone, abandoned and despicable. "Hmm, you like to be intrusive," I said, in a slightly harsh tone and yet deep inside I was ...a little grateful. "You are not alone Jaiden. As long as you are under a pledge with me, you never are." She said while looking at me on the eye that expressed great compassion. "That sadness you are feeling. Taste it to your heart''s content as it would be your last to feel of it, just like the last savor of anger prior," she added, while slowly turning her attention towards the mansion which I requested for her to burn without a trace, along with the happy moments and memories, that I encountered on that place. A place, which was a symbol of wealth coalesced with undaunted kindness and picturesque visage and is now a massive tombstone of the people whom I treasured. I then noticed that the tears eventually stopped flowing... or maybe it''s just that, I again lost my ability to feel the emotion... tagged as sadness. And yes, it turned out that my hunch was spot on. The clock-like symbol of my contract with Lacrimosa again took a turn, this time towards the third threshold. "Congratulations on obliterating sadness. That leaves you nine emotions to go before your wish upon this goddess is completely fulfilled. Now that''s what you could call progress" "Hmmm, how do you want me to react to being congratulated, in this state? I am not trying to be manipulative to a more supreme being here, but could you please burn this place now?" I replied as if I just heard the most sardonic drivel ever. "My, my! You sure you are not?... Just jesting. Yes, yes right away." the goddess responded. Having said that, Lacrimosa then faced the mansion and pointed her gaze directly towards it and chanted some balderdash that she alone could completely comprehend. I then braced myself as I knew that I was about to witness something that exceeds the ordinary. Yet again. 8 Purification by Fire "There is no greater agony, than bearing an untold story inside you." -Maya Angelou ? "Summone spiritus dea. I command thee, the sealed spirit of flame to descend from the heavens upon my rite and to consume what is laid fore. Summon! Ignitress!" From the heavens, there appeared a giant rift that seemed unearthly, as if it was a gate that connects two discrepant realms of which one belonged to the deities themselves. And there, descended a crimson humanoid image with wings like a phoenix that stretched all over the clear night sky. In her not-so-clear and comprehensible chant just a moment ago, she called that, the spirit of flame, Ignitress. I was stunned for quite a while amidst the scenery that the Goddess herself created out of her own words. It was such, if I were to define, a suite display of what a God who is at least inferior to the highest excellency is really capable of doing, and a cascaded showcasing of elegance and beauty. The humanoid spirit then pointed its hand toward the mansion. Then out of it, there came forth a crimson-colored fire that took the shape of a gargantuan avian. It then flapped its wings mightily downwards toward what was in front of us, the mansion. In its glorious light that is appearing brighter as it gets closer, I covered my eyes using my arms and then, the moment I took it off, I saw fire engulfing all around us and great smoke arising as if it was a glimpse of hell. The flame was too strong and instead of merely just burning the whole place down, it could have easily killed me, if it was not of Lacrimosa''s provision protecting me in that time. I saw bodies being born, incinerated to dust. Bodies of my beloved ones that gave me much to remember that made them much harder to forget, along with the slowly weakening fire that is obliterating them to ash with not a single remains of life''s benisons. Amidst the flaming environment, the goddess slowly handed me something... "Here, I saw it in your mother''s hand so I picked it up." As I was watching the mansion''s shape slowly turning void due to the fire, the goddess suddenly said, while handing to me a piece of crippled paper. "What is this?" I asked. "See for yourself, I value your right to privacy," she answered with this honest look that I found to be somewhat satirical. I assumed that it was probably just one of those cheques containing large sums of money that had been the root cause of all evil tonight. Yet in all curiosity, I uncovered a part of it and to my surprise, it was not just any kind of paper. It was a letter of which the first line reads "Dearest Jaiden". From that single sudden glimpse alone, I knew the handwriting made it seem that it was from my mom and that, it looked like it was made hastily. I decided to put that paper as it was and placed it along with the fire... I can''t afford a souvenir. Mom would understand. "Hey... You sure about that?" "Yes." "Hayst... And I had to go through a lot of effort to retrieve that. Oh well, it''s your choice..." The fire then started to quench little by little. The moment all had gone out, the place was wiped off clean like it was purified by fire. There were no marks of dead bodies and all were turned to ash without falters and even the verdant ground once filled with green uniformly-cut grasses was turned to ash. And as I was staring at the ruins laid in front, the Goddess suddenly said... "Your request had been fulfilled... and also someone is coming." "Eh? Who?" "Oh, there is no need to worry. While you may not likely know her, she knows you very well. She will stand as the guardian in your new transition in living. Heed her Jaiden as she is the remaining relative you have." Guessing from how she expressed it in words, I thought that she was to let some stranger be my foster parent, and yet the last line boggled me as she stated that the person would be the last of my relatives. Yet I could not think of such a person. Tired, I decided to not give it too much thought. I will trust the words of this Goddess no matter how obsolete the situation will become as she was the first to lend a hand in the direst situation I just came across. The goddess then lifted her countenance and flew high up on the air, towards the spirit she summoned calling it ''Igniteress'' and while she was closing the portal-like rift she said... "Jaiden, in this world you will have tribulations, same of those who believe in the highest. People will have trouble believing your words and will call you mad and many will even consider you an outcast. I will be watching you thoroughly Jaiden. The monochrome in my art''s canvas... My ''Herrscher''." I did not understand half of what she said, but whatever. Exhausted and tired, my body felt weak and my feet became numb and my vision slowly blurred away. The last thing I remembered seeing, is the moon shining in its glory that reminded me of how my fate is preordained to be. One that does not know how to feel... One that is set on the monochromatic angle... Without a spark of color. (...) As if I was asleep for almost a day or two, I started to gain consciousness again. To my awakening, I was in a hospital with an old lady sleeping on a chair beside me, and on the window, Lacrimosa was standing graciously watching the view. The panorama that time, made it seem that she was a hundred times more pulchritudinous than that moonlit and heinous night. She then noticed me and said with a very refreshing facade... "My, so you are awake?" "So it''s really not a dream...What are you doing here? You might want to hide someplace else before someone sees you." I probably thought that anyone who will see her will assuredly think that she was a weird cosplaying otaku because of her black gothic apparel. "Huh? Have you perhaps forgotten that I can''t be seen by normal individuals?" She recoiled. Well, my brother was unable to perceive her so I guess the statement is not entirely false, but... "What are you saying? That I''m abnormal?" "I leave that to your cognition." She replied with a face about to burst in laughter. "Oh, whatever. So who is this old hag beside me?" I asked as I was frantically in an edge to know who and why she was there. "You''ll soon find out." "Is she, who you pointed your finger into, to be the last of my relati--?" As I was still talking, the old lady rose from her sleep and was surprised that I was up. She put her rather fragile arms around me and said... "Oh, Jaiden how are you? Thanks to the almighty. I saw smoke and fire arise from the house and so, I rushed into aid, yet to my surprise, you''re the only one that is there. W- where are your parents gone?" She exclaimed, with rather a renaissance-style of speaking and word choice. Yet, a look of blatant confusion was predominant in my demeanor as I have no idea of who she is in the slightest sense. "Do you have any recollection of who I am?." the elderly asked with teary eyes." 9 Dementia Diagnosis "Reality is an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." -Albert Einstein ? "I am sorry, but I can''t seem to remember." "Oh. It''s ok. I expected it to be this way since you were so little when I left that household. So your father did not even talk a bit about me to you... that unthrifty entrepreneur." She then took some time to wipe off the tears that are about to burst. "Are you perhaps acquainted with my family?" I wondered as she said that she left my household long ago. I presage that she might be one of our workers or is a legit business partner. "Please allow me to do the introduction. I am Silvia...Silvia Cendrillon. The mother of your father. " She answered, bowing her head in respect to the ancient custom of those who consider themselves as a part of the nobility. "So you''re my-...?" "Yes, at any rate," she responded. So this is the lady, Lacrimosa was talking about. I glimpsed at the goddess who was busy observing us from the distance. So she really can''t be seen by others huh? I thought. "What''s wrong? Is something over there?" "Oh, it''s nothing. By the way gran-... Uhm, of how may I address you?" " You can call me Gramma. Or whatever name you find easy to pronounce " "So I''ll call you that then, Gramma. " "It has been a long time now Jaiden. I completely remembered that I left the family when you were only four years of age. It is unfortunate however that our first meeting in decades is like this." She exclaimed. "Why did you leave?" Curiously, I asked without having second thoughts of how it might affect her. There was utter silence in the room for about half a minute. "Wherever there is money. There is evil Jaiden, and your father hated me for that belief," she answered while her facade was turning to something that is rather melancholic. Well, I can''t argue with that. As if it had not been for money, my brother would not have committed such a heinous crime from the get-go. Then while we were in the middle of our conversation, a suite of men came bulging out of the door. One was a doctor and the other three seemed to be police officers. "Excuse us lady Silvia. We have something to discuss with the lad. " "Ah right, give me a second. I am sorry to cut off our reunion in this kind of extent but first I must ask you this... After this Jaiden, would you care to live with me? After all your parents and your acquaintances'' whereabouts remain unknown after a week of intensive search. My place may not be as big as your previous one but hey, I''ll offer you quality life... I just thank God for waking you up after that week-long rest." Wait, I''ve been asleep for a week already? And what unknown whereabouts are they talking about? Did they seriously think that they are alive somewhere? Then a voice suddenly came into my head in some sort of telepathy and answered, "Glad you found out". That voice, however, I recognized immediately to be Lacrimosa''s who was standing by the window with a sarcastic smile. "Ahem. Thank you for the offer Gramma. I will without a doubt accept your kindness." "Well then. I sure am glad to hear that." Having said that, the elderly then turned away and opened the door. "I''ll be waiting outside." "Yes ma''am!" the three intrusive men answered. As the person who claimed to be my grandma took her leave, the doctor then began examining me and my status quo while the three police officers started bombarding me with unfathomable questions as to what happened that night. I decided to state nothing but the truth and the truth alone, as lying would likely improve nothing. Yet they did not believe anything that I said. Worst is that the doctor even diagnosed me to have "Dementia" as my mental state was deteriorating from their perspectives. Furthermore, I found out that my entire household was then deemed "Missing" as they neglected the truth that I spouted, saying that they were killed by the same person. And the news of a rich aristocratic family gone missing grazed the headlines for almost a week and a half, but Grandma did all on her power to keep me away from the media''s glares... So they really find my statements implausible huh... Well, after all, the fire from the summon of Lacrimosa was so potent that it did not even leave a minuscule trail of blood that could have served as a piece of blatant evidence... A top-caliber cremation indeed. (....) Years came and go from that moment on. Each day passed by quickly with every bit of natural insignificance. As for the rest of my early youth and middle school years, I preferred to utilize it at my own pace, distancing myself from anyone who dares to penetrate the social walls that I built, reading argumentative whatnots from both famed and unknown antediluvian philosophers. I wanted to be alone, as it was befitting for someone like me who has lost a part that makes a human, a "mere human". I am, at any means apart of the flock. I have lost the ability to feel those emotions... Emotions that are proven integral for one to continue its survival. Well, it''s not like I wanted them anyway. True. I do not deserve the right to feel such trivial heart-felts and yet neither did I want them. If they subsist only to drag me down, it''s better to let go. I can move forward without them and heck, this would be the first in history that someone will tread his foot into the colorful paths of the world, feeling monochromatic inside. I am now on the verge of legal age. I lived with my grandma who took care of me as if I was of her own, and is the same person who owned the hospital where I woke up from, although she began to worry about my "emotionless" facade that I showed from time to time, as I was having difficulties from smiling alone. She also made me go through a lot of therapies as one of her top doctors exclaimed that I have developed Severe Antisocial Personality Disorder, which I can''t deny. The old lady also took care of the businesses and corporations my father left upon his death, but this time, no profit is to be earned as she will give everything that it earns to the masses as a sort of public service. Nothing changed that much and the clock-like symbol on my hand stayed the same as it was that night, explicitly saying that nothing in my story had improved or retrograde. Furthermore, nothing was new from that point on, except that I have a goddess as a friend (Albeit, I don''t know if she considers me as one, but fair enough) and Dementia as an excuse to skip school for at least twice a week. Oh, and after tomorrow, another disparaging and boring academic year is about to commence with nothing on it but unessential lessons you can palpably live without. Yet sad to say, we are hell-bent to do it, as it is a mad world we currently live in, and to walk around in endless and ubiquitous circles is the "best" thing to do, because in any endeavor to alter a sacrosanct or a paradigm would be against the norms, and you''ll pay a hell of consequences, from this judgmental and overseeing society, full of minds set to serving mediocrity. No, I did not mean to rhyme that. 10 Sociopaths Stale Transition "Every chapter must end with a cliffhanger." -F. Dickson ? Whatever obscurity that took place that eventide, I considered obsolete in my memories as dwelling in the past can''t help me do anything at all. That...is undoubtedly correct. Although the saved images in my mind can''t seem to let me go for the better, haunting me to my quotidian living up to my worst nightmares, I compelled myself to move on, towards a future so opaque and colorless, that it is enough to induce someone into the highest extent of nausea, or into the deepest part of the abyss, where a single ray of hope can''t enter and where a minuscule of gargantuan despair can''t even abscond. "Insignificant." If I were to describe how the years came and go from that grotesque night of derangement, it was to be that one word. Every day, I would wake up in the same room and follow the same path, to dully live the recent day the same as yesterday. As Spencer Cathcart would say, "every day is a new adventure", yet along the way of that pilgrimage, nothing changed, for me...at least. I am now 18 years old and is currently attending a life of humility and simplicity with a bit of mixture of a supernatural element, yet with great satisfaction. And today, a big alteration to my daily paradigm is about to unveil. What? Don''t tell me you expected more? Well, as far as it concerns me, I am currently enrolled in an elite educational institution where if you lack intelligence, you are of no meaning and merit. Oh right, every educational institution is like that, may it be elite or not...my bad. Education today fail to fathomless extents that calling it "education" would be a stereotypical insult. How can I say so, you ask? Well, there are barrels of rational reasons and a few arguments that support the idea of education as a daunted system. Hear me out as I extrapolate a few, with my experiences as the pedestal... First. Teachers would offer more of their attention to students that are already intellectually stellar and have a clear future up ahead and just discard those students that need help in discovering their potential and capabilities from the get-go. Simply put, if we are to not have these ''innate" talents to reign supreme in any academic endeavors, we are hereby given the sobriquet ''Nimrod'', a name of petty humiliation, as it means nothing more but foolishness and uselessness in the fastly improving economy. Second. Instead of going to school to learn, the majority of parents would desperately make their children binge study the whole damned academic book before the school year would even start or even enroll them on cramming schools and pay a fortune, for them to notch an easy honor roll when class officially starts. That, dear parents, destroy the core purpose of the existence of education, and most of the time just makes me wonder if the school is a place for learning or is it just a mad dominance filled with selfish passion and competition. Tell me, which is it? School as a place of learning? Or school as a place for your children''s'' competition, where we deem ourselves as pokemons that never questions their owners'' decisions, and are exploited from time to time. Competition overall is not bad of course, yet as to how it was implemented in the system falter in ways that are assured to give off unauthentic aftermaths. Yet, I can neither blame the parents or the learners as it is the system''s fault on brainwashing the masses, that education is "life''s greatest equalizer" which is not and never will, as it failed to reach even a quarter of life''s worth. As an excursus, school is supposed to be a place of failure as it was preordained to be filled with our "firsts" in life. Yet that was not the case, as the system made it seem like a place of consecutive achievements making us unprepared for the unprecedented ups and downs on the upcoming chapters of our individual fairy tales. Not conventional enough? How about setting our perspectives in a more sophisticated monetary way? Education as many claimed, is a primeval gateway to what is referred to as "success", where anyone who completes it will have a decent job one day and be "happy to no bounds". Moreover, na-ah. I can''t find myself believing in such idealistic balderdash. If education is that potent in developing "life-long learners", then society would have had a lot of iconic personas which already made their names or sparked any legacy in different sectors of businesses, and the world as we could have known had long- won the fight against poverty and economic crisis. Yet what happened? 53 % of graduates according to reliable statistics find themselves unemployed and financially struggling just a year after receiving their college or university diplomas. And let us say, 100 % of college graduates are employed (which is quite impossible), there is one out of eleven personas that are not receiving a paycheck, five out of ten whose monthly wages don''t reach the recommended median and two out of ten, find themselves in a pinch after being recruited by corrupt leaders. Now tell me. Is education a gateway to success? Or does it simply just move the course of life to a more intricate and harder level. Levels filled with elevated stress and escalated financial needs. Not to mention our days, under these systems are in continuous hectic schedules. You see, the healthiest of human beings have an utmost 115 years of lifespan, of which 93% of the current population would even fail to reach their 90''s. And in that 90 years of life (If you are lucky that is), you spent approximately 27 years in the school including the fruition of your master course, which if converted is a whopping 41, 760 hours, excluding the time you spent on doing extracurricular activities and your daily home works and lesson reviews. You are then expected to be married somewhere between your 20''s and 30''s and is forced to work until you are 65 years of age only to get a dime of time left to be spent with your family before your last breath. Now, does that seem rational to you? Why am I saying this? For no special reason. Out of my self-thought of philosophic hatred against the educational system, a soft voice came in, disturbing me from the little chitchat I had with my mind. "I am not dumb to not understand any of the drivels you just thought, but could you cease these cringe claims? Stop making this narrative a statistical data presentation!" Lacrimosa, who was by a giant glass window beside me, spoke with a facade that spells boredom from giving attention to my thoughts. "On what criterion did you rate that as ''cringe''? You know, I would appreciate it if you would stop doing that. It''s high time for you to ''really'' respect my right to privacy" I responded, out of a minute of embarrassment. "No can do. By the way... Why are we so early again?" She replied, with yet another question. Ah right, I completely forgot. It is still Six AM and here I am with a Goddess who concealed her presence entirely, in a not-so-crowded bullet train in the way to a gargantuan city of renown. (...) Looking back prior that day, my grandma was quite desperate for me to be early at the start of this academic year, which unfortunately starts today. And by the way, It may seem far-fetched, but to introduce the updated setting of my teenage life, I can''t just forget to mention that the Japanese succeeded in their endeavor to build an artificial island besides Asia, just north from the Philippines with the aid of other countries. They were to name it ''X-seed 2000'' and are to be exclusive for Japan only, yet for some reason decided to make it a city with no racial bounds. To this day, it is named ''The International Clark City'' or the ICC which is about the size of New York. The city hosts establishments, ranging from the rich industries, residential areas, to entertainment facilities that are, by which, second to none. Now, my school is situated in that artificial island. The ''Autonomous University'' or ''AU'' for short, which is an international institution comprised of a population from different races and discrepant cultures. It was not always situated on this island, but as it passed international standards, it was deemed worthy to be relocated to ICC and to be the first academic institution to be there. That is just unfortunate. It was formerly an easy five-minute walk from my grandma''s house, but now, I was forced to leave that haven of a home and rent a simple condominium inside the city for a more ''authentic'' school life and to train me to be more independent (which I already am )as my grandma suggested. But, there is just no arguing with that woman. As the train was continuously rushing through the rails set ablaze, and as the goddess beside me spouted nothing but complaints about this ''early bird scenario'', my vision shifted quickly from land to a vast blue sea, and in the distance, I can see the International City with its towering glories, in which one of it was unequivocally AU itself. The University, I am to attend. And don''t get it wrong, I did not attend that school to look more or less like Ayanokoji Kiyotaka from the Classroom of the Elite, nor to have a luxurious educational background. My grandma decided to enroll me there, as it boasted ''free quality education'' for everyone whose admission is accepted. Having said that, and with a guardian who is so minimal in utilizing money, my monthly allowance would probably be just for the rent and for a basic head start of my new life as the old hag also encouraged me to work part-time for experience (which clearly, is a questionable excuse). Just a few minutes passed, we arrived at the destination. I, together with Lacrimosa, who suppressed her presence disembarked from the train. It may sound half-witted, for a powerful goddess who could have had transported us here in a snap of a finger to take on a train, but she implied that she put restraints in her divine authority over nature to hide from the others. The "others" she mentioned, I have no idea as to who or what it could be, all I know is that she will only utilize her power given certain situations that need immediate actions. As we successfully got off from the means of transportation, the goddess let out a big sigh as she stretched her back."Finally, I never knew that transportation could be this inconvenient", she added. "You should be thankful that it was not that crowded, or else you would have had used the snapping-finger teleportation Jutsu. You should bless my grandma for making us go early", I responded. She replied nothing much, but a harsh "Hmmppp", yet whatever... From my bag, I left out my digital ID provided just after my admission and logged in at the futuristic attendance terminal by the school gate. Lastly, I handed several requirements to the school registrar making my enrollment viable and validated. "Thank you for your admission. We hope for you to have a great student life here at AU! Enjoy it to the fullest young man" the lady by the office said, in a cheerful manner that could have been enough to make anyone smile and reply with a lively tone. Yet I am different, how could I enjoy it to the fullest, when I lost all of the reason to strive hard a long time ago? Most likely...it is impossible. 11 The Prima Donnas Adven "They laughed at me because I was different. I laughed back at them because they were all the same." -Kurt Cobain ? "Enjoy your life here at AU now!", advised the lady. I killed my brother and burned a household down together with a large pile of corpses, of which four belonged to my family, and for that, my world completely began to be monochromatic in all aspects as the price of derangement. I had become what this goddess called me the "Monochrome in her canvas". A sojourn that neither sets his heart in happiness or sorrow, not in light nor darkness, but constant emotionless demeanor. "Yes, I will" I replied to the lady-in-charge while faking a smile. I hastily turned around towards a bulletin board where I am to know which classroom I will be starting this academic year on. I looked and read through the board, to find my name enlisted under Room 12-A8. The number 12 is my grade, whilst the "A" is probably where the earliest enrollees are batched together, and the number eight is the establishment''s floor where the room is situated. Seriously, eight? That can be quite a pain since I hated riding the elevators. I would rather climb up the long staircases rather than having nausea first thing in the morning due to an elevator cruise. Without further adieu, I went towards the main building. While I and Lacrimosa are having a little promenade around the campus that was tainted by the sun''s glorious rays of light, the first thing that I noticed was the air being so fresh and the weather so nice and relaxing to behold, that it can make you entirely forget about the subsisting climate change and the rising global temperature outside the artificial city''s premise. But the feature that added to its charm the most was the peaceful silence as students are still preparing in their homes. It is still too early to boot. The campus was so wide that made the main building seem so far up ahead...later, a voice of complaining then again came rushing to my ears. "What is with this torture early in the morning!?" The goddess said while portraying this weary face coalesced with boredom, although she did nothing of significance. "The hell is wrong with you. No one asked for you to come anyway. Did I ask you? No." I retaliated... "My, my! I assuredly can''t leave my precious Jaiden on his first day of school in this vast city. He might get lost, he is still a child after all!" She added with pure mocking. "So much of a goddess who knows how to mock. You can go back to your realm and replenish your energy or whatsoever. I''ll be fine." "Yeah, I''ll do just that, but before that..." She raised her hand a little and let out a loud finger snap. The next thing I know is that I''m already on the main building''s eight-floor as the sign of the hallway explicitly presented. "Thanks." Well, she did save me some time and energy. "Of course. Ciao, just scream my name if you''ll ever get into trouble. I will come and rescue you as your knight in shining armor and you can take the role of a Damsel in distress." "Tsk. Don''t you dare alter the natural law of genders. But yeah, I won''t hesitate to invite you to my troubles, it''s part of the contract." "I am sure glad to know that you are smarter than I thought you were." "Excuse me? Do you know who you are talking to?" "Definitely. A teen in his youth who was graded an IQ of 146, but does not know how to use that intelligence to find ways to get rid of his nausea with elevators." "Y-yeah. There is no arguing with that." "Good boy. Ok, then I''ll be taking my leave. Hope that you''ll make some friends. I bid thee farewell." It is rather sarcastic, as I think about it. The goddess who took away some of the most major emotions that are integral for socialization wishes for me to have a companion? Hmm... That is indeed, sarcasm at its best! She then somewhat opened dark-themed portal mid-air and entered there without hesitation, a portal, she portrayed as a sort of passage that connects this world and the realm that she claims that she created herself. The portal then closed by itself leaving no presence of any supernatural occurrence. I have to admit, every time Lacrimosa enters that portal, there''s this visceral assumption that she is not coming back catalyzed inside my head. But, she always comes back. She always does. And that in itself alone, somehow set the alarm bells ringing. Why? Well, aside from Dementia and Antisocial Personality Disorder, I might as well be diagnosed with Schizophrenia this time, and I''ll again be hell-gent to go through priced and grueling chains of therapies...I can''t do anything but make sure that no one sees me talking to her, which would, of course, look like I''m conversing with an imaginary friend from another''s perspective. Then, as the superfluous barrage of thoughts continued, I found myself walking alone in the building''s hallway towards a room at the other end which had a sign on the top of the door. A sign that says ''12-A8''. My classroom. I continued walking towards that classroom while taking several glimpses towards the large and sparkly-clean windows on the hallway and there, I can see the vast view of the school, and the whole International Clark City surrounded by the vast blue waters of the Pacific. It was quite picturesque to behold such a mesmerizing sight. Moments after, I found myself facing the door of room 12-A8. Expecting that I was the first to enter, I confidently glided the Japanese-style school doors to the side only to find out that my assumption was at fault and it was a wrong, awkward and a diabolical move to open it up ...confidently. Within the sunrise-tainted classroom, there was already someone inside. A girl that I don''t know. The words "Majestic" and "Junoesque" were not the firsts to have had appeared in my mind. Yet in the vast array of words currently installed in my vocabulary, it was probably the closest to define the picture. A girl was already there, leaning on the window. Her hair was jet black and was flawlessly coursing in sync with the tranquil and revivifying wind. Her crimson and black sailor uniform suited her very well and her charisma that I can feel from a little distance cascaded this ardent yet cordial display. She glanced my way wondering as to whom the sounds of the echoing footsteps belonged, while I continued in my onset to not cause any unnecessary strife early in the morning. I just noticed, as she looked at me, that her eyes were somewhere between pitch black and magenta that conveyed this " impassive oddity" rather than "brisk". And her skin was unblemished in its lively hoariness. She was tall for a girl, probably an inch or two smaller than I am, and while it was evident that she was a high school girl, I did not know that someone as old as I am could be this stoic in his or her stature. And her beauty? It was somewhat on par with Lacrimosa''s (although still have a long way to go), yet I kept hidden within me the sense of impact. I then suddenly redirected my sight towards the classroom not saying as simple as ''good morning'' to her, as if I never saw an ''outstanding someone''. Continuously being watched, I roamed in the room to look for a seat that I would find comfortable and convenient to be in for the rest of this school year, which I presage again to be of the mundane. The last column by the giant glass window would probably be the most comfortable to be in as it can offer a picturesque view in case of class boredom. I then got to that seat and placed my bag on the table, when suddenly the unknown girl took an unexpected course... "Choosing to be the protagonist of this anime series?" "What the hell..." was the first to be on my mind as a form of primal stimulus. I then stopped midway from sitting. Well, honestly that is not my intention of choosing the last column seat. While Japanese animation always portrays that the protagonist always sits by the window, I chose it because of the convenience it can offer. Is she perhaps an otaku? Whilst I was not good at interacting with people, I tried to communicate normally... "No. I simply chose it because of the benefaction it offers." I replied, looking at her way, calmly, as if I was some sort of a cool kuudere (which probably is not a part of my identity). "Hmmm. I see. Ok then" she sedately replied whilst turning her body away from my confront. She then walked towards the door and with tones of tranquil aforesaid, "See you around". "Likewise," I responded. She closed the door and left me nothing but peace in the whole classroom. I took the seat that I wanted and enjoyed the little experience of tranquil or what''s left of it anyway. How I wished that there''s a school that has some kinda "one-student-per-room policy". I would have had enrolled there without second thoughts, but it was not so. Later, as an hour hastily passed, the room began to be filled with students who appear to already have known one-another enough, depriving me of the amity beforehand. Yet, the query that remained to boggle me is the identity of the girl with who I had an encounter. A girl, whose outward stature is the closest on par with a Goddess. I wonder which class she is in? "Bim-pom-pam-pom!" the sound system by the chalkboard suddenly resonated, filling the whole classroom with silence and with a voice that seemed from a professional broadcaster following in... "Good morning AU. I would like to encourage our dear students and school staff to head to the school gymnasium for our opening ceremony accordingly. I repeat. School staff and students, please head towards the school gymnasium accordingly for the commencement of our opening ceremony. Thank you" the message ended. "Well... Another boring academic year. A new school bell begins to ring..." 12 Grudge on Opening Ceremonies "Fact: Not all Goodbyes are sad. Proof: Goodbye Class." -Lozol ? As we arrived at the venue, we began forming lines by class as instructed by the university staff. It was such a rare sight to see youngsters from different origin gather in one space, of which most were made up of southeast Asians and Westerners. Everyone was quit well-disciplined as I can see. They were in complete uniform, with shirts tucked under our black khaki pants and their neckties were perfectly fastened in place and their shoes? Well, have you seen a first-class luxury car yet? They are as shiny as that. Oh hell no... this crowd. It''s making me nauseous. Still, I think it would be very unauthentic if I am to throw up in here. I mean, just look at this lavish place. It looks like a five-star luxury suite or something... I''m even reluctant on stepping the soles of my shoes in the glossy and unblemished floor tiles. Yet, I just can''t stop piling several negative criticisms against opening ceremonies. I mean, who wouldn''t? From the start of everyone''s scholastic career to their latest, I think everyone would hate that, at least not the principal, nor the student body representative who are the ones who will take the longest time spouting which is said to be "words of gratitude" or "warm words of welcome" which is in fact, nothing but political nonsense with an "inspiring" quote at every end, of which they thought can be life-changing...and yet again, no it is not. And the question that boggles me the most is the existence of such ceremonies itself. What''s so great and special about starting another year in sleepless nights and lifestyle deprivation anyway? Its actually, better for us to put on sackcloth and weep rather than clapping our hands-on lengthy speeches while faking a cheerful smile right from the start of another academic turmoil. Yet, judging by the current structure of society, the top brass is always correct no matter how vague their decision is. The same goes for educational institutions. Not yonder, school staff, and preceptors began to reveal themselves on the back of the students'' disciplined lines of classes, and personas in black elegant suite began to show up on stage, interrupting the students from their first-day friend-making session. As the staff is about to commence the event, apparent silence then began to befall on the whole gymnasium and a lady began speaking on the microphone... "As interesting as it gets, I know the hype you are experiencing at the moment, as we feel the same, but that can wait, and to officially open the first school year in the world''s first international city, please welcome the AU principal, headmaster Aldixiel Radars". A man in his 30s with silver hair and glasses then stood from the committee sitting comfortably on stage, that was the institution''s principal, Aldixiel Radars. His first emergence was met with an astounding ovation from the pool of students. Damn. It never occurred to me once that a principal could probably be this fine and young, he was also rather personable! Well, nobody can''t blame me, for thinking that way! Since almost all headmasters in fiction and non-fiction are always portrayed to be a stout old man or an old lady who is both in their 60''s. Yet, having a principal as noble-like gives not only me a different kind of vibe, but to my fellow schoolmates as well, especially on the freshmen. And here it starts, the seemingly unending speech of inspirational cliches. "Ehh, Good morning everyone. I would like first, to congratulate you all, for your admission being accepted in the world''s finest and newest intercontinental university...." and so the speech continued henceforth that fortunately made us all sleepy at some point, but some, of course, would do their best to stay awake and eventually finds something better to do or to listen at the least. And this girl, lined beside me has this vigorous aura to do just that. "Hey, never mind that boring speech. Do you know who will be representing the students?" Asked a girl left to me as if she already is a mutual acquaintance. "No... I''m sorry, I have no idea here." "Oh." "Hey, hey. I think I know who it might be. While eavesdropping is a crime, it would not hurt to hear it accidentally you know?" whispered a thin and rather tall fine lad right after me. I never thought that he could button in conversations just like that, as his face showed that he was a silent type. yet, there was no judging, by outward appearance. "So what did you hear?" The two continued talking to unravel the conspiracy as to who would represent the second years. I don''t care if they would like to have a little chitchat in the middle of the headmaster''s speech, but as far as it concerns me, why am I being the center of a message relay here? They are both pinpointing their murmurs in me, although I never recalled agreeing to be a part of the conversation. This can get me to trouble. Yet, I hesitated to give them even the most implicit of warnings, as these two are probably in the same class, and there is no destroying of their candor first impression on me. "I heard just an hour ago right at the faculty room that the representatives are all stellar in academics." "Well, that is to be expected," I thought, while I acted a little uninterested and while taking sudden glimpses on the staff at the side to see if trouble is indeed coming. "That girl, they said is the daughter of an economic image in Germany. I also heard of a beauty and brain thing, which made people from her previous university call her the ''Prima Donna'' Sick right? But I did not catch clearly as to what the name of the girl could be, hmmmm.. was it? Oh, seemed I can''t get a hunch after all" Prima Donna? Isn''t that the name used by the traditionalists'' generation to call the main female character of an opera? If people did give her a sobriquet such as that, she would be hellish and legendary I think. Yet, upon hearing the word ''beauty'', my mind suddenly went on reminiscing something that is of significance... Wait, now that I remember it, where is the noble girl that I met earlier? I looked around but she was nowhere to be found. I expected that she will be easily seen even in this kind of crowd, as she is of course "lofty" in all stature. If she is to be compared to anyone random from this crowd, it would be like putting to contrast the discrepancies of a financial guru and a mere company employee. Wait don''t tell me... Now that I think of it, she is a student, based on how she presented herself in the sunrise-tainted classroom. Not to mention that the definition matches perfectly well. Now, I''m quite sure...that she is the Student representative that my two classmates have been talking about. "Well, Prima Donna or not, we are gonna find out!" the girl who suggested the subject said, ending the duo conversation. "R-right" the lad she has been talking to respond. The two then began to lend a worn-out ear to the ones talking in front, facing head-on, with eyes in wanton for sleep. I was uninterested at this point, as knowing who will be the representative can''t help me maneuver into an academic year unscathed, but one thing I was relieved about, was that their chitchat did not give us trouble and the staff at the back did not seem to notice either. Well, I can also sense that they, too, have been having a rough time listening to speeches, as their faces from afar say so. Now back to the Romanesque girl I met. There is also no denying the possibility that she was only a fragment of my imagination because there is no such principle that explains how a mere human can be in par with Lacrimosa- a goddess'' demeanor, and also I was medically evaluated to have Dementia, remember?... but, the scene that is about to be laid upon me is to prove me wrong, and that the word" imagination" was eventually too crude to be used. 13 Norms, Deviance, Consequence " Life is a continuous paradox. Society forces us unto conformity, yet progress can only be made through deviance." -Anonymous ? "I hope that you will enjoy your stay here, and may the odds be forever in your favor", the principal''s lengthy speech ended with an expected cliche which fortunately is a carbon copy from the Hunger Games, and also... is a little worse from the'' life-changing'' quote I expected to hear. The enthusiastic students then clapped as hard as they could, while approximately 90% of the crowd stands firm on their grudge held against opening ceremonies. And I, am a proud member of that population. "Thank you for that Headmaster Radars. Now to hear the words of challenge from the student body... " Well, here comes...the most-awaited representative. "Let us all welcome Celes Stella Reignsworth. A round of applause please." The moment the name was gushed forth from the mouth of the announcer, student-support started to tremble the venue, but the noise actually stands corrected as utter silence supervened, silence from a crowd that you probably have never known before as if everyone had their mouths sealed for good. The moment the stage curtains were opened, there appeared a student opposite of what anybody could have had expected. Except me. The girl I met earlier flourishing on her best colorful petals on-stage began talking on a graceful manner that had the audience cast under a potent spell, as if everyone who beheld her facade began to be pulled off by a gossamer thread. And that excludes me of course as I was currently in an acquaintance with a peculiar goddess and seeing her imperial emergence from time to time, made me a little tolerant of beauty, incorporating very high standards. "A decent day. I, as madam said prior, am Celes Stella Reignsworth..." As she began speaking, several students of which few were from my class began spouting words of admiration for the girl. "It''s the Prima Donna of Germany high!" Using that line that was not too eloquent for me, students began to whisper to the other, which later became a ruckus as she was still delivering her speech upfront. "She had her GPA at all subjects above others'' and she top-notched several international exams even as a kid." "Wow...what significant finesse and beauty it is!" "I heard her parents owned a business company abroad with over thousands of extensions." Words like that came filling the whole venue, that even the seniors were piqued and the staff began to have difficulties in controlling the outrage...but then, it was not long before she, herself intervened and spelled the end of her privacy being invaded by the network of information that students shared about her, albeit positive. "Norms. Deviance. Consequence" The moment she uttered those three words, the outrage slowly de-escalated. "As you can see. Life Is a paradox that knows no ephemerality. It wants improvement by making us follow the norms, but it does not know, that true progress is and only fruit of deviance from conformity. Moreover, while deviance is a requirement for us to meet exemplary heights, it does not mean that we also have to defy our de rigueur... And that would also mean to respect this introvert that was forced in talking in front of a massive crowd." And there it went. The indirect yet explicit bombshell that became the pedestal of proper silence. Still, she went far as to call herself an introvert, and what''s even more interesting is that she publicly declared being forced to talk in front held against her own will. Not so bad. "The deviance that I am delineating is certainly not about absconding professionalism, but it is about abandoning the norms of mediocrity that the world order considered too sacred to be altered. In a world full of players, let us not metamorphose into becoming one of these disparaging entities, but let us be game-changers, whose mind is set on things above, on the stellar level, more than a mediocre mind can even imagine grasping in their own hands. For this year, I hope that with the participation of all parties present here today, a school year of challenge and transparent learning is to be unveiled. I have no intention of making this speech of considerable length, but I want to wish everyone a great school year. Thank you and Godspeed" Well, that was Prima Donna for you. Everyone in the venue and even the headmaster himself then converged her speech with gargantuan ovation. Probably louder than what the Headmaster Radars was given beforehand. You could hear the words "Encore", "bravo" and the likes coalesced with a cascade of echoing handclaps and other forms of non-verbal admiration. Yet, as she is passing the mic to the lady in charge, she took a glimpse of me that struck me with the likes of a sharp feeling, that I am unable to explain. It was a dark, eccentric and malefic gaze that if I am to describe, is like the disparaging eyes of that one murderer-my brother from years ago, although, it was less murderous. My head started to ache, with heartbeats raising at bare maximum as the image of that dreadful night again came to my reminiscence. But all I can do is to hold out the pang until the ceremony will soon reach its extremity. "Thank you for that precise, yet wonderful speech, Ms. Reignsworth. Now let us hear the words from the Preceptral Committee of Systems Chairman, to acquaint you with the new curriculum of this institution and its majored rules and regulations" the lady emcee again began a chatter. Before I knew it, the opening ceremony came to an end and we were instructed to return to our respective classrooms for the commencement of formal classes. As the curtains of the stage slowly started closing, it was then that I realized, that I was wrong of expecting a mundane ceremony. Yet, what I frivolously failed to disregard was that bizarre feeling as she looked into me... What was the meaning of that gaze?... ..Why give it to me now?... ..What''s behind it? Celes Stella Reignsworth, the Prima Donna of her previous school and is likely to be named the same, at this University. Now she piques my curiosity as to what disposition lies behind that fame-mired name? 14 Dance Macabre 1 : Daggers of Stares "You must have chaos within you, to give birth to a dancing star." -Friedrich Nietzsche ? I am at all costs, not in any mood to think of anything else. It was just that, the way she looked at me was something so peculiarly putrid that made me feel a little bit uneasy. But then again, I think it could have been a bad gut feeling that I must not take too seriously. "Please go back to your respective classrooms for the first official commencement of classes. Good day everyone!" the emcee said while slowly turning the microphone in its proper place, which signaled the end of the ceremony. Together with a large crowd, where everyone was mere strangers in sight, I took my leave from the gymnasium towards 12-A8, where I am supposed to spend my senior high school year. And to make my promenade a little bit more productive, I familiarized the campus along the way, that I might not wander and be disoriented one of these days, which is as easy as doing fundamental trigonometry for someone like me who was fathomed to have an authentic intelligence. Not to brag of course. In any scenario, I trained myself not to think about superiority nor inferiority, because that, is a mindset of the proud, and later is assured to bring forth a downfall. From that downfall, people who succumbed to pride are hell-bent to make "rock-bottom" their solid foundation to regain the stats which they have lost. But, the proud also works in mysterious ways, because once they hit that lowest point socially, they will consider it their destiny and will take pride in calling it so, hereby withholding them from their right to recover. Tell you this, what people call "destiny" is nothing but a stubborn and vague illusion that the majority chose to accept. Why vague? Simple. The moment the creator gave us free will, it was then that the concept of fate and destinies became vague. It''s not like I''m in any position to question it though, but entirely, that''s what I really feel... And while it might be very anti-climatic, but ''fate'' really is something that is dependent on how we live. It''s not preordained the moment we were born, it is something that we must ordain ourselves. It was then after the practical map memorization that I challenged myself with amalgamated with self-thoughts for the lofty, that I, again found myself standing in front of 12-A8''s classic door. Yet, unlike my first entrance, this time, I am to open it with complete caution. There''s no telling of what lies beyond. With mere theoretic, speculation shows that my classmates are already there, as I was a little slow in my way here cause leisure got myself hooked on some game of memory and time passed on, without me noticing about it. This is certainly a pinch...that I am hell-bent in enduring. "Well, there is certainly no use of standing in front of this door acting rather juvenile and idiotic," I said to myself, to open up a connection between me and sheer confidence. I''m just gonna get this over with. The moment I glided the doors the second time around, a crowd was already inside, just as I had expected. I can see the two of my classmates that talked with me earlier during the headmaster''s lengthy speech at the back. There are these guys and ladies that seemed to be discrepant of origin, that could be German, tall Englishmen, Black descents, and even more distinguishable by default are the Asians that took the majority of the class. Yet, as I ceased my observatory vigor, I just noticed that the atmosphere is rather weird and it is certainly not what a classroom of teenagers on the first day of class would seem like. It is, if I am to describe, the epitome of silence and formality. I probably disturbed them from their little friendly chitchat with the main goal of knowing each other more, I thought. They keep staring at me, making me a little uncomfortable, yet I continued to walk towards the desk by the window that I reserved a while ago completely ignoring the piercing glances that they''re continuously giving me. Why are they so silent? The homeroom teacher is not even here yet? Is this really what it means to be in a school of highly-intellectual individuals? No. I think that''s not it. They were so noisy at the opening ceremony. Hayst... I rarely find myself caring for such a superfluous matter, but the formality (which I thought does not coexist in this Millenium anymore), is just too serious to bear, and what even makes it more eccentric is how tense everyone also is. I even took a glimpse of those two that talked with me in the opening ceremony, yet just like how everybody is acting, they were silent and are sitting in their chairs with this professional stature, not the typical behavior of those that can talk amidst a headmaster''s speech. What the hell is wrong with everyone? Yet, as every introvert would do, I just continued to walk while acting all kuudere while avoiding any eye contact of any sort. But, what I saw the moment that I reached the seat which I claimed for myself was something unprecedented. It was then, that I finally knew why everyone was acting as formal as they can... Yes. This is indeed my seat. Yet why? The Prima Donna''s there sitting valiantly picturesquely, looking rather distracted on the view of the blue pacific. While now it is understood as to how everyone got so silent and formal, what is not comprehensible is why the hell would she take that seat when she was the first to see me claim ownership. She even got too far as to call me someone who was aiming to be the main character of an anime. Well, as an activist for equity and equality, gender it may or social status, I will reclaim that ownership and will not remain silent. While she is there, avidly staring at the vast view through the crystal-glass window, I took stand in front of her and spout some words reclaiming rightful authority over the natural law of "first come first serve". "Uhmm. Excuse me, but I believed that I was the first to reserve the desk. You were the first to see, right?. " She then slowly turned her gaze upon me, a gaze that was the opposite of the one I saw earlier on her speech upfront. Everyone got their interest piqued, that the piercing glances of those that are in the background even turned to daggers of stares. I mean, "What kind of a self-proclaimed big shot would talk upfront with chins up to this person?" is probably what everyone else is thinking... Everyone was staring at us, while the utter and awkward silence continued to engulf the whole room to no end. She then got ready to stand up and said, while tightening her perfectly knit necktie. "Hmmmmm. I was just taken by the view. Here you go... an advocate of equality and equity..." she replied, with rather a mortifying smirk escaping from her expressionless face and what''s even more concerning is the way she read my mind as if she was an esper or some sort. "Eh?" "Nothing. Here you go. " She got up and put her bag on the unreserved desk beside mine and put her nameplate on that seat. "Uhm.." "Something wrong?" "Is it just me? Or everyone''s acting rather overly cautious just because I''m around?" "Well, that is to be expected though," I replied. "*Sigh*. Just because some incompetent plankton gave me that title, does not mean I am to be considered foreign," she added. "Well, don''t worry. As uncomfortable as you are, it is rather comprehensible how silent everyone would be on the first day. While the reasons may vary, it will cease one of these days" I then sat at the desk while the cold sea breeze plundered the classroom... "Yeah. Says him, who was the first to approach me undaunted." "Hmm. Don''t underestimate me, Prima Donna. " " Celes would do." "Affirmative. Jaiden by the way." 15 Dance Macabre 2 : Intro "Give the gift of your absence, to those that don''t appreciate your presence." -Anonymous ? For a minute there, my calmness was in the brink of destruction as It truly did not occur to me, that the first that I was to have a formal conversation was with that girl of renown. I then refreshed myself to regain the HP that I lost using the panorama outside. I closed my eyes and chilled for a bit, while the silence was slowly residing and whispers began to engulf the dominance. Not long after, the formality too followed in a trance. "Do the two already know each other?" No! Didn''t you just saw how we introduced ourselves and just got our names? "Are those two acquainted by any chance?" Seriously, are these people a bunch of hooligans? Stop asking questions of which you already knew the answer! "Salute to that guy for even making the Prima Donna herself, give up the seat..." Don''t gather more attention to me now. I don''t need it. Don''t make me seem a VIP just because I got my seat back. "Who is that Jaiden guy? He talked to Ms. fame like it was nothing. He even got to know her nickname! It was like, he was the first to approach her, confidently at that!" As I faked sleep at my seat, subjects like that came drifting inside the classroom, and then, Camille Saint-Saens'' Danse Macabre, played in my head, a piece of classical music which was like an overhaul of official soundtracks of some horror movies that have scared millions in its first release in theaters, except, it was a full embodiment of annoyance and hopelessness in a single charade of musical notes. This is bad. Really bad. There''s too much attention. And is it just me? Or that decision I made prior to entering the classroom to open up a connection to confidence was a bad idea. The bardic whispers that I could hear from afar itself are even more than enough to bring an asocial like me to nausea. It was at these types of reality that I wish, I had one of Lacrimosa''s power, that one useful and handy skill of erasing her presence without a minuscule trace. But, unfortunately, she is not here, and I am forced to endure this impeccable tension of scrutiny. And certainly, I can''t call her for something such as this. Instead of a helping hand, she''ll assuredly give me that vexing mocking demeanor. "Yet, in all of these en masse of unessential attention, how is she handling it?" I asked myself with curiosity boggling my mind. I then ceased my fake sleeping and looked her way, while making sure it is not noticed by anyone. Talk about rumors of me experiencing lovestruck which the idea alone is diabolically implausible. But, the moment my eyes met the direction, she is there... calm and stoic. She is not even giving the tiniest heed to those attentions, instead, she had her focus on reading a book... That is an academic figure for you. As the distance between our desk was not of significance, I quickly distinguished the book to be of emblazonment "The Antichrist" by the philosopher, Nietzsche. That book if I am to recall was of value. I can''t judge the total worth, but as I reached the extremity in reading it, certainly, the book has its viewpoints that are of integrity. Well, the first thing that must be thought is that, if you can''t judge a book by its cover, you palpably also can''t judge a book by its title. Nietzsche, in his self expressionism in that body of the philosophical text, is not claiming to not believe in the existence of a supreme being and he certainly believed that Christ once walked right in the palms of the earth, truly the opposite of the "Antichrist" emblazonment right from the get-go, but what he hated that inspired him to write a book of his design was Christianity and their descendants to selflessness, not minding how the creator had given them the free will to completely have their selves and to set their current destinations in life with none other than themselves to be the main playwrights. In that concept alone, it is a treasure that none can offer lenience to as it can be seen today. If I were to comment in that book, however, I would have had given Nietzsche this piece of advice, he should have had directly stated his main points, especially the point that says no to the sacrosanct "If you have a God, you should be selfless AT ALL TIMES". In ancient times right before the seven sin Cardinals took the whole world by storm, being selfless while believing in God is truly for the better, but as of today, we need not be selfless as lies and deceptions continue to maneuver into the world without ceasing. Certainly, being selfless in modern time is like inviting a horde of dogs with open arms to eat your heart out. Proof? Well, it goes on without saying how the longest best-seller in the world wrote: "Be sober, be vigilant; because of your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour". The second piece of advice is that he should have had entitled the book "The Anti-Selflessness" and not "The Antichrist" to get the whole point across without disorienting those Christians that needed the knowledge of what they had been doing wrong this whole time, being selfless while embracing not only bliss but also lies and deceptions. Well, enough with that commentary. This Prima Donna, while she is reading the book has this pose unlike any other. She was not disoriented or whatnot by the noise that the class is making. She is just entirely focused on the body of knowledge inscribed in that text. Her jet black hair was amalgamating perfectly with her flawless pale skin and her sober demeanor. Not long after, groups began to form in the class, excluding me and Ms. Prima Donna, I am left out. And it sometimes makes me worry that notable attention might again find its way towards me, because the more time you spend alone, the more rumors will form about you that you will unlikely be able to hear. That is the basic foundation of high school. I continued to fake my sleep, while she was also entirely focused on her inferential reading undauntedly. Minutes later, the closed-door suddenly opened with a large bang! And there appeared a female figure that seemed young and was holding a pile of paperwork and small booklets which are probably the Students'' handbooks fully prepared by the university administration. Sweat came running down her face signifying how she was rushing to get here on time but still failed. She then hastily placed the handbooks at the front desk and started gasping for breath. "Phew. Pardon, I am a little tardy in our very first meeting. Well then, we can''t afford to lose another millisecond. I am Alexandra Ludenburgh and as of today, I''ll be your homeroom teacher. Let''s have a great year. And do please get a book and pass it to your back " Well, that was a cliched and hasty introduction, but that will do. I just hope that she will skip on the self-introduction and will proceed to the grading transparency." I thought, fully hoping that the concept of introduction amidst the first day in class is not subsistent in this institution. "And as the books are handed down, care to start a little introduction? You can state your name, age, quotes in life and whatever you want to say, provided it will not take all of the time " she added, proving my augury incorrect by default. Never mind. 16 Mundanely Extravagan "In much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow." -King Solomon ? The teacher''s sudden appearance has completely broken the leisure of indolent silence... More active noises began its intrusion in the four corners of the class, which prior was like a stronghold of formality because of the Prima Donna''s presence, and to whom I recently obtained permission to call her by her name''s first two syllables, "Celes". Nope, It''s not like I''m happy or anything, I am more worried and concerned as to how I can formally introduce myself to these bunch who look at me like I''m some sort of an economic big shot just because I conversed with a famed girl with a Jagger. "Nays ediya!" A hyped student screamed at the front, showing this rather enthusiastic aura for such superfluous introductions. He was somehow short and his accent made it seem that he just learned English, which is, of course, an integral requirement for anyone who wants admission in AU. He must have binged-learned the lingo, and that in itself alone should be noteworthy. "Ok then, that''s nice to hear, can we start with you?" the preceptor asked the student seated first of the first row while still brushing off the tiresome look on her face. The student then stood up, showcasing a confident facade whilst wearing an undaunted smile. First, let me get this straight, I genuinely understand the insignificance and acrimony of ''briefly'' describing everyone I just knew. It makes me feel like, I am some undercover agent from the CIA here to unveil the mask of a drug lord, but I feel the need to do so otherwise. "Affirmative teach. It''s Zen... Zen Wolfenschstein. I am from the outskirts of NYC USA and probably the same as everyone, I attended this school for the new it has to offer and for some other reason. " The first student confidently said maintaining eye contact with almost everyone, except Celes who was beside me, and also, me. It was like he was somehow rejecting our coexistence in the class. Still, something piqued a bit of my interest as he spoke... "For some other reasons?" If I were to judge that line, it has some deep meanings hidden amidst an iceberg, as his face suddenly shifted from confidential to worrisome. Yet, I know that I must care less, because as unapparent it may seem, everyone is fighting a battle I know nothing about, and for that, they reserve the right for privacy. "And as for my favorite quote, it''s one from Nietzsche. ''What is evil? Whatever springs from weakness''" the Wolfenschstein descent added, with a little vigorous pose at the end. But wow... It never occurred to me that Nietzsche is still making his legacy on youths. Although I''m quite sure that we''re the last of the kind... Ready to go extinct anytime soon. Well, it is clear that he is going to be the next school heartthrob judging by his physical build, and I bet he also had some brain cells to showcase. Interesting indeed. I mean, again it''s not like every day you get to be classmates with someone that knows a dime about philosophical literature. Then the class, especially those spicy type of girls who I presume, only had their eyes on hot lads vehemently gave him a round of applause. Yeah right. I guess we have our Mr. Autonomous University Idol of the year, yet I wonder how the renowned Prima Donna is acting, Celes I mean, eheem. Is she perhaps one of those types? I looked, only to be proven wrong the moment my eyes met her direction. She was focused, taking down notes, probably of the names that could be a possible threshold of academic competition. Yep. That is certainly what an honor student would call ''mundane'' and nothing more but a daily paradigm, noting even the slightest bit of information, integral or useless it may be. "Next!" Ms. Ludenburgh signaled the continuation. A female classmate which could be classified as a "Lolita" under the rules of an animated world then showed herself, she then inhaled thrice the normal and vociferously shouted, with rather a shy yet trying expression... "H-HI E-EVERYONE! I... I am Charlotte Shirehart, from Britain. I may be shy b-but I hope to get along with everybody... Ha...hajimemashte! " Hajimemashte? Oh right, she wants to narrow down the cultural differences, but I think that was rather too superfluous to boot as everybody here came gnashing the last of their brain cells just to be fluent with the international lexicon. Still, I think that would do the trick (if I were to compare it with myself that is, who have no idea or whatsoever how to introduce myself properly without achieving some mishaps). Ms. Loli... Ms. Shirehart I mean, sat down on her seat looking all flushed by the intense outmaneuvering of self-reserves. The class even gave her acceptable applause and you can even hear boys, 2 or three seats away from her talking all "She''s cute" and as well as Asian girls whispering "Kawaii", which also translates to "cute" in English, fortunately. "Care to introduce yourself mister?" the teacher continued. The next-in-line Asian stood up with this proud and muscular appearance, with chest out and eyes looking directly at the whiteboard. "Daerenji Nakamura, you can call me ''Renji'' for short. I am from Kyoto Japan and was the former National President of the country''s Supreme Student Councils" Oh. We got ourselves another excellency, a leader at that! If I were to guess, he will be this class'' representative and its rather fortunate to have someone like him around, especially during school events. I made up my mind, I''m gonna give him my privilege of becoming ruler over this class. No wait, Celes could probably be a better candidate. As thoughts came flying to me like that, I could hear the rapid movement of a pen over some rough paper surface at my right side. It''s Celeswriting down notes, more aggressively. I took several glimpses of her, while the future class representative is still introducing himself without a taint of mediocrity and with lengthy speeches that I considered unessential balderdash. Celes was writing faster, writing down everything that the Renji guy had been spouting so far. I guess she even wrote even the most insignificant ones. It probably is because this guy is the most appealing to be in her academic tier. A clear chance for a class rival. And again, by Celes accepting a class office, I proved myself wrong. Someone as dully competitive as she is would probably have no interest or whatsoever on joining any school clubs or holding any class office. A consecutive honor student would be usually reading books and studying at all times, and they would rather utilize their time for some personal gain rather than for a certain population. In a more ergonomic phrase, grade-sensitive students will try their hardest to make their school lives as gray as it can be rather than rose-tainted. I can understand the logic at least cause I had been there... and I did not like the incineration. "As for my favorite quote sensei. It''s "Leadership is not a title, but action and an example." Mr. representative at long last ended of what was supposed to be a normal introduction, spiced to become more like the principal''s despised speech on the entrance ceremony. "Arigathanks for that none-passive introduction Renji-Kun. Well, class, you got yourself a possible class representative!" Ms. Ludenburgh said with a little annoyed expression escaping from her young stiffened face, probably because of the time consumed within that one introduction. The class then started to cheer for the Renji guy as he slowly got back in his seat, with this leadership aura. "Whoooo! Mr. President, it is" "We''re counting on you!" 17 My Turn "If you have nothing to say, then don''t talk." -Rolf Dobelli ? "Whoooo! Mr. President, it is" "We''re counting on you!" I can hear those assured cheers to the back exponentially. Well, that assures him of the class title, but, what I can''t seem to understand is why the bloody hell could someone feel privileged and feel proud at the same time when he knows of the tiresome burdens that he is about to carry? Maybe I''ll find the answer one of these days, with him as the ultimate lab rat. Ok, that was a little bit too harsh. For now, I''ll just be assured that someone reserved the title when others didn''t want it. It would be a pain if we were to randomly choose the representative through a box of rolled paper and my name would be chosen. That would be like, stumbling vis-a-vis with the spirit of bad luck. "Ok let''s move on to the next one." the preceptor advanced the introductions one step closer to me, at a time. While it may be a little overt, but honestly the majority took the easy path and introduced themselves normally and were rather too mundane to even take note of, but Celes continued to chatter down on her notebook anyway. Its called being "overly cautious" for those possibilities that are of zeros. But, yeah. We can''t underestimate the value of zeros, the same as how you can''t in the game of card''s jokers. While a joker may seem useless, it has the definitive power to turn itself into anything that the holder desires. Same as zeros. While it is empty, it holds an infinite possibility of value. And here I am, in-consequent plankton acting all philosophical in a dire situation. Well, anyway, as it pains me to say this, I am next in line, I can''t let this turn into "utter" chaos. I must aim for a minimum backlash from the audience while utterly destroying the overly cool image they already had for me. "Your turn now sir..." Ms. Ludenburgh pointed at me with her pointy whiteboard marker and yet... Sir? Don''t escalate the situation now. While I understand that our cultures vary, and it can even be normal to call one of your students ''sir'' in some borders, it doesn''t have to be me. While I slowly stood up with both my hands on my sides and as the utterance of "sir" came echoing in the room, silence again indulged itself and everyone was staring quite vividly at me, except for Celes of course who''s focus is on her notes alone. It was the scenery of total dullness, but I must muster the remnants of my life force for this introduction. But first, I really must destroy this "big shot" image that they had for me...I''ll make this intro as ubiquitous as it can be, and for that, I''ll exercise the use of fillers. "Uhm. Jaiden Axcel Cendrillon. You can call me Jaiden or whatever it is that you feel comfortable calling someone. Uhm ...Formality''s unneeded anyway. I hope we''ll get along just well. " "Cendrillon? Now, that''s a little familiar. Hmmmmm..." The teacher seemed curious. While I was still standing, with the awkward silence slowly seeping in through my veins, she got closer to me and examined me a bit. While it is somehow understandable as to how someone her age would make my last name ring a bell, it would be likely detestable if she were to remember something deranged. "Hmmm. I must have been wrong. Let us have some fun this year Jaiden!" enthusiastic Ms. Ludenburgh then added. "Yes, Miss," I answered bowing down my head. While I was about to sit down, I was interrupted as the nightmare was still to end... "Oh what about your quote?" The teacher asks. "Oh right. Uhm. Hurt someone with the truth, but never let someone be happy with a lie." What the hell is it with me with jokers today. I just uttered that, out of a mere sense of immediate action. I never thought that a quote on the end is compulsory. I even gave a cringy one, Almost like I''m a love-connoisseur rather than just being an economic bigshot... "Thank you for that sir." "Please do cease the ''sirs" already,'' I thought, while slowly sitting down. Unlike the previous introductions, there was no backlash, just plain hand claps. The result was better than expected. It is neutralism at its best but somehow, I feel that I was unable to remove the big shot imagery, yet the worst challenge for the first day is finally over. Now for the main dish, it was time for the Prima Donna''s intro. "Ok then, lastly, is Miss....." the teacher casually shifted her focus towards my right, where the last student is situated, but unaware, she got herself a little shocked as to whom she were to deal with. Truth be told, I have no idea as to what this girl is really capable academically, it is just that, the more I realize how known she is, it veils her more in this mist of mystery. Ms. Ludenburgh was somehow speechless and the environment''s noise dropped down to 20 to 30 decibels or even lower. "E-ehem. Ms. Reignsworth... I was uninformed of your presence, it is now your turn to introduce yourself, although it may be a little late at this point." The run down, confident teacher, just like everybody else, switched from her casual actions to formal. "No miss Ludenburgh. To be fair, I must." Celes replied while standing up from her chair a hundred times more confident than I was. She closed her notes and placed her expensive-looking pen on her uniform''s tight pocket. "And besides I have something important to canvass," she added. "Of course. Everyone please does listen as to what Miss Reignsworth here has to say." Ms. Ludenburgh nervously chattered. "There''s no need for you to be nervous ma''am. Please don''t make your life as a preceptor of a beta cuttting-edge institution, more stressful than it already is." the Prima Donna who saw right through the teacher said, giving her an assured look in the face, which truly was an expression of a teenage girl who wanted to be treated equally as everyone. It is something without a taint of pride nor of supremacy, but humility. "R-right. HAHAHAHAHAHA," Ms. Ludenburgh burst into laughter probably because of her thoughts that were wondering as to why a teacher would feel taunted by one of her students. "Ok then. Ms. Reignsworth" the teacher added, giving the stage to Celes. 18 Unprecedented Invitation "People are lonely. The network is seductive. But if we are always on, we may deny ourselves the rewards of solitude." -Sherry Turkle, Alone Together ? Celes went on to introduce herself with composure the same to that of professionals. It''s no wonder how walls keep on building around her. "As you have known me... I am the Prima Donna of Germany High...but in here, I am in no place to maintain that title, a title which I consider, as plainly nothing... So please, stop the formality. I am a normal student regarded abnormally just because of my last name and of my academic records, but really, I hope to get along with you all. And one more thing... I hope you can come up to me like how Jaiden approached me earlier. You can let your guard down. I don''t bite." Celes exclaimed, with everyone''s attention, pointed at her, except not one dared to even look her on the eye, same upon my introduction, but I never really cared though and I presume she wouldn''t also. But, why the hell would she make me a primal example? Am I perhaps the first to ever talk to her informally? As Celes is slowly sitting down, the class gave her applause relatively forced the same as mine, but louder. "Thank you Ms. Reignsworth. I hope we will have one heck of an academic year together!" "You are welcome ma''am," Celes answered. "Ok class. I hope that you have had given a neuron for each name that was introduced inside your head, and for now please open the student''s handbook which I passed into you. I''ll explain some of the rules." "First, as you are enrolled in this institution, you are requested to act per the international norms. I,n other words, belittling, bullying, vandalism, inappropriate behavior and negligence of responsibility are a no-no." "Second. Instead of the former education system that is still implemented around the globe, In this university, we decided to elevate that curriculum that would spell the end of the existing mishaps. This contemporary educational matrix is called the "Merit Educational System or the MES". You can inform yourselves as to what is new in this curricula by just reading the student handbook on page 2-9, but, I''ll explain to you the most important things to remember." "MES offers quality education for free, regardless of financial background and it is needless to say that efforts will always be rewarded and the beneficiary will receive more financial aid from the top brass of the ICC. In other words, the moment you enrolled yourself here at AU, you are gonna start from zero. In here, all of you will start this school year equal....but, the mantra doesn''t end there, fortunately..." Yeah, and I think I know as to where this might lead to... "Gaps will appear by lack of perseverance or effort thereof. So don''t come to me crying when the institution will treat you unfairly months from now ok?" And here it is. "But, I know, you already came here prepared, so I hope you''ll be receiving the best regards. Now that sums about it. The first assignment is for you to read that handbook. That will be for the best. " Homework already. "Oh, I almost forgot to mention. You will live in dorms for free, just across the street. Building number 3, the top floor will be for this class and I''ll be staying there too, but in a specialized room." The moment I heard that everyone including me was like "Is this true?" I don''t think that features like this will be skipped during the entrance ceremony. "Ahh yeah, it was a last-minute decision. Some rich businessmen sponsored this and the institution agreed as it is also suggested that it makes students build a network of relationships around them. But don''t get me wrong! Not the lewd type of relationship of course, and teachers were also recommended to join in, you know why? Unfortunately, we are to be the neutralizers in case something peculiar happens. But, as they say, there''s nothing better but free stuff and to stay at a luxurious condominium unit as that is the best." "Now this is a school! In your face gramma, for your attempt to make me work" I thought reminiscing my grandma from afar. Others were like "Thank God I can buy a video game", "Awesome, now I can buy the Gucci jacket I saw in a mall earlier, wanna go shopping later?", "We''ll get to stay on the same floor as the Prima Donna? LUCKY!" Hmmmmm. As for me, I was grateful as to who the hell suggested this hospitality, whoever he or she may be, they reserve the right to win the Noble Peace price. Now, I can buy one of those cheap laptops through the pocket money my thrifty grandma gave. Yeah, having a grandma who owns five corporations but has no interest to hook me into the grasp of money can be tough, but I know it is for the best. "Sensei, what about food, is that gonna be accommodated as well?" A Filipino descent seated in front of me asked. "Ha? What are you an aspiring freeloader?" A girl with a perfect morena skin-tone and of beauty which seemed like a long acquaintance of his said. "Oh shut up already. Making you come here was a mistake. Hmph!" "Well, it''s not like I wanted to be here anyway." Sweet. It was as if ants were crawling down to my body. A lover''s quarrel perhaps? Paraded at that. "Yes, Mr. Cruz and Miss. Villanueva as much as it might be a little too sugar-laid, your forbidden to act all lovey-dovey inside of the campus you know that right?" Ms. Ludenburgh teased them. Still, she was not to become a young teacher at this institution for nothing. I mean, how the hell could someone memorize the names just by hearing it once? "What seems to be all "lovey-dovey ma''am? I would rather die than be like that with this cold Iguana." "Yeah, says he who is a hundred percent authentic for females" Ms. Villanueva directly countered the attack with a bit of sarcasm mixed into the formula. "Well, well... HAHAHAHA such display of youth! "Ms. Ludenburgh intervened. "As for your question Mr. Cruz, the answer is No. Unfortunately, the food will not be provided. You''re gonna need to buy it. " the teacher added. "Whaaaaa? What a rip off!" "Can provide a condo unit for free, but not food?" Complaints like that soon aired. Well, sorry Mr. Hospitality whoever you may be, but humans are always like this. If you give them nothing, they will start complaining, and if you do give them something, they will still find ways to even more complain. Its a byproduct for their insatiable selfishness for free and effortless gain. "There''s nothing I can do about that. For now, let us be thankful for the free dormitories. Well, guys, that is about it for the first day. The formal discussion will start tomorrow at 8 AM sharp, don''t be late till then. Oh, I almost forgot... meet me at the dorm''s lobby for the room assignment later. For now, you can enjoy the rest of the day in your way. I recommend you start exploring the school. That''s it. Class Dismissed. " Yes. Finally. The moment the preceptor left the classroom, everyone was suddenly in a group of their own, even the two who were fighting like couples had their own circle, lucky them... Luckier me. "Hey, you''re alone too right?" Unexpectedly, Celes called into me, as she appears to be ready to leave the classroom herself. "Uhm. Yeah, unfortunately, I don''t know why, but the moment I talked with you, everyone was presuming that I am, something which I''m not." "Well sorry for that." "It''s nothing to be sorry about, basically." "Wanna go for a quick stroll?" 19 A Secret Known "To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect." -Oscar Wilde ? What? The Prima Donna inviting me? I pray it''s not out of pity or anything, yeah I''ll definitely go. But worse is that another senseless stigma is again gonna be formed. Well, its better than staying here and gaining unnecessary lonesome attention while sulking, revealing my introvert side. "It''s not out of pity or anything right?" "I''ll leave that to your imagination." "Ok then. It can''t be helped. Guess I''ll be the Prima Donna''s tour guide for a bit." "I already told you, right? Celes is the name." "Ok, then Celes. Thanks for the offer." The moment, I stood up from my seat while taking my bag, I know for the fact that there''s nothing good that might come out of this, but I also know that it is rather unproductive if I were to sit here all day, regardless of the slight chance that someone might actually talk to me. I''ll just make this stroll a sort of review of the map I memorized before the class started earlier. Besides, being accompanied by someone is very new to me. And just like that, we took our leave while the class was destructed from their friend making session version 2.0. We then walked around the long hallways and through several ground pavements while silence followed us. So, to break through the awkward atmosphere I know that I must be the one to pursue a topic. It could also bring several revelations to me and could serve as a practical training as to how to communicate with a beautiful and overachieving girl. "So, did you spend your childhood like that?" "Like what?" "I know, you already know what I''m talking to..." "You''re a sharp one Jaiden maybe you''ll make of a good rival for this year." "Sorry. I am not that sharp as you expect me to be. I am more of a logical person, but not that highly intellectual. " "Hmmmmmm. Sounds pretty questionable to me...but, the answer to that question would be no. I was not always like this. Not until, I won an international award for my contribution of a certain scientific study at the age of 14, won national contests such as feature journalism, Math olympiad, and several others. before that, I get to have friends and be with people normally. But soon after my dad''s business came booming in our region, I was forced to transfer schools and from there everything changed. Upon knowing my achievements, my new classmates would not even dare to talk to me. It''s also partly my fault for indulging myself reading books every free time we have, my classmates back then literally think of me as an academic nerd who built this kind of impregnable barrier around her ... but yeah, the cascade of fortunate events was every bit a disadvantage to my social life." "A tough life you have there." "Yeah, but I already adapted to it fundamentally. How about you? I cant also see or imagine you making friends." "While having friends and someone to rely on is a better option, I always was bad at communicating with people you know. Same as to how our conversation earlier stirred up the false stigma of us already know each other. It seems like, every time I inspire myself to make ties with someone, my mouth retaliates." I exclaimed, which is somehow not entirely false. "That''s unfortunate." "Yeah, but same as you, I already am acquainted with it. So it doesn''t bother me anymore. " "I guess, we are pretty similar in some ways." "You could say that again, although I''m nowhere close on winning any international award." "How humble. Hey, do you think we can make a good couple?" "Say what now?" The moment she uttered those lines, I stopped and cringed for a bit, but I know... I know deep inside that she is unscrupulously kidding. Imagine, a prodigy in academics talking all about love, it''s clearly implausible. "You''ll probably make a good girlfriend, but me? Na-ah! I''m an anti-romantic misanthropist. Trust me, you wouldn''t want me to be what other calls your ''boyfriend''". "Oy vey! What a horrible self-pity "she responded with a chuckle. To fiend off the pink vision I am seeing, I suggested something entirely. "Want to go to the cafeteria?" "Sure" she replied with a pure smile. Seeing her from this little distance makes her even more beautiful, but I know I must maintain the confident composure. And no... Early illogical romance is by far, not also in the radars. The moment we got to the luxurious cafeteria, I bought my all-time favorite, hamburger while Celes ordered something which should not be in a university cafeteria''s menu. A healthy bowl of salad. While we were to sit down, the place is filling up with an en masse of the crowd who just finished their first day of class. Not a good sign actually, and as I was about to suggest something., Celes prompted first otherwise. "I think it is better off eating at the top floor," she suggested which is a normal reaction for almost anyone who spent their teenage in a conserved environment. "Yeah. It''s probably windy there, but I think it''s better." I responded. We got out of the cafeteria without anyone noticing us... As we were on the way to the top floor, whilst holding the paper bags of food we ordered, the silence was there. But, unlike the first countenance, I don''t think I am hell-bent to always be the leader of a meaningful conversation. It''s time for her to take the lead this time... But that, never came to be... as she suddenly took a little detour on the topic unprecedentedly, shifting it from meaningful to detrimental. "Jaiden. How long are you going to hide it?" she asked, with a very serious look in her face. "What? The only thing that I''m hiding in my di-... (No, I take that back)" "You can''t make a fool out of me you know that. You are a Herrscher aren''t you?" "Huh, what are you talking about? "I responded. Honestly, as much as I know that I really can''t make a fool out of her the more I knew nothing of which she spoke of. Herrschers? What the hell is that supposed to be? And then the intercontinental ballistic missile... "Lacrimosa. She''s your deity isn''t she?" What? How does she know about Lacrimosa?. For all I am worth, I was the only one who knew of her existence! From that point on... I extrapolated that the gray and mundane high school life I expected to have in this artificially-made city, turns out to be not that "gray" at all. It''s probably something that exceeds the extraordinary and the more I think of it, the vaguer the subject becomes. How the hell does she know her? 20 Phantom Deity 1 : Insignia "Wildly, my mind beats against you, but my soul obeys." -Charles Hart ? "Let''s take this someplace else." Celes having said that, I found myself in a dire and baffling scenario whilst sauntering from stairs to stairs towards an ambient rooftop, where love stories in most entertainment series begin. Yet, the atmosphere of this one, however, spells a different type of beginning, and I am certain that I am not gonna like it. The moment we arrived, she then placed her paper bag-wrapped food in one of the benches. "You''re not gonna eat?" I asked. "I will... after I confirm something." Of course. Then out of the initiative, I sat on the bench while Celes was acting rather defensive a meter or two away. "So what are we talking about again?" "Proceeding to the main point. Lacrimosa. You''re her Herrscher aren''t you?" Yeah, this is what we were talking about. Truth be told, the first moment, Celes mentioned Lacrimosa''s name, confusion mingled in my insides and yet I felt the need to be composed and to stay calm rather than to reveal superficial parts of me, even now. "Ahhh. What? Lacrimosa? Is that supposed to be a video game character?... And Herrscher? Is that supposed to be rank or something?" I sarcastically asked sitting on the bench with a composure like that of a dead fish. "Hmmm. That insignia in your right hand? That''s the symbol of your contract with her am I correct?" She instantly nullified my sarcasm. "Insignia?" I get the feeling that she is about the clock-like tattoo in my right hand, but why give it that very austere sobriquet? More importantly, how? I don''t recall showing this to anyone and it is impossible for anyone to coincidentally see as I had covered it with a wrist band blending flawlessly with my uniform, and why does she have knowledge of a contract between me and that Goddess? Wait, now that I remember it, Lacrimosa spoke of the need to stay stealthy from these "others" being the reason why she had to weaken her powers a bit. Is there something that the talkative goddess is hiding from me? Calm down. First, I need to give her a proper answer without stirring further controversy. "Hayst... It''s just a wrist band,. and even if I did have one, It should only be for my appreciation for art, nothing more and less." "Oh, doesn''t that make you more suspicious? Why would you even need a wrist band worn under your long sleeve uniform? There''s no use protecting that part from a little bit of sunray. " As Celes bombarded me with questions in which some I have no answer, I feel like I am being drawn to bottomless quicksand without any means of escape or of diversion. This has gotten troublesome that it''s becoming a pain. "Hey look, I don''t know what you''re talking about. Period." I then got up from the bench and turned around to walk away and to stop my further submersion on the quicksand of questions, but is stopped as if suddenly... "Still will deny it? You leave me no choice then..." She replied with a very serious expression in her face. I am a little oblivious as to what is really happening and as the questions began to bother me even more, there''s nothing that I can hear except for the thumping of my heart as it drowned to the feeling of light anticipation of what happens next. Yet, something bought me back to my natural senses triggered by this unnatural turn of event, as she began to take off her outer upper uniform undoing the buttons one by one leaving this white almost see-through polo shirt. Well, it''s a demented one for a plot twist. "Hey, where''s your dignity? I might fantasize about this later you know. It''s an instinct for us boys." "What? More like instincts of a perverted rascal!", she replied as she tossed her recently worn uniform away. I can feel the surprise she felt as I began to say those things that only retards can spout while I was acting mature, gentle and approachable prior. Not gonna lie though, she was somewhat cuter than I expected. She was flustered and her cheeks were going all pink in color. Yet again, unreasonable romance, not on my radar. "Well, Just know that never in a million years would I cover my eyes from sight like this", like an expert rascal whose thoughts have been nothing more but profiles of perversion, I added. It''s a joke, actually. Why would I be interested to see her in her inner uniform? It may be a bit late but I would like to remind you that I have high standards given how that goddess implanted to me this image of surreal perfection... although her mouth sometimes distorts that fact. Suddenly, my hand began to ache, at the part where the symbol of the contract was placed. It was reacting to something giving me this burning sensation and acute pain, that I had no knowledge of the possibility, but one thing is sure, that this girl taking off her uniform has something to do about it. Celes, as she tied her long jet-black hair with a hair tie she has in one of her pockets slowly showed this large crimson tattoo at the basal part of her neck which is in the shape of a lotus flower. It did not surprise me why she had a tattoo, but what strikes me is that the design of the tattoo is pretty much like mine as if it is in the same theme induced by the same artist, and why is the pain gradually getting worse as the tattoo is getting clearer insight? As the shape of the lotus symbol became clearer, the burning sensation in my arms also began to be greater. Sweat and an ill expression ran through my face and it was only a matter of seconds before I will probably lose my calm composure. "SO YOU ARE ONE OF THEM," she said, as it was becoming more palpable that I am in a state of pang. "What? Them?" Celes yet again added to my subsisting myriad of questions in the queue. "Don''t act clueless, Jaiden, the moment I first took a glimpse of you at that classroom I knew there were many that you are hiding and that, you underestimated me." "E-ehh? And what are you pertaining to?" "Oh cease the despicable response. Acting all innocent. The moment your insignia reacted with mine as I showed it, you began to feel this intense burn am I right? That suggests nothing more but that you are an enemy. " "Enemy... Something''s really not right here." "Well, no use speaking with you, an enemy is an enemy and must be obliterated at all cost" Having said that, with me in front clueless, she closed her eyes and made hand gestures as if she was praying and a dark-purple atmosphere began to surround us with an intent to kill me. The lotus symbol at her neck began to glow in lilac and then the wind became vividly active and dark clouds began to hover above us "Donne naissance une toile dansante travers moi comme le chaos" she chanted and then appeared the unexpected. Something that eastern animation call as ''magical circle'', although it was somewhat triangular made its appearance in Celes'' side, and from there gushed forth a long sword, silver in color and was shining in its might. Celes then took hold of the sword, emanating this lofty glory, pointing it towards me. "French? Isn''t she German?" No, what''s more, concerning right now is what is she doing? How? How can something like this even be possible! The chanting paradigm, Lacrimosa also did the same when summoning the flame spirit "Ignitress" years back. As much as I knew my, only deities have this kind of power. No wait, the goddess herself did not mention anything about whether a human with powers would be implausible. Lacrimosa, there''s something that you''re not telling me, I''m sure of that now... 21 Phantom Deity 2 : Deus Ex "So do you end your days with me, or do you send him to his grave?" -Charles Hart, The Phantom of the Opera ? "From the void you are, and to the void, you shall return. Aetherial lumina!" Celes loudly conveyed. And then, a great purple light emanated from the silver sword enveloping me whole, like a fish in a contaminated aquarium. "Am I gonna die?"As the light continued to envelop me, I can start to feel like I''m being melted away, like I''m slowly turning into thin air that will soon cease to exist. "No, not yet." I can''t let my life end this vile...It is not like I want to live more or anything, I just want my death to be somewhat grandeur, and to let myself turn to sub-atomic smithereens by this scorching light opposes the path that I wish to take. I then remembered how Lacrimosa said that I can call her anytime from her realm if EVER I got myself into trouble and this is certainly a pinch. Wait, did she expect something like this would eventually happen? I know there was one thing I know I could do. Fend off the extraordinary with the extravagant. "Lacrimosa..." Without further thoughts, I called upon her name. Then it was, that I felt her presence immediately and the contract''s symbol, which Celes pointed to as the "Insignia" in my hand, began to burst forth this flame-like darkness which was nostalgic as years already came and go from the first time I encountered something in its likeness. From the darkness formed a gigantic gate adorned in both gold and obsidian and is symmetrically obscure in design. The gate then opened, and then Lacrimosa, whose eyes were gleaming in bright onyx and whose ebony wings were displayed elegantly made her quit none-ubiquitous entrance with an array of sable feathers as if it was of a raven''s, falling in a myriad demeanor. "Troubled now on the first day aren''t you?... You''re quite the delinquent" "What happened to give limits of power utilization? Hayst. Taking that aside, I know you''re hiding something from me." "My my. I don''t recall saying that I''m not hiding something from you. Besides, I''m not under an honesty treaty or whatsoever." "Hmmm." "Well, first of all, I surely can''t let an essential element in my canvas die", she then snapped her fingers and split the violet light that has been scorching me in both sides using the darkness that had been gushing forth from the same insignia. And yet, split is somehow not the correct term. It would be more fit to say that the flame-like plague started to swallow the light. And then there''s this large explosion in both black and mauve from the collision of opposing powers and there, in the point of impact, emerged this thick mist everywhere. The moment the thick smoke ceases, there Celes is and standing next to her, a mysterious figure, a tall gentleman in a black suit while having this fancy mask on that''s for certain occasions of the nobles of old. From my perspective, he is like the main actor in Gaston Leroux''s Phantom of the Opera who just escaped from the theaters, except that his mask is even more heinous and yet, even more elegant. Next to her is Celes, like Christine Daae in the same musical roleplay, except she had a sword and currently fits her title of "Prima Donna". Still, that man, I know something''s off from him...I mean, the majority is just not right here. "You finally showed yourself, goddess of disambiguation," Celes said while gallantly holding the ''some-sort of the magical sword''. "Ara-ara! Pardon. that our first meeting would be like this "Miss I-dunno-who-you-are", but please do settle down. " Lacrimosa said with her usual tone that if I were to describe, whimsical yet elegant (simply put, a carbon copy of Luvia-san''s from the Fate series). Still, why use ''ara ara''? Is she somewhat a hikikomori, anime-loving goddess? She then casually descends, with her wings also slowly metamorphosing to a black robe that perfectly matched with her still, stygian apparel. "How are you doing there Deus Ex ?" Lacrimosa faced the mysterious man standing right of Celes. "Deus ex? " I asked. "Yeah, He''s a deity who had his title obtained by destroying the strongholds of Tartarus by a one-man show, whilst hiding his true appearance somewhere safe - in that, he was called ''Deus Ex Machina- The God in a Machine'' who is called by the majority as the Phantom Deity, also the guardian of the holy relic ''Trancy''. Cool isn''t he?" The goddess replied. Huh? Holy relic? Is that supposed to be the sword that Celes is holding? And wait...That man is a deity? Why is she with Celes? "I never thought you would go to such extent there Deus! Giving a sacred relic to a human girl that you are only designated to guard. " Lacrimosa added. "Hmmm. It''s quite remarkable how you remember that much about me, who you once called as an underpaid museum security guard. Indeed, it had been a long time Lacrimosa, and as you have already known, utilization of holy Relics are not entirely forbidden in the game." Responded, the deity. So I presume Lacrimosa is also rude in their realm. I don''t know why the hell she had this ''Goddess of disambiguation'' title, but I think ''Goddess of Lenience and Nonchalance'' would suit her better. "My, my! You still remember that? Teehee! As expected of a strategic deity, but I think it''s high time we forget that... Uhmm, as much nonchalant as I am, I never really knew that giving your relic is not banned. By the way, you got yourself a brave Herrscher here, I''m quite impressed." "Hmm. Yours is quite remarkable as well, although it''s quite unexpected for you to choose someone from the ordinary class." Replied the deity. "Oh ordinary? There''s more from where THAT came from." Lacrimosa said while pinpointing that ''THAT'' was me. It was like she was promoting some byproduct ready to be shipped to somewhere. Still, I found it too insignificant to be cared about. If someone here was worth considering as nothing more but ''THAT'' it''s inevitably her being an annoying deity. Yet, what I can''t seem to ignore is how Deus Ex called me an ordinary class borne. What''re his criteria for ''ordinary'', I wonder? Thinking about that makes me self-ponder if is it really possible for a deity to respect our right to privacy and let us live the way we want despite their prowess to intervene? "Now, to the main point. Thank you for introducing me to your Herrscher in my behalf. I am indeed Deus Ex Machina, the Phantom Deity who hides his true countenance, also the guardian of the holy relic known as ''Trancy'' of which you see now in the hands of my Herrscher, Celes. I have you know that it''s a pleasure meeting you young man." "Same here sir" I replied. More importantly, Celes is his Herrscher? What does that even mean? Why doesn''t anything make sense? It''s utterly questionable by default. "Too bad though. Our first meeting would be our last" the Phantom Deity said, while it is also made clear that Celes is ready to dive into battle mode, wielding her sword with valiance. "Last? Hey, Lacrimosa what does he mean by that ? ", thoughts like that came flying to me, which I unintentionally spoke aloud. "Exactly as it is. You will be meeting your maker today. Still, I regret, that this was not your fault. It was the foolishness of your deity that will lead you to your deathbed.", the so-called phantom deity replied. Yet, upon hearing that, the Goddess Lacrimosa goes "My my!" while giggles are escaping continuously from her mouth. It was as if she was ridiculing the opposing side. "Teheee~. I can see you never changed there Deus Ex. So quick to judge and hasty in making decisions. Moreover, it''s also understandable. You are nothing but an empty cog machine, unable to think independently." Lacrimosa answered...with a serious demeanor that I only saw once. the demeanor is nostalgic, but most importantly, it reminded me...that this situation is not a stage for comedy. The atmosphere is becoming so intense that I wouldn''t be surprised if something more brutal is to occur. Yet here I am, uninformed and unacquainted to which I presume to be the most basic things. Herrscher? Insignia? Holy relic? Why is another deity here? Still, questions are to be answered. Secrets are still bound to be unveiled. Until that happens... I can''t let it end yet. Fortunately, I have grown tired of asking for death. He is a cheat. He comes to those who don''t want him but hides from those who pray for his coming. Why am I saying this? I have no idea. 22 Charade With the Pas "The inability to face the past is the same inane failure of not being able to see what''s ahead." -Conceit ? I can still clearly recall, the myriad of events that likely led me to this situation. My older brother, the heir of the Cendrillon aristocracy killed my family that night. He plummeted to his mad selfish ambitions and to the deepest pit of dementia itself. Precedent, with the skill set he learned from his various experiences and his tier-one educators, I could tell that he had no difficulty and whatsoever on killing them, even going against swordsmen of great renown. The moment I seemed to annoy him, he tried to kill me with a gun at point-blank range. I was helpless. Lost. Sad. Alone. This is where the deity, out of nowhere, made her quite elegant entrance whilst completely delaying the flow of time. She claimed to be Lacrimosa, the Goddess of Disambiguation. She handed this weird contract that I knew nothing of, which I read frivolously, even skipping the terms and conditions that could have explained every bit of the bizarre that bombards me to no end these days. The goddess, then made me sign the contract and along with it, a wish of mine was granted, to nullify every bit of emotions that overwhelmed me greatly that moonlit night. In exchange, she said, she''ll be taking my freedom. That day, I became what she called the ''Monochrome'' in her empty canvas and I also remembered opaquely as to how he referred to me as a ''Herrscher'', but to this day, I never knew what it means to be ''that'' really. I just continued living life the same, except I am partly emotionless. I can''t feel fear, sadness, and anger. I was then taken care of by my financially-conservative grandma and a cascade of years later was enrolled in a University in an artificial island east of Japan- the International Clark City. Here I met a girl of famed origin, Celes Stella Reignsworth. I was expecting another mundane school year, but that was not the case. The moment I agreed to form the pact with Lacrimosa, I was somewhat foolish to think that everything will be the same, I should have expected that none will remain deescalated. And now, here I am, together with the so-called Prima Donna, in the rooftop of a vast building both having someone powerful at our side, claiming themselves as deities, wielders of immense authority that could outmaneuver natural laws at will. Huh? Why the flashbacks now? Is this what they call "memory-flashes-before-you-make-your -final-exit-in-life"? Hopefully, it''s not. (...) "Too bad though, that this meeting would be our first and last." The phantom deity said while taking off his right hand''s glove, signaling that a major conflict is in its brink. In my mind, Carl Orff''s Carmina Burana is playing in the highest volume, a classical composition that would best describe the predicament that I am in. "Teheee. I can see you never changed there Deus Ex. So quick to judge and hasty in making decisions. Moreover, it''s also understandable. You are nothing but an empty cog machine, unable to think independently", Lacrimosa answered, without a taint of fear nor a minuscule feeling of being intimidated by the threat of the opposing deity. The line, however, made me realize that this encounter is not to be taken lightly. However, Lacrimosa''s there, with complete confidence in her face. I wonder where this would lead me? And still, in the myriad of questions in the queue, one thing is certain though, that this is troublesome. How I wish to turn back time and just go to an electronics store to buy second-hand technological essences from the pocket money from my conservative grandma. Unfortunately, that is not happening. In both my physical and mental weariness, what I find interesting to think about is accordance with Celes, who is designated to be a ''Herrscher'' of the proclaimed Phantom. Unfortunately, what that means is something I know nothing of. I wonder how Celes is reacting? Is she somewhat as confused as I am? Does she also find this a little bit too superficial? The moment I took a glimpse of her, those opinions were wiped away in an instant. The Prima Donna, standing valiantly in the side of the phantom of the opera while holding a majestic sword is not reacting the way how I envisioned. While we are a little distant, it is apparent that Celes already knew of everything. And her eyes are not of a confused nor a fragile-hearted girl''s, but of a gallant knight''s in an all-out war and there is a still endeavor for something that I can''t explain. "Young man, while it may be unfortunate that you''re mixed up too well, none of this is your fault. It''s Lacrimosa''s, for choosing the most inconsequential of choices", Deus, having ignored the confident words of the lady of disambiguation turned to talk to me instead. "My, my! What choice could he be pertaining to I wonder?" Lacrimosa responded in retaliation, but still with the confident stature. "Ridiculous. You decided to team up with those corrupted deities right? So you could continue making men your official plaything in your boredom. You have gone too far back!" Deus replied with a very angry demeanor and his composure shifted to that of a rational being to an unreasonable entity. Plaything? Wait, can you even call a deity corrupt? Aren''t they pure? Thoughts came flying to my mind but were interrupted by an additional, coming from the phantom deity himself. "Listen to me, young man. Agreeing to form an allegiance with this goddess was but the worst sin you ever committed, and I am rather sorry to say that there is currently no means of retribution for that sin. But first, I must justify why you need to be erased from the face of the Earth." "Interesting, now we get to have some serious back story..." Lacrimosa, knowing that there''s no stopping me from clearing my questions from exploding said, that implied that I can ask the phantom deity himself. "Why? What did she do exactly?" I asked. "That goddess. Have you ever wondered how she became one? " I continued lending an ear without doing anything in particular, same as what Celes had been doing this whole time, pretending to be in the sidelines when in fact she was the one who spelled this predicament upon me. "I take that as a no. Then allow me to debunk the clandestine secrets beneath the curtains. Have you ever heard of ''The Great Depression''? That was one of the Obra Maestra of the lady." "And? What happened?" "That point in history, everything was so limited that even the elites had a hard time finding bread to eat. Apparently, in its plague, half of the empires of the world had been wiped out and a third of the entire population dropped dead whilst in poverty. As that happened, mourning was everywhere, requiems were sung at every corner and sadness plunged the whole world to the outer darkness where everyone drowned in utter despair. " "Then?" I asked seeking more particulars. "Ahem. Pardon that I may have explained it a little inadequate. For extrapolation, I must ask you this, do you know from which Lacrimosa draws her power from?" I looked at Lacrimosa, and her expression spelled that I must insist on going on with the flashbacks. 23 Eve " I wonder what Adam and Eve, think of it by this time?" -Mariane Moore ? "Well, she''s called the Goddess of disambiguation, so maybe from sadness perhaps?" I answered nonchalantly. "Yes. And from that point in time alone, having the great depression envelop the whole world made her seem to be equal to that of the heavenly magistrates or perhaps even to the extent of the two Primordial deities themselves. With an infinite source of power to draw, which were from her influence over the populations'' sorrows, when in fact she was just a low-tier spirit moments ago. She was then interrogated by the heavenly guards, and our magistrates had no other choice but to give her a title of a ''Goddess'' as she already surpassed the limits and so that, everyone in the Divine realm can keep an eye of her. But, she was rarely showing. She is even irresponsible and would skip discussions of importance. She is so lenient and was so unfit of the title of a goddess. And now here she is! Finally showing herself as a major delegate of a very important game. The warfare between fates." Oh, so that''s how it was. I also found it a little unconvincing as to how someone like her is a natural-born goddess. But she must have lived a life of an outcast like me. Or even worse... For the second time, I looked at her, but still, she wore the confident stature that seemed undaunted of having her foreground told. But... There is no faking it Lacrimosa. I have the natural talent of telling how someone feels deep inside. You may be an unreadable goddess at some times, but I know...you are dully bothered. "Then?" "Huh? What do you mean by ''then''? Young man? The one whom you agreed to form the contract is but an outcast and the puppet of the devil!" "Devil? You say?" I was somewhat insulted as to how she portrayed Lacrimosa. Calling someone a puppet of the devil just because they killed, probably without knowing anything on the proper scenes. I know that this Goddess here did that due to a reason, and there is nothing wrong with that. Well, it''s not like I know anything of the sorts, but I know that Lacrimosa is someone who would not resort to a mass killing via unreasonable rampages. If that''s the case, she would have had been the one to kill my brother, instead of waiting for the perfect timing for me to do it. "I must be honest here. Herrschers? What is that supposed to be? Game? Setting it simple, I have no idea as to what drivel you have been talking about, but let me say this instead...a story is nothing but fiction if it can''t let the audience understand the side of the villain" I added. "VIllain? My, my! That''s a rather interesting view." Lacrimosa butted in the conversation while gushing forth this rather malevolent chuckles. "Wait, what? Did you not read the terms and conditions upon signing the contract? How could you not know of the fundamentals?" "Fortunately, no. Why would I? I was born to lead, not to read, and how am I supposed to do just that, given the detrimental situation I was in?" "Ahhh. This is certainly not good. The goddess already had drowned him, he''s been tainted by the adversary. There is no saving him now. Celes, can you do the pleasure please?" Deus Ex ecstatically exclaimed. "Yes, your excellency" Celes finally talked, answering the call of the phantom deity. Celes then stepped out ready to engage in battle, once again pointing her sword in our direction. "Lacrimosa. Care to explain to me the quota?" "Way to speak for someone who called me a villain." "If you have problems with that then-" "I don''t have any objections to that, besides, I like it. The title of a villain more than that of my current title of ''goddess''.". "Hmm. Just don''t forget that you have so many things to explain to me later." While we were still right in the middle of a discussion, we were interrupted by these words that seemed to be an enchanting spell... "Thou art by the Primordial paradox, I command thee, to strengthen thou blade. Enhance, Velderick''s Trancy!" Celes, as she was about to dash forth towards us made her silver sword turn mauve in color and from it, I can feel an ominous power. "Jaiden, it was nice knowing you. " With all might, she dashed towards us and was ready to slash me into smithereens. But before the sword could even reach a meter away, Lacrimosa stepped in and opened a dark portal in front of me... "As my Herrscher. The monochrome in my canvas, my representative in this rather tiresome game. Jaiden Cendrillon, I hereby command you to bare a ratio of my power." The goddess ordered. Come to think of it, it''s the first time I received a command from her. "Yes. Your highness." I answered. "You really are interesting." She then dragged me to the black obsidian gate where she first made her reappearance from, and then, she followed. At the slowly closing portal, I can see Celes trying to follow us, but failed as the portal closed in haste. Inside, I can''t see anything. It was too dark. But, around my neck, I can sense the Goddess''s embrace. One that is impossible to tell if it is obligatory or just another act to enhance here ''feminine'' countenance. "Hmmm. Can you stop saving me already? It''s a little contradictory to my gender equality policies. And please stop your hugging. It''s not cute ." "Not cute you say? Very well said for someone whose flustered. Well in terms of saving you, a Damsel in distress is always ought to be saved by someone more superior." "Yeah right, and is this someone ''superior'' you? *Sigh*...Whatever. First thing''s first, why did you bring me here? Where is this anyway?" "Just nothing. It''s a realm that I created. I call it ''Eve''. It''s where time moves slowly, a second in here is three minutes and a half back at your world. " "So basically, this is a realm that bends the concept of time. How cliche. Moreover, If I must say, this looks like a bedroom of a shut-in NEET. It''s pretty dark" In all honesty, all I can see is Lacrimosa from the light that her body seemed to emanate. So Gods are glow in the dark perhaps? "My my. Calm down." She then raised her right hand and caused a large echoing flicker. As the echo began to silence, a calm and soothing claret light then radiated from above which severed the thick darkness that engulfed the vast emptiness prior. I looked and there, were giant crimson crystal clear chandeliers unfathomable in numbers, which seemed left hanging on nothing but a cloud of light. The floor was very ambient and beautiful. The tile-design took the perfect pattern of a chessboard as far as the eye could see. In the distance was a staircase laid with fine maroon linen leading to a noble throne with a medieval theme and at the back was a gargantuan painting that depicts Eve in the garden of Eden eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge with a fiery red basilisk serving as her crown. And in the throne, Lacrimosa began perching, with both of her arms laid on the porcelain-colored manchettes. It''s a pretty minimalist place. But, I was wrong about one thing though... Calling it cliche. 24 Dark by Default 1 : Unraveled Questions "Only in the darkness, can you see the stars." -Martin Luther ? "Now. Back to the main plot. I am exploited to explain to you the quota right?" The goddess, while sitting comfortably with legs crossed suggested. "''Exploited'' is such a strong term, but I must insist to ask you any queries." "Well, I''m prepared." "A Herrscher. If my assumptions are correct. Is it someone who signed a contract with a deity?" "Obviously, Yes. Additionally, though, there''s more than just Herrschers and contracts. It''s also what we emblazon the human that we personally chose to represent us and our will in this warfare." "And there are many out there who bare that title?" "Yes, the majority is enrolled in this facility right now, while the rest, is also on this island." "Hmmm. It almost sounds premeditated. And another question..." "Just please hurry up. I already spent like a percent of my power here, and we can''t let our visitors ait outside much longer than anticipated." "Wait, just a percentage?" "What would you expect? Truth is I was bothered by the way how Deus Ex portrayed me like I''m some sort of weakling. Great depression? Hmm. it may not be a good time to tell you this, but that was only like a quarter of my power." Oh, so she was not bothered by having her story told. She was bothered by how it was portrayed that most of her power came from that event that killed countless flesh, when in fact it''s not. "So you are powerful," I said. "Yes of course. As you have speculated it, I draw my power from people''s sadness. The more the sadness, the more the power. But I''m also not limited to that of course. I could also convert depression to become a weaponry arsenal." Oh, I see, I kinda see now why she chose me. Someone who died along with some of his major emotions. There is no one sadder than that. "Glad I can be of merit." "You have a sharp mind there, but what is this ''other'' question? You have some guts driving me to waste my time explaining details when it''s your fault for skipping over the terms and conditions. " "Whether I''m here or not, I''m always kind of convinced that you would still waste your time regardless. So, what is this game that you''re talking about? I recalled Deus called it the ''Warfare of Fates''." "What a nice question. Now, It''s rather a pain to explain every single thing, but I''ll extrapolate however the brief version of the terms and conditions. As you signed your contract, I granted your request to nullifying your emotions. In that, you officially became my Herrscher. Someone who bears my will as a deity. And these herrschers who have formed contracts with their respective goddess have also become a part, a player of a very important game." "I see. So, what''s in the game?" "Oh, It''s more like a gamble. But, here, you won''t be using money or tokens as collateral, it''s your fate that is in stake, along with the fate of the entire humankind." "Eh...What do you mean by fate?" "Exactly as it is. " "So you mean..." "Yes. Now allow me to explain to you a bit further. The gamble is named "Warfare of Fates" and it has been ongoing for a millionth plus eons already, starting when your very first ancestors transgressed the commandment of the Highest. This year, however, is deemed to be a little different. The Magistrates took a different course to advance the unmoved progress of the game."The goddess explained. Is it just me? Or somewhat I feel that this "different course" a very troublesome one. "So what is the purpose of the game you ask? Simple and obvious. To decide if whether humanity deserves mercy from the omnipotent or to just let all of you receive your final judgment or something. In other words, the Divine realm has been in the endeavor to decide whether to destroy or save you and in the same game, a deity must choose whom to side with. Damnation and Chaos or Salvation and Mirage... In your beautiful classmate''s case, both she and that Phantomized Security Guard sided with the faction who is in favor of humanity''s obliteration from the face of the earth. " "So that''s how it is. And... How is the victor decided? And what will the winner get besides playing a cameo in deciding humanity''s ultimatum? Don''t tell me that we''re gonna be exploited in the whole game without a due reward? " "The answer is quite simple actually and you''re right, there''s more than one reward. The last participant to be left will be deemed the official winner and, as a reward, he can make ANY wish under the highest authority there is." "What kind of wish?" "Not much, but it could be anything. Whether it be Immortality, a right to bear the title of a deity, infinite power, and heck, it could even be a Harem situation!" "Hmmm. The last one was quite dubious. Well, I don''t have any other choice, don''t I? So, here''s one last question to seal off the deal...Well, it''s not a question really but more like clarification as you did not give me any specifics. What did you choose? " "Choose what?" "I mean, in what team have you sided? I believe you would also side with those in favor of damnation right?" "Oh no. I did not choose anything" "Say what?" "If I were to name myself, I''m just a spectator maybe?" "Why?" "It''s troublesome actually. Fighting that bunch of eccentrics. And also, it''s not injected in the rules that we are required to choose in haste. The others, however, except me and three other unknown deities, became so enthusiastic about the idea of going against each other to see who''s argument is fit decided to take part in the battle the moment the agenda was presented. You see Deus outside? That in consequent deity have been in the war for almost as long as I can remember, serving as the deity of the Reingnsworths for almost a generations now." "What? And is it true or is it just me, that you already served as a deity for someone before? If he has been serving for that long of a time, then I think that you could have also served another family before me?" "Nope. That is impossible, I was just a spirit when this conflict started, although it was unofficial by then. As you are already informed I was late in joining the ranks of the deities, hereby making me partly a novice in this warfare. That goes on without saying that you are my first Herrscher. The first-ever. Got that?" "I- I still don''t get it." 25 Dark by Default 2 : Power Investmen "Darkness is the only place where peace and chaos meet." -Akshay Vasu ? "So basically, you were just a spirit, who became a deity after drawing power from some world crisis. promoted to the title of ''Goddess'' and was then forced to play in this game, except you''re too lazy to participate? And came with the excuse that the rules do not prohibit you?" "Yes. Moreover!" "Moreover?" "The Magistrates do not tolerate that I still have not chosen a Herrscher. So here you are..." "Hmmm." "Well, as you go along with the flow of this game, you are ought to find the answers that still boggle you. I''m not obligating you though to become a spectator forever. That would be not good. If you die, without even choosing your faction, your existence would be erased like a little puff of smoke. " "Why?" "The warfare is predestined to only have two opposing teams. And to have us in the middle, makes us the third, except there''s no mutual goal here. Simply put, we are considered an enemy of the two main factions, a major threat to their plans of the future may it be dark or luminous." I''m surprised how deep this trouble really is. Well, that kind of explains why Celes and that proclaimed-phantom thought of us as an enemy. "That''s why I encourage you to choose sides wisely. Whatever you choose, I''ll be satisfied. But before that, a Herrscher can''t show in the battlefield looking like a complete spineless and weaponless bastard can''t he?", The goddess added. "So you''re suggesting? You''re giving me a powerful sword like the Herrscher outside?" "HAHAHAHAHA! That''s what she chose for herself. In our case, I''ll let you decide by which power you want to have. Consider it granted. But first, there are certain rules in choosing one. Must not be too weak or overpowered." "Nah, as suspected" "But, you can also trick me of course. There are no such rules that say you can''t." "What?" "To put it more simple, you can convince me that the power you choose is somewhat neutral, when in fact it''s overpowered" "It''s not like I did not understand what you implicitly tried to conveyed, but I am just surprised as to how a cheat a goddess could become.." "My my! It''s my deepest pleasure to play this game a bit easy. I don''t always like going against strategy. I prefer you to go to a rampage and bring an easy win!" "That''s passivity in its best." "Now, to the main course. What power will you choose?" Well, I''m not the same with this easy-life goddess. I tend to immerse myself in some challenges. So now, I must focus, focus. I drowned myself in a deep concentration and then realized that there was only one power I could have. To control anything black. I want to control this darkness in me. I want to suppress it to someplace else. That''s neutral, right? "I want to have control over things that are dark... BY DEFAULT" "Oh, now that''s a neutral one! The hell are you planning? To make your pen''s ink as your power? You''re no fun." "I don''t have the same mentality as you do." "Well, it''s not like I can do anything. As your deity, I hereby bestow upon you the rather insignificant authority you seek. You better not waste it, this makes it my first and likely my last biggest authority investment to a human." The goddess having said that took hold of my hand where our symbol of the contract is situated. It then radiated the same dark kind of luminescent light and a dark magical circle engulfed my whole body, starting from head to toe. Almost sounds like I''m about to transform to an unearthly sailor moon at this point. I then felt shivers coming down my spine, power surging and a dark charisma coming out from my outline. "Finished", Lacrimosa said. At the moment, the only black materials I had with me was my uniform, and the ink inside the pen that I had in one of my pockets. Since the ink is liquid, I think it''s a better medium to check out this power. I took the pen up and to my surprise, I can sense that I can control the black parts at my own will that if I were to describe the feeling, it was like "I can blink whenever I feel like it" but in this case, however, it was "I can control it the way I want to control it." I then tested it out. I focused as it seemed to be the primary requirement to be able to utilize the power efficiently, but I was also wrong. The ink followed my instructions without a doubt. I just simply imagined for it to become a hundred sword mid-air and it became just like that. I imagined it to become a death scythe and it became just how I imagined it. Fundamentally, I presume that my mind designed it in a way that the limitation is my imagination. Isn''t that already overpowered? But the goddess thinks so otherwise. "Now then. Enough chitchats... It would be rude the leave them just like that." Lacrimosa then got up from her medieval-themed throne ith a satisfied smile and reopened the portal, which seems to lead us to where we left the events hanging. I then made my step towards that opening, but...the feeling of guilt is at it''s strongest. I somewhat tricked a goddess. True, a power as cringe like that is so weak. But the moment I said "BY DEFAULT" It''s when I knew for myself, that I asked for something more than sufficient to give me an easy life in this game. It was a lie, that I want to immerse myself in some challenges. It was just a self-thought I contrived to make it more seem neutrally valid. "Lacrimosa. One last question. This island, I know something''s off with it. What is in here?" "Oh, nothing. It''s just the re-emergence of that submerged garden." "Say what?" "Remember that cloud 9 where your ancestors stayed? This is it! Just renovated to fit the modern-day and to make it seem normal for those outsides. Just that! " "I am convinced that. there''s more than what I am told" "What is it with your eyes? There''s no hiding anything from that. " "Oh, nothing special. I was just thought of the psychological stratagems there is, so if I am to found a personalized corporation. I know who can be trusted or not and which of this is a lie or the truth" "My my! What a prodigy indeed. Remember how I said, that the magistrates made this year''s game a little different? Turns out they are all fed up with this unending circus of battles, so in the endeavor to hasten the events towards finally deciding the ultimatum of mankind, they spiced the game a little bit. So as an additive, they decided to unseal the sunken haven to become a waypoint or something. In all honesty, this island is now the official venue for the starting point of the last Warfare of Fates." "The starting point? For a second I assumed that this would be the official battlefield of the game" "Oh no. That would be implausible. You''ll need a lot of space if you are to make deities go against each other. This city if it were to be the battlefield, would be annihilated in a split second." "So, does that mean that the battle will be someplace else even bigger?" "Fortunately yes. I already am acquainted with that place, so if I were to fathom its size, it would be octal the size of this planet. But, the inhabitants there is still...how should I put this..hmm... still ancient? Well, you''ll soon find out anyway. For starters, let us reckon with your classmate and that underpaid museum security guard who calls himself as a ''Phantom''. Phantom his face. Deciding that cool sobriquet all by himself. " Lacrimosa, as though avoiding additional questions, entered the portal leading outside from her self-designed realm with the usual annoying complaints. "Octal the size of earth?" Upon hearing that, I know something is not right. Yet, just as the goddess suggested, I know for sure that every single question will be unveiled as I go on in the game. There''s also no use answering everything directly and hastily. More importantly, now I know of the most integral answers. That I have become a Herrscher of Lacrimosa, a bearer of her will. That I am in a gamble that will later decide humanity''s fate and fortunately, mine. That this International Clark City is something out of the mundane. Lastly, I was wrong with expecting a very normal high school life. Starting point huh? Does this call for another opening ceremony? Please, anything but that. Adam and Eve. Can you see where your foolish decision led humanity? You even got the whole realm of deities mixed up. And even me... What do you think of this now? 26 Viscounts Presence "In this world, wherever there is light - there are also shadows. As long as the concept of winners exists, there must also be losers. The selfish desire of wanting to maintain peace causes wars and hatred is born to protect love." -Overpowered Villain ? Having received quirk from the goddess. Having received answers for the most essential questions. Having myself acquainted with what was happening, I was ready to face reality. Yet, just when I was about to opt-out towards the portal, I just noticed how crazy vast and empty this realm is. You could only see three or four significant features. First is the unfathomable numbers of gargantuan crimson crystal chandeliers hanging approximately a hundred meters up. What made it more unusual is how you can''t tell if it is hanging on to something to defy the natural laws of gravity. Second is the floor tiles in a chess pattern that goes on to no end in all directions. The third is her majestic-looking throne while the finale is a large ambient and framed painting of Eve eating the apple with the basilisk''s presence. Very minimalistic isn''t it? I just find it hard to believe that the "Goddess of Disambiguation" spelled a different vibe in what she called her realm. I envisioned a more putrid preference. Well, maybe it''s high time that I get used to these ludicrous peculiarities. As I got closer to the magical portal leading outside, I then let out of my pen to prepare for countermeasures if, by any means, Celes is already waiting for our return there, equipped for battle. Sounds rather laughable right? That I''m about to defend myself with an ink against a holy weapon. Yet, ''A pen is sharper than any two-edged sword'', so they say. Still, I really can''t find myself feeling fear, that I am involved in some conspiracy whilst mixed up with deities in some sort of a gamble where my life is laid as the collateral. I''m not feeling optimistic even. Anyway, let me show that Goddess that I tricked her into thinking that the power I chose is somewhat too dull. You see, life is not about playing only the good cards in hands, but as well as the bad ones as well. I then entered right into the portal without any form of wavers. I mean, what choice do I have. The next thing I noticed after a blink of an eye, is that I''m back in the same rooftop. Thereby in the fence, Celes was, still with the perilous sword staring from afar, still with the phantom deity at her side. Well, for a change it was pretty calm. I expected that once I got back I''ll be engaging myself to one versus one battle...Yet, something else caught my attention. "Huh? Why is the place ambient with sunset? Isn''t it too early? or maybe, it''s because of that time disorientation power Lacrimosa seemed to install in her realm. She said that a second there is already three minutes and a half here. We just advanced through time like a game hack maybe?" I assumed. "No. That''s not it." "Huh?" Oh, it''s Lacrimosa. "What do you mean that''s not it? Don''t tell me you lied that the flow of time in that room is different from this real-world via a visible scale" "That is without a doubt, true." "Then that explains it right?" "No. To make the time disorientation work, a condition is needed. That no one sees us as we enter the portal. " "So what you''re saying is that it should have not worked?" "Basically yes." "Then what''s the point of proudly saying that cool feature to me? And if that''s the case, why are we seeing the dawn?" I was troubled as to why the sunset showed up a little earlier. Maybe Lacrimosa was just wrong on assuming that it did not work? I then rolled up a little of my sleeve to see my watch just below my wrist band. It''s still at two o''clock. "Wait, something is just not right here." I thought. "Correct. Are you sure though that what your seeing is a sunset ?" Lacrimosa as though she read my mind, suggested. "Huh? What do you mean?" "Look closely. Isn''t it weird for you to have four sunsets?" "Four?" "See for yourself and asses the situation as you always do." Wait. Now that she mentioned it. There are four. One in front of us. One in the west, one on the other side and one in the south. It''s implausible, right? But, the moment I tried my hardest to see what those truly are, I just noticed that they were not multiple suns in its daybreak. They''re four massive magical circles, to say the least. And in each of the circles, there is a humanoid shadow that caused this rather penumbral twilight making it more apparent that it is something not ubiquitous on the history of phenomenons that recently occurred on earth. "So, they already made their move huh?" "Who''s they?" "A bunch of optimistic retards actually... Impatient retards." "Way to call your allies there, or is it that you also see yourself as an optimistic retard?" Deus suddenly spoke. "My my. And on what basis did you judge me that I''m a member of such a faction?" "Simple. The way you do things." "Oh? And if I ask you, how can someone like you know my ways in doing things?" "Pure hunch" "Hmmm. Irrational." "Pardon. I respect you in your lover''s quarrel...but I think, we are in deep trouble sire. " Celes, while still staring at the massive magical circles started intruding, in a way that made the phantom deity somewhat irritated. "Lovers? I''d be dead before something like that would happen." "Assuming if someone like me would choose an underpaid security guard like you. Even if you''d be the last option, I would rather choose the soil to be my lover." Lacrimosa retaliated. "That''s just lonely." I can''t believe that the natural laws of the universe are safeguarded and governed by these types of characters. It''s a little hard to believe that humanity continued to strive with the guidance of such. While the two of them continued in their rather childish conflict, I approached Celes who is somewhat concerned at something. "So you are somewhat chosen too huh?" "Yes... Although it''s not just me. Promising predecessors from my family were the ones who passed the task." "Hmm... How did he and your family meet?" "Long story. But before that, don''t you feel uneasy?" Oh. I lost the ability to feel such. I could have said that to her, but I feel the need to keep it hidden. "Now that you mention it" I replied even though I don''t feel anything of sorts. But somehow, I can quit pick up this rather enormous pressure which was coming left from us, although at a higher altitude. But, I don''t feel uneasy about it either. It''s just weird for something like that to be there. And at that moment, what was even more questionable was as to why the silence is overwhelming. You could only hear Lacrimosa and Deus'' little argument in the background. Out of curiosity, I looked as to where that pressure seemed coming from and to my surprise someone is indeed there, walking higher and higher up with nothing but this glass-like support each time his feet step up. He is somehow a little far, but I can still see his form. His long straight hair was a combination of the colors of snow and blood. His eyes were black in scleras and have bright red irises. He'' frantically tall and he wore this black garment that seemed alike of a marine corps'' dress blues. It features this charcoal-black coat with pairing trousers amalgamated with red trims and golden buttons and chains, while on his head lies also a black visor-like cap with white bill. And on the side of his wrist was a sword with golden encrust, it was almost alike to Napoleon Bonaparte''s Austerlitz except it is somewhat more majestic to behold. He was somewhat like a viscount with an extremely important role in the military world. Like sensing that someone was looking at him, he suddenly looked at my direction with cold eyes and just like that returned to focus on what lies in front of him as if I was nothing of significance to be held upon. Well, not that I object, but who could that one be? Is he a deity perhaps also participating in this war? Well, judging by his appearance, I assume he could be the game master or like one of the powerful magistrates that Deus talked about earlier. "Hey, Celes. You have an idea who that is?" "Huh" "Over there " "Who? "The moment she looked at the direction where my fingers were pointed, her knees seemed to shook in fear, her eyes began to symbolize utter despair and her hands were she took hold of her holy weapon seemed to waver. She left out of this heavy consecutive sighs that if I were to describe, the breathing of a traumatized girl. I take the things I said prior back. That man, judging from how Celes reacted could not have been the game master or a heavenly magistrate, I now hypothesize that he is even more dangerous than that. "Oh no, this is bad. Deus!" Celes, in haste, exclaimed. "What?" "We got company. 12 o''clock" Company? 12 o''clock? Who still uses that choice of words in this millennia? From their child-like conflict, Deus then hastily returned to his normal noble stature, but this time, it somewhat coalesced with the sense of trembling and fear. Who could that person be? That even by beholding his countenance made these two falls short of their normal actions. It was not just them. Although Lacrimosa was somewhat calmer in the situation, it is also apparent that she sees this to be of peculiarity..which probably is another bad sign. "My... That''s indeed an early entrance." 27 Atlas To a World Unknown "Maybe this world is another planet''s hell." -Aldous Huxley ? As the overwhelming charisma amidst the atmosphere began to grow more potent, people start appearing. Some at a nearby building''s rooftop, some are poking their heads out of their apartment''s window, and below, the roads which were busy with moving high-end cars stops all of its operations as drivers stood up from their seats to behold the extraordinary scene up above. "So they intend to finish us all even before the warfare starts? Celes. Stay with me! Young man! Stay with your goddess and brace for impact!" Deus hastily converged to a defensive stance. "Lacrimosa, what do we do?" "I suggest you enjoy this last scenery of a normal world." Now, what did she say? "So. Uhm...Are we gonna die?" "Fortunately no. That man is someone far worse than a scum if he were to obliterate us before the official commencement of the game. He is planning something else entirely. He''s just got impatient on the leisure turn of events." Lacrimosa said as if she is acquainted with that viscount-like figure. "What is he planning then?" I asked. "I don''t know, maybe teleport this whole island to a new world? Even without the discretion from those Divine echelons." Is she serious? How did she know about this? Is she somewhat connected with that man? "Lacrimosa! So it''s true, that you already teamed up with them!" Deus suddenly talked in anger while embracing fear. "My my, again I ask you. On what basis can you say that?" "How else could you put on that confidence! Why then did you not show up in our gathering? How then did you know that he is planning something else and not destroy us here so he could reclaim his right?" "My my! I highly recommend you think out of your cute box Deus. Did you think that I joined those in opposition just because I did not show in the first-day registry? Well, isn''t it too trivial for me in the first place to attend meetings as instructed by someone inferior?" "What do you mean by that. W-wait are you calling the Magistrates inferior?!?" "Yes. I now can''t even find myself appearing in those meetings instructed by the Highest one and you expect me to submit my time to your little gamble? FYI. I was even forced to choose my Herrscher by an intimidating note. If that did not dame, I could have not brought this boy here to become my pawn, and I should have had attained my life of solace." "So you''re saying?-" "I''m glad you caught up. Correct. I am still to choose which faction I would plead my allegiance to. Although, you could say that I''m also a threat, but not in a way that you''re aiming to eradicate me in our reunion. That''s just a harsh way to treat a young lady." The Goddess proclaimed. "That... makes sense. "The phantom understood. "Just to remind you though, you''re already 997 years old. You call that young?" Deus added. Hmmm. If I were to impersonate him in the four major characteristics of anime girls, he will without a doubt fall under the ''tsundere'' type. "Of course! I''m even seconded by my youthful countenance!... And how I might have known what he''s planning you ask? Simple. Look at that magic circles that my Herrscher mistook to be four suns in its dawn. Surely, the hieroglyphs do not state that it is destructive" she said to somehow clarify a subsisting misunderstanding. What? Hieroglyphs? What is that supposed to be? While I question myself that, Deus then cease from his defensive mannerism and starts to look at the magical circles himself. As well as Celes. "Y-you''re right," The phantom exclaimed. "Sire, It is indeed something else" Celes seconded to the thought. "What? What''s right? What is this ''something else'' supposed to be?" Once again, I found myself drifting in a world of questions. "It''s not a destructive spell. " the Goddess, seeing my perplexed expression extrapolated. "R-right. So, is he planning something else entirely perhaps?" Deus asks. "That''s the best hypothesis for now." I understood too little of their conversation. That is to be expected though. Not that I also want to consume another brain cell for superfluous introspection. Reaching about five-three thousand feet up, the feared figure ceased to go any further and apparently he draws his golden-encrusted sword and from there, raised it on the air. It is shining in its might and is engulfed with this immense power that I could feel even at several feet below, to say the least. And then an echoing yet calm and majestic voice starts to project through the air. "Ego pr?cipio tibi magnus Atlas, mitto haec insula ad novum mundum de untrended", the man in black dress blues enchanted. I assume that this would be another summoning spell or the likes, but I know it''s the most powerful than that of the other two that I already witnessed. I even speculate that it would be far too trivial to actually contrast this one with when Celes summoned her sword nor with the time when Lacrimosa summoned the fire spirit ''Ignitress'', judging from the atmosphere alone. You could hear not a thing. Not the winds, nor the flashing waves of the nearby sea. Not a noise of a busy city with approximately a million inhabitants. It''s as if, nature is even afraid to make a little sound in his presence. All you could hear is the man''s whimsical voice that is very heinous to be defined through simple terms as he uttered those Latin lexica. "So, he is planning to summon Atlas", Lacrimosa inferred as if she understood the chanting spell that echoed through our ears. "I hate to admit it but yes. And I know for quite sure that this is more than of a fireworks display. Celes, brace for impact, you''re gonna see something very ugly. You too young man!", the phantom suggested. "Oh, you probably should not worry about that boy. He is a lot stronger than you expect." "Hmmm." Well, I know why she would not worry if I were to see something horrific. I lost the ability to feel fear several years ago. Starting from that night that changed my life exponentially. It would be sardonic if I were to be afraid now of all times. Then, the next thing we witnessed is the appearance of a very large rift in the sky. The size is approximately on par with the island itself, and in the western and eastern part of the island whirlpools, also suddenly emerged out of nowhere, suggesting that something very big is soon to ascend. The appearing rifts were like wormholes or something and from them, all, gushes forth this ominous aura. The majority of the masses currently seeing the large tear on the sky and several other abnormalities begins to cower in fear of what''s going to happen next. I saw that some were from my class, holding unto their shopping essentials, bags, and whatnots. Seeing them in fear, I presume that not everyone in this city came here to take part in the warfare. I believe that some of them decided to come here, in the hope of living anew. And now here they are, likely to be trapped in a miserable magical carnage that they least expected. In contrast with those in fear, several fathomable others were surprisingly calm. It was as if, they too are already acquainted with supernatural events, just like us. I assume that they are also Herrschers, and in them lies the will of their deities. Well, is it just me or my sense of sight has gone up? It''s almost like I can zoom in on things and still get the highest of resolutions. Back on the display, I once again found myself observing the man walking on air while raising his sword of noble- like origins. The deity, walking on the air, which is the perpetrator of these abnormalities redrew his sword in its golden scabbard, calmly and majestically. It was not that moment after, that the four massive magical circles started interlinking with each other, forming this golden bubble-like structure with the artificial city at the center. It was as if, we were actually trapped like lab rats in the hand of a mad scientist. At the giant tear on the sky, a thunderous roar starts to sound that made the wind and the waters extremely violent, from its once abnormally calm state. with the innocent masses now on the brink of utter fear and confusion. It was not yonder that the sky also begins to darken with massive bolts of lightning appearing to and fro, flashing in the skies... And something unspeakable slowly appeared on the rift. A giant scary- looking gargoyle''s head, crying with blood streaming continuously like waterfalls, with the size is so great that it could without a doubt, eat the island whole in one gulp. The masses, seeing the occurrence begin to panic even more in disparage and even Celes herself, which is far more informed than I, start to take cover. It is the utter image of doomsday, except something has just literally begun. Something that is beyond my imaginative monochrome vision. After the putrid head appeared, something very gargantuan and monstrous also started to ascend from the occurring whirlpools on the sea. It is the gargoyle''s, monstrous spikey hands, and in aggression, it starts to struggle the island that it might break to pieces. But, fortunately, that bubble-like barrier from the four massive magical circles kept us intact together inside. Still, the ground shook with a very potent earthquake deeming some infrastructures defenseless, except, the havoc''s not natural. Some buildings went blazing in flames and if it is not of the island''s interior and exterior design being surprisingly standard, no one can survive this. 28 Mirror "Sometimes, you can''t see yourself clearly, until you see yourself through the eyes of others." -Degeneres ? Fear, carnage, confusion, and death began to mingle in the atmosphere while the casualties are at its bare minimum. Yet, it goes on without overtly saying that several lives were lost in one wake alone of that man and his grotesque summon. And then, like a toy in an ugly giant''s hand, the whole city is carried away towards the rift where its head first appeared. As my vision shifted to that from day to a deep noir because of the transition of us being carried into the callous-looking place, I unprecedentedly sensed power surging in my veins. Well, maybe this is from the quirk of Lacrimosa. Drawing sadness and despair to become her own power and this place, as of today is in no exception. It became a source from which she could draw her power from. I then looked at the goddess, curious as to how she is dealing with the sudden surge of power. "Probably with the same villainous facade," I thought... but the moment my eyes met her direction, I am proven wrong almost suddenly. I saw her brimming in anger while the viscount-like perpetrator slowly descends to the ground then suddenly disappearing without a trace, almost like vapor. No one was able to stop him. Not one was able to hinder him in his will. Everyone and everything just trembled in his countenance as if it was a natural reaction. Just who was that? Celes and Deus hastily jumped from the rooftop to help those people caught up in the attack, while Lacrimosa is there, with this rather sad demeanor while visible power came emanating from her body. So I was correct in our first meeting...That this lady, claiming herself to be the Goddess of Disambiguation, could also feel sad at times. "Lacrimosa, are-you-?" "Tsk. Curse this game! It forces us to choose what fate we want humanity to have. We settle it by an endless gamble knowing that no matter what fate they will have, it will always be the darkness that they will soon face. it''s just plain juvenile!" She exclaimed provocatively even forgetting that I''m still on the scene. I can somehow relate to her. I was also imagining it earlier, multitasking my neurons thinking about possible answers for the questions while also weighing integral decisions... What if I will choose to save humanity? That will be like nothing more but staving the apocalypse that awaits. What if I favor damnation? I somehow feel that hope is not yet completely quenched. To neglect such a plausible chance of change would be unfortunate for the future generation. I somehow want to continue watching them in their foolishness and ingenuity. In their breakthroughs and their retrogression. It''s fun. And yet, I know for myself, that no matter what I choose, a part of me neglects the philosophy by presenting another valid argument. It''s a contraction between the mind and of the heart. And I don''t even know which of which belongs to the one, or the other. In other words, it is a complete paradox judging from my perspectives. And I also can quite think, that this perspective might also be of the same with Lacrimosa''s. She can gain power with sadness. She needs the power to continue. But she also doesn''t see herself getting accustomed to such. At any means. Lacrimosa choosing to be nothing more but a spectator in this game, not choosing where she would take side, is the best and the most authentic choice, at least for now... The city is at a complete outroar. Cries can be heard everywhere. Loud alarms were sounding at every corner. You could see ambulances passing to and fro without end. You could also see several people helping each other rise up from the ground. While here we both are... in a rooftop of a University surging in immense power while sadness continued to envelop the island... The moment, the whole island got sucked into the vast rift on the sky, complete darkness envelops us whole. Without the sun for the operation of solar-powered technologies, nothing but auxiliary power sources supports the street lights. It is complete chaos. Underneath my toes, I could still feel the trembling of the ground which suggests that the giant gargoyle is still carrying us to a place we know nothing initially of. While Lacrimosa os still brimming with her anger and while she is deep in her thoughts, I decided to come down to the city to see if I could help someone still in trouble. I just figured I could lend Celes a little helping hand...It''s not an act of heroism. It''s just that, seeing Lacrimosa like that makes my conscience bleed a little and seeing her further could have nullified my wish that I might never feel that crappy emotion again. It could have been in vain. I hastily let out of my pen, to control its ink like some hovering object. Then at one of the residential areas, three blocks from the university''s main building I sense someone inside of this house that is about to collapse at any moment. Anyway, someone could be injured inside. It would be bad if I were to take leisure. I opened its gates and forced my way through the main door. Then as I explore its empty and dark hallways and its lightless sala, I heard someone crying. A little girl... I then hurriedly followed the voice and again forced my way open on that one room where that cry seemed coming from and the moment I got accessed to the place, a little girl is there, crying while holding unto her teddy bear. And in front of her, a lady and a man which both symbolized the child, both lying dead. The little girl gave me no attention. She was fixed on hugging her toy while sobbing and saying... "Mama. Papa. Let''s go outside. It''s dark here I''m scared." "Mama. Papa. I- I am scared. Please wake up." I don''t know why, but the moment I saw her. I was reminded of myself. It was the same. It was at this moment that you''d wish they were only sleeping. That you''d wish you had died with them. But, the reality is cruel. One way or another it will give you a massive blow that will make you think, you can''t stand up anymore. Somehow being in this perspective, I can see myself in Lacrimosa''s point of view, when she saved me that night. Slowly and calmly, with a delicate yet pure smile, I started approaching the little girl. I then took hold of her gently, holding her in my arms like she was my own. "Wh-who are you? A- are you, friends, with the monster?", the little girl asked in fear, doubting if I was a stranger with evil intents. Monster? Oh, she might have had seen that ugly-looking giant gargoyle. "No. That monster is a bad guy. I dislike bad guys." I said while kightly patting her on the head to somehow calm her down. "That monster killed my family mister." "Yeah. I know." I replied while the little girl seemed to start calming down feeling a bit reassured of my presence. "Why do you know? Your mama and papa, killed by the monster too?" "My mama and papa huh. True. They were killed too in front of me. Although it''s a different type of monster, Something scarier. " Having said that, a picture of my brother suddenly instilled within my mind. Pictures of him being a big brother and memories of him being a mad animal. "There are lots of monster mister?" "Yes. Lots of them..." "I''m scared" "Oh. No need for that now. Oni-chan is here" "Oni-chan? " "Yes. Are you hungry? Let''s eat outside." "Wait. Oni-chan, mama, and papa they-" The girl once again looked at her parents. Yeah. This is the part where she wishes that I am there to help, assuming that I''m a fairy or something from her bed-time stories... but that''s not the case, and I can''t keep giving her that false hope... "Oh. There''s no need to worry about them. They are now safe." I replied as though with the most cliche response there is. I can''t'' help it. I can''t think of anything else to comfort her grief. I would humbly apologize to this girl''s parents in the next life. "Uh. I understand oni-chan!" the little girl replied with a sad, yet brave demeanor. Something that a child should not be able to make. "Such a brave girl. Good. Good. What do you want to eat? I have lots of money you know?" I said, which is, fortunately, a lie. "Fried chicken and french fries!" "Ok, let''s go..." Having said that, I carried the girl outside the house without looking back. It was as if, all the black she had in her heart was wiped away by an unknown force. I don''t want this girl to be the same as me. I can''t have the memory be injected in her mind forever. It must be erased at all costs. She deserves to be happy. She deserves to live a life of colors. Not like mine, colorless as the moon from that night, emotionless, and a life diagnosed to have "Dementia" by de facto doctors. I continued to walk trending my feet, upon these wide roads, towards a near food chain, while carrying her on my back as she is still frail from all of that crying. The girl as though comforted fell to a deep slumber while being held into my arms, but still with sobbing. Come to think of it. I forgot to ask her her name. Well, maybe later. For now, I should get what I promised to her. Fried chicken and french fries. Such a minimalist. Let''s add something to that, shall we? 29 Genesis "And suddenly, you just know it''s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings, even if you don''t know what lies ahead." -Anonymous ? As I arrived at the fast-food chain, to my surprise, Celes is by the door, looking tired from helping many. "Celes, you hungry? Join us" I asked casually. She nodded in agreement and opened the door for me and the little girl. There is no one in the fast-food chain. No security guard and no worker. they probably must have scrammed. So I guess, it''s all-you-can-eat buffet tonight. But, that goes on without saying... I''ll still leave the money in the cashier. ''Payment is virtue''... my conservative grandmother says. I then placed the little girl in a comfortable seat with what she ordered placed on the table and a little stone-cold ice cream. As for myself, I had a hamburger. "Where did you get that child you lolicon?" Celes engaged, although it was a little too informal, which is rather new to me. "Lolicon? You called me an otaku before and now it has evolved?" "Relax. I''m just kidding. So?" "I somehow found this girl alone. Her parents were in front-..." "So you kidnapped her?" "-..Dead" "Oh... How unfortunate. So you''re planning to keep her under your supervision?" "Yes. Until I find a safer place for her. By the way, where''s Deus?" "In an emergency meeting with several others, discussing countermeasures." "Way to call it countermeasures..." "Childish isn''t it? And... where might Lacrimosa be?" "Wandering, maybe" Come to think of it, I forgot to check on her. But, I guess she''s fine. There''s nothing that that goddess can''t handle, I probably should just let her be for the moment. "I see." And hence, the perfect time to bombard her with questions appeared right before me... "Hey Celes, I have something to ask you " "I am tasked not to disclose any info to a non-ally, but as a returning favor for helping a girl, I''ll answer it, go ahead." "Appreciated... Who was that man?" "If you''re referring to that man who summoned Atlas... He is ''End''." "End?" "Yes. And religious groups know him by a different name. The devil, Satan, Lucifer, Fallen Angel, They are the same entity." "What? Someone as powerful as that... is in this game?" "Unfortunately, yes. It can even make you question the balance and fairness. But, there''s no helping it, he was granted permission to take part." That explains why he was overwhelmingly overpowered. Summoning something like that, even before the game started. Not to mention the pressure I felt from his presence alone. "I''ve been meaning to ask you this...What side are you on? You know... on the salvation or the damnation division." I asked. "Oh. Of course, I''ll be in favor of damnation. There''s no use trying to hold on to a hope that is no more" "Huh? Then why would you act like that End-guy is an enemy?" "Wait... Are you actually thinking that the evils in the world always wanted their playground to end?" "It''s sacrosanct, so of course..." "I can''t blame you for that, but I also thought the same, but let me tell you this now. That concept of ''I''m-evil-I-will-lead-this-world-to-its-bitter-end'' is nothing more but a stupid film-maker''s idea, void of truth and reality." the rather philosophical Celes exclaimed. I sort of caught up as to what she meant by that. Of course. Now that I think of it, what kind of evil would want the world to end when it''s their only source of entertainment. They''ll want it to continue existing in sin. For instance, imagine if the world became devoid of humans? Who would the demons tease? Who would Satan tempt? They''ll be left with nothing but stones. "So basically what you''re saying is it''s the opposite, right?" "Check! To put it simply, those corrupt deities would want it to continue existing. And those deities who wish for the rule of the sins to end purely wishes for humanity to sever from the face of the earth. That''s how simple it is." Celes further explained. "Yeah. I get it." What surprises me though is the thought that corrupt deities really do exist. Moreover, a thought deemed the shock rather redundant... If that''s the case? What would become of this girl''s future? I looked at her sleeping peacefully. No matter who wins on the end, it''s still nothing but the void that awaits the world, Till then, to hope is a very trivial thing. But, despair is also juvenile. For now, observation is still the best answer. (...) Minutes have passed, there was so little to talk about, and Celes was just dozing off. I bet she''s really tired from all of that helping, so I should let this be. "If you have nothing more to ask, I''ll be leaving. Thank you for the food Jaiden. Let''s meet again." Celes, minutes-later from a state of trance said. "R-right.." "Take care of the girl. It''s possible she could serve as our daughter in the future." "Nope. We will make our own." "Rascal." Having said that, the Prima Donna left while wearing this pure smile. Come to think of it, I still have questions for her. How did she become Deus'' Herrscher? Where is this ugly giant Atlas leading us to? Well, somehow anyway, it''s gonna be unveiled soon enough. Wait... what the hell was I saying back there? Make our own? It''s embarrassing... It was as if we were legit there. While I continued to shake off the cringy thought, what I soon noticed was this cute fingers holding in my uniform. The little girl is awake. "Hello there! Here are one fried chicken, french fries and ice cream as a dessert! Eat lots ok?" "Thank you oni-Chama" Without, further adieu, the girl dove right into the foods presented in front. How should I describe this scene? Refreshing? It was somehow calming, seeing this girl eat just hours later after witnessing the death of her parents. while in my case, I was hospitalized for almost a week. "So, what''s your name?" I asked. "My name?" "Yes. What is it?" "It is Shiro!" "Shiro huh? What a beautiful name..." As we were still knowing each other in the fast-food chain. A giant rift suddenly re-opened on the dark environment, suggesting that this Atlas had now arrived in its destination. Shiro''s eyes began to tear. It was as if, she was expecting another monster to appear in that giant hole. "Don''t worry, I''m here", I reassured her while gently patting her head as a sense of comfort. Then it was not long that the entire island was left out from that dark place... It was becoming more evident that to where we arrived was very unearthly. The giant''s gargoyle hands then placed us on a sea and got back on the rift where he belonged. But this time, the gargoyle''s face was not scary. It was not flowing with blood or horrors. It was, just how Atlas was described in ancient literature as the one tasked to keep the balance of the world from the bottom, although a little smaller. Somehow, I know that this world where he placed us is something different. It''s atmosphere smelled far from usual. "Shiro. Want to see something cool?" I asked the little girl as though I was quite curious as to where we are now. I want to see for myself if my hunch is correct. That this is not the same earth where we once lived our abnormal lives. "Hai! oni-Chama!" she answered. Oni-chama huh... Cute. "Well then, shall we go?" I then grabbed her and again took my pen. I imagined the ink, so it could soar high above the sky. We drifted through the air and saw several things afar that could have only existed in fairy tales. Shiro was quite enjoying it. She was scared at first, but she adapted to it very quickly. She even called me Aladdin oni-Chama for having a flying mat. Little did she know that it was mere ink controlled by my imagination. If Shiro enjoyed it, I somehow had my doubts about this world that we have been transported into. While my vision is a little distorted due to the distance, I can still infer what lies ahead. The city is still at sea where Atlas decided to place us and instead of seeing the tall skyscrapers of Tokyo on the neighboring island, I can see this towering medieval-themed castles and empires of sorts. You could see what mythology called "Dragons" soaring higher up in the sky. It was thinner, bigger and featured a massive set of wings with each one unique from the others. Well then... The hypothesis that Deus contrived seemed to be true, backed up by what I am seeing now as shreds of evidence. I then landed on the same main building''s rooftop, and to my surprise, Lacrimosa is still there, taking her time watching the scenery. "Where have you been all this time?" "Just somewhere actually..." "I wonder what somewhere could that place be. is it perhaps a kidnapping den?" Lacrimosa, seeing Shiro, said. "What? Do places like that exist in this advanced city anyway? I got this girl from her house. Her name is Shiro." I then introduced her to Lacrimosa. Although she was a bit reluctant and shy. "Shiro, that is aunt Lacrimosa" "Aunt? Excuse me, aunt?" "Oh sorry. You''re 997 years old right?" "Well yeah, but does this face spell ''aunt'' for you? Hayst, forget about that. By the way... Jaiden, this world..." "What about it?" "It''s N?thervale. The third realm." "Third realm?" "Yes. There are four realms. The first one belongs to the deities which govern the natural laws. Second is to humans and third belonged to...well a hybrid of creatures actually..." "I kinda see that." "Well, welcome to Naethervale! ", the goddess said, although it was with a bit half-assed expression. "Anyways, I''m recharging back to my realm a little bit. You two go explore! I was somehow expecting that that retarded and fallen deity would transfer us to Tartarus but goodness that was not the case. At any rate, a deity named Hermes will soon explain to you the new mechanics of the game. Just give me the info later. For now, adieu..." "Right" I replied. I was rather refreshed, seeing that Lacrimosa returned to her former self. Well, here I am. In a vast new world, I know nothing off, with a little girl in my care and with a sense of quirk in my hands. Surely I can''t chicken out now. I know it''s a little late to ask this, but what would the game masters do about these normal humans that got mixed up too well without their knowledge? I know how confused they might be. Yet, I also am quite acquainted with man''s insatiable foolishness. They will soon attain answers to their questions. As of now, the most important action is to be cautious while observing the current environment. N?thervale huh. I wonder what lives await for us here? Although I''m sure it will be nothing of many colors, but a monochromatic canvas of either scarlet blood and bluish grue. No... I did not mean that in a dramatic sense... Well, maybe just a little. 30 Welcome to the 3rd Realm! "Whoever fights monsters, should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you." -F. Nietzsche ? That night. The very threshold of my unusual fate, the direction of my life took a 180-degree turn. My family was killed lying cold in a pool of blood. The killer? Was the next family heir...my brother. Death then approached me, step by step, making that man whom I aspired to be in the same tier, his main paragon for wanton chaos. On those moments, of which I thought was the finale, I felt nothing but the coalescence of despair, darkness and putrid emotions in which one reigned undoubtedly supreme, sadness. And it was then that I thought, this melancholy will eventually kill me before the approaching Death will. Yet, time ceased, as if the supernatural intervention was present. Turns out I was correct. A lady then appeared out of nowhere with majesty, surreal beauty and prowess, proclaiming to be the "Goddess of Disambiguation", who draws on the world''s sadness for power. She then offered me a contract that will rid me of my sorrows in exchange for a price that seemed rational- my freedom. At that time, I never really knew what that meant. All I knew was that the offer was just too sweet to be declined and I could not care more for my freedom if it would spell the nullification of my emotions. I was more than willing to accept the contract. I thought it was better this way. If otherwise, I did not accept the offer, I could have become a slave to my emotions for eternity, still depriving me of my freedom anyway. It was better...no... it is best this way. Without falters, I then signed the contract, but with lenience on reading the long lines of terms and conditions which could have explained everything to me. Unfortunate to say, it was my folly to choose this path paved with questions that could have already been unraveled. And there''s nothing I could do, except attaining this little contrite. Right after I wrote my signature on the paper, a clock-like insignia then appeared in my right hand with the hour hand facing 3, which implied that I already nullified three of the twelve major emotions. Sadness. Anger. Fear. Now lies powerless against me. And as for the remaining 9, I''ll have to experience them myself for the very last time before deeming them quirk-less before me. After the contract made its potency visible beyond any reasonable doubt, I mercilessly killed my brother with the same weapon he could have used to kill me... That, is the very perfect retribution for his madness, for his boundless and decadent hunger for materialistic power. It was then that I felt so alone if it were not of the goddess'' presence that comforted me from this feeling of emptiness. As dead bodies surrounded me, cold and in state of rigor, I then asked the Goddess to purify the place, to give it no plausible place on my memory. I wished to obliterate the scenery along with the remembrance of my forgotten emotions. She took heed of my request and summoned the flame spirit "Igniteress" who holds authority over fire. The family mansion was burned down. Without a trace of the decadence that occurred there that night. Not a trail. Not ash. Not even a taint of blood from my brother''s berserk. But the memory still stands too corrected to be moved. I was hospitalized as I fell unto a deep trance after that quick showcasing of events. I was then taken by my grandmother while my family was deemed "Missing" in the background. The moment I woke up, there I was in a hospital''s room, still accompanied by the Goddess who concealed her presence from everyone but me. I was then asked several questions by a medical doctor and several others that I don''t know. I answered them with all honesty, not withholding the truth, yet all they did was diagnose me with "Dementia" and "Antisocial Personality Disorder" and the likes, which they hypothesize was from a blatant trauma as I saw my family being taken far away from me. Little did they know, that I never did have the chance to experience such trauma. I never did even get the chance to say farewell or at least say words of love for the last time. I was then under different psychological appraisals and therapies from fortunate individuals on the field. Costing my grandma a fortune, all of them were unable to do anything. Well, I never did need them in the first place. They were useful on one part though, on identifying that I was naturally gifted, having an IQ beyond the ubiquitous. I continued to live, striving for each day to end with a supernatural element always beside me, and that element, being the Goddess herself. I lived the rest of my childhood in isolation. extending from primary school to my middle school years. I was unable to make friends with anyone. Well, not that I lived "literally" friendless. Some of my classmates back then probably considered me one, but I still can''t find myself valuing them more. My intelligence? Oh, I tried my hardest to not stand out in class. It could be a major pain if they were to know my origin or of my personal information. If I were to academically stand out, teachers will then make me study more, or even send me out to school competitions all for the school name''s fame. Preparing for trivial things like that would be a major waste of time. It was a life of an endless loop of boredom and insignificance. A life tainted not with the color of roses but of monochromatic shades of gray. I expected that my life was to be this way until my last dying moments. Yet, the moment I received admission papers to a new university, it was then that my life began to take its turn towards an even more supernatural domain. Autonomous University (AU). Is what the university was emblazoned. It is situated on an artificial island on the vast pacific made by the Japanese government with the help of other developed and still developing countries hereby calling it " International Clark City". The island''s main university "AU" boasted a new curriculum, unlike K-12. They called it MES or the Merit Educational System. It was to be the world''s first revolutionary educational system that aimed to spell the obliteration of the current system''s excessive flaws. My grandma, without my knowledge, enrolled me there. I am to live independently standing tall in my own feet and effort. Yet, I never could have expected that it was mere fate that bought me there. The reason? It extended to me signing a contract with that goddess. On the first day, I departed early with my school bag and a little head start cash from my grandma while the goddess went on with me, still hiding her presence from everyone. We took the train and arrived at a very early hour. I handed my admission papers and several requirements to the office to make my enrollment official, received little words for inspiration from the lady-in-charge and as well as my classroom assignment. I decided to look for that classroom in advance to reserve a seat that I would feel comfortable with. Room 12-A8 was to be the classroom where a year of high school was to be normally spent. Or so I thought... I opened the room and someone was already there. It was a girl of majestic stature almost in par with the goddess. It was this year''s representative. Celes Stella Reignsworth. A girl of straight academic excellence and is from a family of renown. Unprecedentedly, she also lived her life in isolation, although she did not want it. Unlike me, who took the idea of isolation a privilege. For her, it was unfortunate all because someone named her "Prima Donna", the emblazonment that spelled her being apart from the crowd. 31 Status Quo "Status quo has no meaning, just because we have always been doing something in a specific way, is not a good enough reason to keep doing it that way." -Kent Nagano ? As presaged, the school year started with the opening ceremony that everybody hates and was then followed by a brief getting-to-know-your-classmates activity which was, of course, spearheaded by the class adviser. I was able to introduce myself without anything worthy to be mentioned and yet, everybody got to know me in a very different manner as I was the first to approach the girl undauntedly, while they were trying there very best to avert their gazes from her. I was the first to ever approach her like that and while I saw it, as rather a defenseless and a cold approach, for her, it was an act of courage, such as one that never takes into account social boundaries, but for everyone, it was an act of me challenging her to an academic rivalry or any of the same sorts. Which was not the case. The first day of the class ended. Overall, there were 22 of us in that class and everyone had their backgrounds. The majority formed circles of new friends and several others left the campus for shopping, etc. Yet, at my seat I found myself alone again, but, I could not care less. Same as the Prima Donna herself who was too focused on reading her philosophical book. But what I least expected was for me to get an invitation form her. It was then that the normal high school life I expected became the very pedestal of the opposite. We had a little awkward chitchat towards the university cafeteria to buy some lunch and possibly eat there. Yet, it was ideally crowded, not a place for a de facto loner like myself. She suggested that we eat somewhere more peaceful, away from there and I approved. From there, I presaged that the school rooftop was the perfect spot. Yes...It was to be the perfect spot for us to eat without intervention from hose socialized ones, not until she took a different turn. Little did I knew that there lies a motive in her invitation and her plan was working flawlessly. She knew that I had a connection with a supernatural, which was probably the allegiance of me with that goddess. Of course, I tried to divert her from the truth, yet nothing worked. She was dead set in her decision. Assuming that I was an enemy, she was ready to obliterate me with a powerful-looking sword she summoned out of nowhere using mere french words. But, I called out to Lacrimosa''s name. She severed the swords power and a deity called "Deus Ex Machina" who calls himself the phantom deity that appeared on the side of the Prima Donna. From there she and Lacrimosa who appeared to be an acquaintance of the past had their little brutal reunion. The phantom deity was by far ready to kill me as he said that it was the worst sin to form a contract with the goddess she called as a puppet of the devil. For my sake, Lacrimosa introduced me to her customized minimalist realm and there gave me the answers to the most fundamental questions, that should have been already answered if I have had allotted a little time to scan the contact''s terms and conditions. I am a Herrscher. Someone who bears the will of a deity. I am in a game, a war between fates spearheaded by the deities of old to decide humanity''s extremity as a race. If either they deserve salvation or damnation. I am to be a subject of her decision if whether she wants to save or destroy mankind. That was supposed to be it. But, for additional the deity made me choose my power given that it is not too overpowered or too weak to defend myself while I am on this gamble. I chose to "Control anything dark by default". The goddess granted it as she thought it was not significant. Little did she know that I feigned her. After the passing of powers, I was to follow the goddess outside of her realm. Towards reality. I was ready to defend myself from Celes and the phantom with whatever black I had with me. The jet black ink of my pen of course. Yet, the moment I stepped out of the portal, something more peculiar was spelled into the city affecting even those who are not a participant of the warfare. A powerful viscount figure named "End" summoned a giant and putrid gargoyle emblazoned "Atlas". The giant, in its wake, killed several hundred while he strangled the island with brute force. If it were not of the massive magical circles protecting us, a fraction of the whole population could have been the only ones that are left. Many died, as those gigantic hand took hold of the whole island dragging us towards this dark tear on the sky. which was little known to be some sort of a portal towards a different realm, which we knew nothing of. For hours the island has been in the dark, with gruesome death, cries of pain and agony engulfing us whole. I then found myself helping this little girl whose name is Shiro. Her family was one of those killed in the wake of the gargoyle. I was certainly not an act of kindness nor sympathy. I just saw myself in her as she gazed on the lifeless bodies of her beloved mom and dad. Now as the gargoyle stepped out from the darkness where it dragged us into, here we are. In what Lacrimosa called as "The Third Realm". The far vision of Tokyo is gone and the towering skyscrapers of neighboring cities are nowhere in sight. In contrast, you could see medieval-themed kingdoms, with dragons drifting in the vast skies and other unnamed entities. I already get it. The purpose of this game that we are to participate into. What I don''t get is why they decided to also draw those mere humans in this game. I presumed that they came into this city to start anew in their lives. Now, here they are questioning everything that they are seeing and recovering from their loss. Probably having difficulties in differentiating reality and delusion while also being trapped in a vicious circle of carnage in a world they believed could have only existed in fairy tales. (...) "All right gather round now!" A large and virile-pitched voice then came echoing in the far ends of the island through the Public Address System. I then found myself and the whole population in that dominance listening and taking heed of the voice as it seemed rather important. Maybe it would explain the whole status quo... "I am Hermes. One of the game masters of this warfare... I am summoned to explain to you the basics, the rules, and also to give you a little overview of the game...While there are so many things that are needed to be explained...Ehhh... Let me say this one thing as a major kick start of the most anticipated event of the eon... WELCOME TO THE THIRD REALM!" 32 Truth, Delayed "Delay is preferable to error." -Jefferson Quotes ? Such has been the turn of events. From expecting a high school life of nothing new to now being welcomed by some weird voice in a surreal world, currently participating in a gamble where my life is supposed to be laid as major collateral. Surely, it does not sound quintessential from this point of view, yet moral facts state that I surely can''t blame this on someone else. It was my rashness that led me to this sphere of the mystics. More likely, this thick mud of predicaments is an aftermath of my strong aspiration to go against cliches. Now, because of that, I''m confronted with everything that is a subject for common sense. But that does not mean that I will now accept cliches... never. If only, I read that contract from the start, there should have been no need for me to struggle in getting answers for the most ''should-have-been-obvious-queries''. Unfortunately, that statement is nothing but tagged under the section of ''If only''s'', prior proven to be devoid of action and authentic reasoning. For now though, to collect the most basic Intel should be of utmost priority and listening to this peculiar announcement should give me some integral info and whatnot. I was at the top of the school building that time together with Shiro when the welcoming voice suddenly echoed through the whole city that has been just transported to a new realm. Lacrimosa told us to wait here as this Hermes will soon present himself together with the rules of the game. Yet, after that large "Welcome to N?thetvale" pronouncement was made, silence engulfed the whole island, leaving everyone curious and somehow baffled of the quota. "Most of the Herrschers are here on this island," said Lacrimosa a while back. Yet, for sure, from the looks of the populace alone as seen from higher grounds, the visage spell that not everyone here knows of the situation, and that, not everyone is a delegate of that game. Presumably, they just got mixed up with us in the plan of that End guy to transport the whole island out of the world we knew. Imagine, the fear they are feeling as they are now in a world we know nothing about. Imagine the sadness as they got separated from their loved ones back there. Imagine, the despair, they should be feeling as they lost several special someones in the transmigration process alone. Well, I could only do so much as to imagine as there is certainly no way for me to feel those rundowns now. Shiro, being tired of our sight-seeing, has gone back to sleep again, but in my arms this time. Seeing her assured face while reminiscing the expressions she gave me that same night where she witnessed the death of her parents, gave me an impression that I should not underestimate the naivete yet the courageous capability of men to move on no matter how opaque a future may seem. Men, the only known existence that is advantageously juvenile, if they find themselves in a predicament where hope is no substituent, they will make themselves as the hope, no matter how fragile that little light may be. At any rate, I''m sure that they''ll be able to recover by any means soon. At least, that is what I think. Moreover, thinking about them now would only prove unfruitful at the end. It''s out of anyone''s control anyway. It''s also quite unlikely if someone here would possess the power to teleport someone back home. If that was the case, all of that horrendous display of that viscount figure would have been all for naught. I know and it''s a hundred percent plausible that those with a cameo of transporting us here had already planned ahead to never give space for implications that would ruin their efforts mid-way. Yet, what are they planning to do with these humans? Maybe they''ll be sent back with no recollection? It''s wildly possible. In my current data, it would be impossible to derive the most viable conclusion. The furthest I can do in this situation is hypothesizing hunches. First, I need inferential. What happened with that unseen announcer anyway? Technical problems? The whole city os silent. You could only hear the gracious sways of the wind as we anticipate the next scene. And then not yonder, at the highest building of the island situated at its epicenter, at the peak of the known City Hall. Someone with charisma, the same as that of a deity appeared. I believe that this could be the one Lacrimosa talked about. The persona tasked to explain everything from the get-go. "Any idea who that is? " A familiar voice sounded at my side. It was Celes suddenly positioned in my side. "Who knows..." I replied, which was kind of a lie. "Yeah?" "Yes. By the way, where is Deus?" "Same as what your goddess is doing. Resting in his realm." "Hmm. How predictable" There were several minutes of silence between us and in that time frame, I tried to distract myself from her, shifting my attention to the little girl sleeping soundly in my arms with her head in my shoulder. "Why are we always confronted by awkward meet-ups anyway?", was my main thought at that situation. But it was to be expected though, given that we bought lived most of our lives in the depravity of socialization. "Hey, Jaiden." "Yes?" "What do you think will happen to those that were just unfortunately dragged alongside us?" I then looked at her and it was apparent in her face that she is concerned for their sake. "Honestly, I don''t know myself. I tried to think of it earlier, but I came up with nothing but irrational maybes. For now, it''s best for us to listen to that announcer." "Yeah. You''re right. It would be without merit to worry about them now. " Celes replied, which was an interesting point of view. Merit eh? Well, setting that aside, the announcer is really taking his time preparing. It''s hard to wait in this kind of situation, especially for them. While each of us bares different motives to listen to this announcement, may it be to know the rules that govern, to know what will happen to these bunch who got dragged here, or to know what and where we were transported into, I can highly relate to them... To have answers for the questions that boggles us to no end is the very highest fulfillment as of now, and while the truth is a little delayed, there is very limited choice, and to wait is probably the best. 33 The Magistrates Messenger "If thou but settest foot on this path, thou shalt see it everywhere." -Hermes ? Do pardon me for the excessive vents of opinions just now. "Mic test. Mic test. Eheem Eheem" The city''s public address system suddenly sounded once again, and in it is a whimsical melody that sounded alike to that voice that ecstatically welcomed us earlier. What''s more trivial is that he intend to make use of the multimedia resources of the main city hall? He could have just made use of his supernatural abilities or whatnot. It''s too unconventional at this point. Hayst. There are no judging preferences now. The same could also be said with Lacrimosa in designing her realm, and that Phantom Deity who knows that we are already in an era where soap operas are almost non-existent, but still chose to dress up like the main actors. "Good afternoon everyone! I am a messenger sent by the Magistrates for a very special task!" He added with this voice of natural anticipation. What''s good about this anyway? You have us right here waiting for answers. As I was thinking like that, it is apparent that I am not the only one generating the idea, as the crowd also got a little vicious ranting all of their anger and confusion of a sudden. "I lost my child and you''re gonna greet me good morning?" "You freak!" "Where''s the mayor?" "Bring back what we lost now!" "He''s one of them! He''s gonna kill us all!!" You could hear screams like that from afar. the whole population is in an uproar such that has never been seen before and you could see on their faces how baffling their scenario had become. It''s apparent that they were cowering in fear and is in an insatiable situation to know how and why this happened to them. Well, I can sort of understand them, as I also had to go through the same. Now, how will that self-proclaiming messenger get over this? "I know. And I humbly apologize for the loss you all were hell-bent to go through. Truly, I humbly apologize", the deity proclaimed with his head bowing downwards shifting his expression from being ecstatic, to now, gloomy. "Sorry? Just like that? There''s no way we can accept that!" "Yeahhh!!" "SORRY? SCREW YOU!" "Bring back my mom!" "Pay for the damage off of my property!" "BRING THEM BACK! BRING THEM BACK! BRING THEM BACK!" As though the deity apologized with a purity of heart, the populace reacted the other way around, with violence and in a rebellious manner as if the entire place was in martial law in the pursuit to evict its echelon. They kept on shouting their hearts out as if the person standing higher front was to be blamed for the situation. Wait, is he? In my mind, the official main theme of the anime "Compulsive gambler" was playing in the highest bass and tenacity there is as it''s melodies matched perfectly the scenario at hand. The insatiable hunger to know. The feeling of loss is far too great to be overwhelmed by a humble apology. And the compulsive atmosphere of intensity as the uproar goes wilder as time passes. The scenery was beginning to be tainted by the color of the dawning sun. Well, we were quite here for a while now. And then not yonder, as the extravagance continued, I sensed this faint dark charisma coming out of the announcer himself. I can sense he is irritated. Then suddenly, without even a clue of what he is about to display, the deity lifts his left arm pointing his fingers to visible massive mountainous terrain miles from the island. From a state of utter chaos, everyone felt compelled to look into the direction where his hand is pointing...I held to sleeping Shiro more tightly as I know that something is about to occur again. And Celes who was at my right side is calm and undaunted. "You sure are calm." "Oh, there''s no point of being afraid of a level like this." "Yeah. You''re probably right. Being scared now that we are here is but an act of a coward who signed up for war but is unable to go to the front lines." "Yes, and besides..." "Eh?" "Imagine this. For instance, you are by far the greatest nation that ever existed. Yet, a rival endeavors to bring you down throwing different accusations to you. What would you do?" "So you mean?" As we were still talking, suddenly you could hear sounds of trumpets blown by someone who got a D in music class. It was loud and it seemed to engulf the entire sky. Rolling from different directions. And I am rather sure of who is causing it as there''s only one candid figure. Everyone, from an ecstatic tantrum of venting their feelings to a deity who is only tasked to explain the rules to us herrschers, turned out speechless with sweats running down their exhausted faces, scared and traumatized if they will perhaps once again endure an even more avid loss. They''re thinking, that if this is to be an attack it would even be more devastating, as the catalyst is standing in the midst of the island at point-blank range from definitely everyone here. But this time, unlike that with the summoning of that Atlas, they are now expecting it, still standing in their feet, paralyzed and stunned. And then, the sounding trumpets ended. The sun was beginning to be ashamed as it sinks to the horizon every millisecond that passes... Lacrimosa is surely taking her time resting there in her grand and relaxing realm while something is still expected to occur here on the outside. "Sever." Through the PA system, that word loudly on the corners of the city. And then occurred the expected... At approximately a hundred miles in distance, at the mountainous terrain where the hand of the announcer is pointed, unknown and peculiar-shaped creatures hastily began flying and creeping away for their safety as they sensed the danger that is fast approaching. Although, that same danger is also a little delayed. 34 Hermess Delayed Display "The world is in a constant conspiracy against the brave. It''s the age-old struggle: the roar of the crowd on the one side, and the voice of your conscience on the other." -General Douglas MacArthur ? "Sever?" "What do you mean by that emcee freak?" "Come on we expected more! Where''s your magic ?" "Who do you think you are? General Douglas McArthur in his quest on the Pacific?" Few began to say things like that, as they snapped from their mental paralysis now going as far as to even humiliate a deity. Little did they know that the delay was purposed. Not even a minute after a few crowds again began a noisy extravaganza, large explosions came setting ablaze the same distant mountains where his finger is pointed. It was so powerful that the impact reached us and even woke Shiro up feeling afraid whilst crying. The seas began to roar vehemently from the explosions'' wake and so as the wind becoming fierce enough to deem the feeble defenseless and vulnerable. "That happens..." Celes suddenly talked in connection to where we last picked up. "A single display of power could take form as a demonstration, a lesson and as well as a warning." She added, while also comforting Shiro in my arms little by doing silly faces (that are not too silly), distracting the child from the brutality of visages while I felt the need to respond if I don''t want her seeing me unable to grasp the situation. But then... "Oni-chama, what happened ?" Shiro asked with eyes which just cleared out of tears. "It was just fireworks. Nothing to worry about" I replied to her, giving her a straight lying face while assuring her that she is safe. "It''s without question. Basically what you''re saying is to instill fear to silence the enemy, right?" Getting back on the topic, I further confirmed her implicit claim. "Yes," she replied. I wonder where she could have to get that knowledge from and what''s even more interesting is how she felt so sure of her inferential judgment. Or, maybe it''s given judging that her family is an industrial icon in the business class. Wait, am I saying that her family resorts to such? Haha. Such a sarcastic and advanced thinking, while here she is comforting a child with what she thought were silly faces. To the main scenario. As we all know, there are many signs as to how you can deem if someone is being scared. Needless to say, it''s : (1)Their heartbeat. (2)Their eyes. (3)Their breathing. (4)Their posture, which by looking at one of those, you can frantically tell if someone is indeed being a scared kitty cat. And from their looks alone, the en masse of people which was trying their hardest to blame the deity moments ago now stands too corrected to even move a muscle, and every bit of their being has become a very live embodiment of fear. Their expression is an exact replay the same when that Atlas gargoyle began picking the whole island up to be transported here. Then the just-humiliated-deity began to take hold of the microphone in front of him, smiling and rather proud of the blazing display he just made. "MacArthur eh? I have you know that his bombs were delayed for a purpose in his venture on the Philippine archipelago. So is mine. There''s no way I''m killing the animals there just for my demonstration. So what I did? I sent out a danger prompt to their beastly senses and purposefully delayed the cute fireworks for a while to let them escape the area of impact. Any more questions?" The crowd resorted to silence, with behaviors that are the complete opposite of what they were showcasing earlier. "Now that''s the behavior I''m looking for! What an intelligent race indeed." Wait, if by any means he is generalizing us with that sarcasm, he''s gonna have to pay the price. I hate it when I distance myself from any troubles and yet when the time comes for pointing fingers I am included. It''s just unfair. "Ehem. Now back to the integrals. I am Hermes, one of the appointed Messenger of this gamble, who are endowed of a very important task... and that task is to ONLY explain to the participants about the rule that governs the warfare and as well as the brief overview. But, before that, I can see that I have to explain some things first...Here goes. What I am about to say is addressed to the people who have no idea what, why, and how they got themselves into this mess. Unfortunately, the game took a different turn even before it started dragging you all along here instead of it just being the Herrschers- the legitimate participants of this game. And now, I am readily privileged yet saddened to delineate to you a piece of good news and of the bad news. Let me start with the good news first as it is somewhat of urgency, for you to understand the bad one. Here are the terms from the Magistrates in accordance with you innocent ones unprecedentedly being here..." Having declared so, a luminous magical circle appeared right in front of him and from there, a golden scroll gushed forth. Hermes then opened the seals and was getting ready to read it allowed. I wonder what will happen to them now? Will they be sent back? I mean, it''s a little unfortunate for them. "Here''s the message from the Magistrates... Although unlike the Herrschers who fully bare the will of a deity... Congratulations! You all are now official players of the game!" Say what now? Even Celes is somehow shocked by that pronouncement. "It says here that in this world, same to that of the system that also governs the Herrschers you now can train yourself and practice magic and as well as melee combat to the highest extent possible! Isn''t that great?!" Everyone was confused. They are all talking on their terms. Yet, some, the moment the deity announced that anyone can do magic and combat, surprisingly decided without second thoughts to stay in the game racing their hand signifying their approval. From my perspective, I think it''s safe to call them fiction-loving surrealists. They are those that have nothing to lose and are hungry to experience fantasy themselves. I may be an avid fan of anime and games from different cultures, but there is no way in hell that I would take this kind of sudden opportunity irrationally. But, amidst those that have already decided, the majority still spelled these in their faces... "I just want to go home" "I want my dad back!" "I need my family back" "Maybe this is just an illusion and the moment I wake up everything will turn back to normal!" "That''s it! This is just a dream!" So they hoped and thought. Moreover, this is certainly not a dream nor is it a juvenile illusion...And an old adage it may be, but there is certainly no way to bring back the life of the deceased. I know for sure... "Well, the message does not end there", Hermes said implying that there is more that remains untold, making everyone fully anticipating the next statements of these so-called Magistrates. But, little did they expect that the next lines of words would break their hopes. "This is not a dream nor is it an illusion. You all are now in a gamble and your lives are in constant danger. And as unfortunate as it is, we can''t bring back the dead as per our limits. " Everyone again began to show panic, but Hermes still has a few to deliver and he got me, Celes and likely everyone waiting for the continuation of the message relay. "Oh. But, if you are proven strong and if you manage to stay alive through the end. ANY WISH WILL BE GRANTED WITHOUT FALTERS. May it be riches, fame, power and even the re-emergence of the dead, immortality, are all plausible." Hermes added, incentivizing those that are indecisive in joining. The statistics now changed dramatically. Who would not take such an offer? As it is written, everyone seeks their own and for their goals, they are willing to do anything no matter how dirty the work might be. That is in the sphere of contemporary common sense. Still, even with minuscule doubts, more likely everyone now wants to join based on how the underlying incentive was given. But, upon that incentive, there is something that this Hermes guy is not telling the people and I think every Herrschers know about this specially Celes who is now clearly looking suspicious of the offer. The scroll stated, "If you are proven strong and if you manage to stay alive through the end, any wish will be granted without falters". That seemed enough to serve as a blatant incentive for merely anyone unprecedentedly trapped in this mystical carnage. Little did everyone know that the higher-ups "BARE THE FINAL INTERPRETATION OF THE TERMS". It''s not like many are allowed to stand in the end. There''s only one who will remain... One who will receive the special wish. Why did Hermes skip over an integral part? I highly doubt it an accidental error. Dear Grandma. What are you doing back there? Here I am now transported to a place neither of us believed to be true. I hope you''re doing well back there. I''ll be fine here... Hopefully. Oh and I''ll be adopting a little sister soon! I''ll process the papers once I get back. Be safe now! And don''t get caught up in being too conservative. It''s a pain. __________________________________________________________: REMINDER: (Pardon for this being here) This work had been pirated by several websites lately. And I purposefully added this here to express my DEEP DISGUST to those who repost my work also copying my pen name. This novel is published in Webnovel and in Webnovel ALONE. If by any means you have been reading this in Wuxiaworld.co, Novelhall, WebnovelOnline, wuxia-world.online, KissNovel, ReadLightNovel, Novels247, and any site other than Webnovel, you have been reading a PIRATED work, which is currently under DMCA takedown for infringement violation. SAY NO TO PIRACY! READ This in Webnovel ONLY. Here is the legitimate link MOBILE\u003e\u003e https://m.webnovel.com/book/15327908505907905 PC\u003e\u003e https://www.webnovel.com/book/15327908505907905/Ethereal-Paradigm 35 Ephemerality "With time involved, everything is temporary." D David Benedict Zumbo ? The bleak night as the sun began to dawn slowly descends upon us and it was just a blink of an eye when everyone''s decision metamorphosed from being a vicious rebel to now still a bit defiant but with exceptional compliance. For them, the reward that awaits is vividly much more than the risk that they are to face. Well as unfortunate as it is .and as I had explicitly stated it before, men are the only known existence that gains from their own juvenile reasoning and actions. Which is of course, just absurd. They''re now drawn into thinking about a future with a minuscule possibility of happening rather than being skeptical of the process within. Hearing the term "Wish will be granted without falters" was like an aphrodisiac for them, but this time, it was not a drug to increase libido, but the augmentation to will ...brazenly and irrationally. Now, speculation says that 1 out of 10 is still half-way of agreeing ...but not for long. Many live and continue to strive by social approval and here is no different. "What''s going to happen to me if I say no? Will everyone think that I''m a coward?" , "They''ll judge me if I race my hand to object now". Thoughts like that are still experienced by the remaining 10 %, and at the end of the day, they will find themselves fallen victim to the social bias of being taken away captive of fear for judgment and being left alone. They will also likely agree with the terms and will find themselves gritting their teeth as they realize slowly afterward how poor their logic had been in making this hasty and unreasonable decision. Moreover, the statistics do not end there, but I highly doubt that this would be the finale. In a population consisting of reward-driven, normies, and skeptics, there is a fourth share that highly stands out from the crowd, the truly defiant. They can decline the offer anytime they want as they go brave against the judgment and as they can live without prior approval from the society, but if some do exist here in this crowd, I know that they are too ingenious to say "No. Just get me back home" right now. They probably know and are intelligible enough to realize that the concept of returning home is a mere pipe dream. Why would these deities themselves even resort to this when it means more work? It''s highly probable that we are purposefully trapped here and the cause could either be one of this two: (1) This is the viscount''s doing (The one who transported us hereby summoning Atlas killing lives in the process ) or, (2) this is perhaps already included in the rule of the game where change is not allowed. "The game must reach its extremity before someone can leave alive", something like that, might already be considered as an active rule. Yet, I hate it if it were to be ''just'' that. Why? because that concept is cliched as hell. What is this? Danganronpa''s last season? At any rate, I know there''s still plenty that needs to be explained to us. Maybe this Hermes holds the key to the answers. I hope for any external factors to sever if it were to again interfere with him in his one job to explain everything. "So everyone is now willing to join?" Hermes said, standing tall as everyone now is subject to give him respect out of their fear of his severing power that obliterated a mountain or two in a split blink of an eye. Everyone is silent and is rather daunted to answer the question...Yet, slowly, one by one they raised their hands in approval until none was left out deciding to opt-out of the game. I was right in all of that balderdash I spouted earlier. "Truly fascinating! Well then, I''ll be passing out a paper that each of you needs to sign." Hermes then again pointed his finger, which was the same medium he used for his primal display moments ago, but this time it was not pointed to a distant island but towards all of us listening in front of him. Everyone cowered in fear and was in deep hysteria as his hands made its position, but they were silent doing there very best to hide the fear when in fact it was laid transparent...Shiro, in my embrace even began to feel panicky seeing the reaction of the crowd. I once again assured her that everything''s fine as I am with her, patting her head gently. "Oh no. You''ll think that I will kill you? Murufufufufufu. I am not allowed to lay my hands on you. Relax. Breath. I''ll just be handing out papers as I have said earlier. This finger-pointing is just a hobby of mine hehehehe. There''s no need for you to fear me blowing this whole unearthed island cause that?!... Is not happening." As he said that, everyone''s face was like "Screw him!", but no one dared to speak their guts out, still because of fear of getting a possible, personalized demonstration from him. "Now then." Hermes then clapped his hands once and the next thing we saw was a golden pen and a paper appearing in front of us drifting mid-air, luminous and was very majestic to behold. There''s one for everyone magically materializing in front of our faces. I assume that this would be the contract for the masses? It''s very different from mine. Unlike this which seemed to be coming from heaven, the contract which I signed from Lacrimosa was like a gloomy paper from the abyss. Yet, why did I receive one though? I already signed mine. Oh, I get it... it was for Shiro. How merciless for them to even assume that a kid this age can make decisions on their own. While some still have their guardians, it''s beyond question that there''s more out there like this girl. "That paper in front of you serves as the contract, a proof of you trusting your fate in this game under our provision. Please do sign now with the pen. " I looked at the clueless Shiro, she somewhat knows that this is way above the mundane, but her innocence conquered her doubts, even more, a good thing perhaps. "You know how to write your name?" I asked Shiro with an assured smile to at least make her feel that everything is fine, when in fact it''s somehow dire. "Yes oni-chama" she replied with the same clueless face as ever. "Want to write it together? We will then be in an adventure! " "Adventure?" "Yes! You''ll see different things along the way and I''m sure you''re gonna like it" "Woah...Will I see a pegasus, oni-chama?" "Oh, yes. And you will not just see it but instead, you''ll probably be able to ride one." "Yaaaayyy!! Let''s write it now oni-chama!!" "Sure!" I already learned my lesson. Likely, it was the greatest regret of my life, not reading the terms and conditions of the contract that I signed hastily and I''m not gonna make the same mistake twice. I''ll read this even if it would take me an hour... The contract reads... ??? I, __________hereby pledge by the authority of the Magistrates, am now a part of the Decree- warfare to decide the final controversy of my own race, deciding our overall fate and the fate which I am to follow in my own will. " ??? That''s it? Where are the terms? Oh right, they''re not Herrschers. Maybe they don''t carry the same burden as us... the main participants of the game. Having read all of that, Shiro and I signed her contract together and at the same time, so did everyone. Then, out of the blue, the contracts began to burn in itself by a graceful cyan-colored flame indicating that the agreement had been sealed by an unalterable divine jurisdiction. "Hey, Celes... Eh? Where is she?" The moment I took my attention off of her, she suddenly vanished. Maybe she''s got some other business to take care of? Wait, business in this situation? That''s implausible. Maybe she just has gone out for some fresh air. "With that, I OFFICIALY WELCOME YOU ALL TO THE WARFARE OF FATES!" Hermes ecstatically shouted through the active multimedia making our ears ring for a while. Trumpets, Drums, and Joyful singing then roared through the thundering skies with unseen musicals and then suddenly, in the bleak of the nightfall, fireworks came booming out of nowhere, with still unseen sources painting the vast firmament with variant colors. Shiro started to enjoy the show herself, but merely almost everyone was still stuck on foreshadowing their future here whilst being concerned with the decisions that they had made rather than enjoying the display. Well, I think that there''s an underlying message in this. Although it''s me just being oversensitive, I know for sure that these cascades of fireworks were not prepared to erase doubts nor was it shown to be a facade worthy of admiration, but...to remind us of our ephemeral lives. One day it''s here brimming with colors and ethereal beauty and yet, in a not too distant future it will wither away like fragile petals and like a little puff of smoke, everything will be taken away without warning. And in this game, it''s more likely that our life expectancy has now been reduced via sliding scales as the ephemerality of our lives has never been seen as concerning as this beforehand. 36 To Question an Authority "Nothing strengthens authority so much, as silence." -Leonardo Da Vinci ? As the fireworks display slowly came to an end, we find ourselves ready to hearken to what this messenger has to say, the third time. "Now that we are back on track, it''s high time for me to explain to you the overview, the rules, and the mechanics" exclaimed Hermes. "You all are official delegates of a game. No...It''s futile to call it a game, it''s a war. A gamble. And your lives are at stake and so is the providence of mankind." "Huh? What does that mean?" "Providence? mankind? Just give us magic already!" Everyone started to murmur out their own opinion to the person beside them. Empathetic. It is confusing for the first time hearing it, and hell I''m still confused about some things but I know for sure that it will slowly be unveiled. "Calm down now, I''m far from finishing. Let me explain to you a bit... This event, as I had declared earlier is named ''The Warfare of Fates'', the very arena where we settle your kind''s extremity. Whether be it a providence of Mirage or Pandemonium. Whether it be a destiny of salvation or of Damnation. Oh and right now I request everyone to listen carefully including the Herrschers. This message is now addressed to everyone."Hermes clarified. "What are these herrschers that he is speaking about?" "I dunno, this is the first time I heard of it." "Me too." Three in front began whispering, little did they know that Hermes can likely listen even at his altitude. We can''t underestimate their abilities, that''s for sure. "Hmmm. Herrschers? Oh, Good question out there mates. Pardon that I forgot to mention them. A Herrscher is someone who plays an integral factor in this game. They are hmmm... the only supposed participants of the game. Yet, sadly you got dragged along by that fallen Deity, a pain in the butt indeed. We could just send you home, but as long as the game runs it is prohibited to leave the arena. That would mean disqualification and the consequence would be-...Oops, I sprained out of the topic too much. It''s not my job." "What consequence?" Someone from the crowd suddenly talked, yet again... "Oh, nothing." "Don''t give us that nothing! We reserve the right to know! You dragged us here and you''re gonna give us lacking information?" "*Sigh*...And here I thought you all are mentally capable-creations. Isn''t it obvious?... It''s Death! You''ll be eaten alive by Hades!" And there''s the punchline which I knew was coming, although I did not expect that Hades part. The moment they heard that they probably thought "What did I get myself into?". I know how that feels, although mine took me several years to finally know and the same as the predicament t that I am in, they surely can''t back out now. "Ahhhh. Please don''t interfere so that we can wrap this up early. Pretty please, just let me do my job already! Let me restart by letting you know the fundamentals of the game as well as the terminologies. It will then be followed by an explanation of the rules. Oh, and I won''t entertain any question anymore okay? Not until I finish my task. I hope it''s clear. Or else..." Hmmm... What a terrorist-style threatening skill, but yeah. We''re waiting, and finally, everything has been set now in order for him to relay the message. "First. Let me get things straight. You are in a game, the winner gets to decide the fate of humanity and a wish for themselves. Originally, the only contestants are those we called "Herrschers", but mere humans got dragged along and now must also play a part in the game. Herrschers are simply those persons that have direct contact to a deity and they will bare their will if whether that deity wants humanity to have damnation or salvation. Of course, it goes on without saying that they are somewhat special as they were chosen by the deities themselves to be their representative on the game. But, also I can say that it''s fair for those not receiving direct instruction from a God or a Goddess since Herrschers are hell-bent to follow the deity no matter how rash and foolish they are. Those that are under no allegiance with a deity, however, can move freely on their own without worrying about external decisions." "Who are these deities you ask? Same as me. We''re the ones that govern the natural laws of the universe. The one that has been keeping you alive to this day. Ones that are now so annoyed of maintaining you, helping you out rising from the ashes. And we are here to finish your unmoved story. But, sad to say, you''re existence cost us our division. Right now, we also are in a war - a PROXY WAR TO BE EXACT, EXPLOITING YOU AND OUR HERRSCHERS AS OUR PAWNS. This is no frantic story like Kiba or Shaman King where the characters get to exploit spirits on the holder''s will to achieve their goals. Here, it''s the complete opposite, We will use you to achieve our goals and motives. " "Yet, what is this will anyway? As I have said. For us in this game, there are only two primal wills. Whether let humanity receive salvation and let them continue in their sinful endeavors hoping that one day perhaps the would embrace TOTAL repentance? Or to let them have damnation giving up all hope for that, which also has a possibility that we can''t just ignore. And so, this gamble and its concept rose from the middle of nowhere with two teams opposing each other and where one individual must remain. That individual would be the befitting one to claim the wish. " Oh, so he''s telling them that now? It''s a little late, isn''t it? To tell them that only one can have the wish and not everyone can survive through the end. "SO YOU''RE SAYING ONLY ONE WILL GET OUT ALIVE?", a man in his late thirties two meters away from me, although with a late realization, shouted in desperation while everyone''s face also turned blue. They''re probably thinking "Why did I not realize that? And now, I signed that contract! If I leave I''m dead and if I fight, the same awaits? What is this?". As I have presaged it earlier. The moment they realize the fallacy in their logic on deciding, this would eventually happen. "Did I not say that to you earlier? Oh, right it seems that... I did not. HAHAHAHAAHAH, forgive me. But, you know, I said, leave the questions later and you dare to be intrusive again? Moreover, that was an integral question so I guess I can let you die a painless death."Hermes replied, with eyes brimming in insanity. I quickly covered Shiro''s eyes as I know that the next image is probably not good. And then the next thing we know was that the old man who intruded and who broke the rule of letting the deity just finish his task... is now lifeless. Giant sharp blades like elongated needles suddenly appeared below him, piercing his entire body, hanging it high above us, while his blood continued to spat on those near to him, causing a very quick cunning death. He is now dead and is beyond question. Everyone, especially the women was thrown in a deep tantrum and was scared at beholding such a facade. It is, a public execution, except, it did not happen on television but right in front of us. As I beheld the grueling scenery, the cruelty and the unequivocal ferocity, diabolical memories of when my family got killed came back making my head hurt so much that I could barely control it. Celes is also nowhere to be found, while the little girl, Shiro, in my arms tightly hugged me as she heard the diabolical screams of those who failed to surmise their horrified emotions. while the majority was held in the horror they are feeling, trying their hardest to not react, in fear that the same will happen to them. 37 Of Rules and Reasons "The rules of morality, are not the conclusion of our reasons," -David Hume ? "I already told you. No talking until I finish my announcement. I offered you respect and I even gave you a threatening warning. Humankind really is foolish. It was a mistake to give you free will...Now, let''s get back, shall we? And just so you know, I will not hesitate to take any of you. THE LESSER THE PLAYERS ARE, THE LIGHTER THE WORK... " The deity returned to his original self just by a deep breath that he quickly took and was rather undaunted of the fact that he just killed someone, even saying beforehand that he is not allowed to lay his hand on us just a minute ago. He left the pierced body on display, probably as a more potent warning if someone were to interrupt him again. He left it hanging sulking in blood as if the corpse was not human nor an animal. Seriously, what is it with these deities? It''s like they are fragments of each peculiarity that are far too incomprehensible for a simple mind to understand. Their personalities are just too much. "Back to the subject, you are wondering why we can''t do the war ourselves. Correction. We can do it if we want to. Yet, we believe in the concept of ''Whoever started it, must also be the one to end it''. Stupid isn''t it? But, your ancestor''s curse had been brought upon you, so you are preordained to move this amaranth loop of war. If we were to decide your fate, it would be unfair for you and would be against the divine judgment and would be void of justice. So, you will take part, receiving our instructions, partly deciding the course yourselves." "For the game''s systems. Most likely anyone would have had an idea of what it would be." the insane-aura-of-a-deity added. "It''s called the ''Ethereal Paradigm''. Unlike earth''s which we called ''Reality''s System'' where magic is none-existent and supernaturals are almost entirely banned and are deemed as fiction, here, it''s a different one. The Ethereal Paradigm lets you use the magic of your own will with its strength depending on your capabilities. It incorporates mythical creatures being slain for your gain. Legendary weapons also exist here to serve as your equipment! Although it''s very unlikely if anyone of you will get one. That goes on without saying that you are allowed to form factions of your own, given that your faction belongs to a bigger one. " "Two main factions exist in this game and it''s the mark of our division as deities. The will of Salvation and the will of damnation. Some of us want humanity to sever, while some want to hold on to a hope that someday they will perhaps repent and turn back to the right path, which is very unlikely but it''s worth a try. So for that reason, two main factions are in this game vying to win, and these are: The ''MIRAGE ARMADA'' -in favor of Salvation, and the ... ''CHAOS ARMADA''-in favor of Damnation. You can form sub-groups under the name of one. And, lastly under these factions, one can''t trust the other if they are in the same group... just yet. Why? Well, obviously there''s only one wish at the end. " "But sir Hermes does it incorporate leveling and cultivation? Yes. Your strength lies upon your ability to strategize and as well as the ability to train and to venture every day. Luck. Vitality. Agility. Speed. Health points. Magic points. They, without a doubt, exist here, but unlike your video games, It does not show up in your vision. It is hidden. Why do you ask? I don''t know, I figured it would be cool to have them, but the magistrates think otherwise. Maybe, it''s what makes the game fascinating? I dunno." "What roles are here in the Ethereal Paradigm? Well, it''s for you to decide. You can be a mage and a fighter at the same time. You can be an assassin while holding the status of a paladin. You can be a warlock inhabiting the status of a berserker. Anything! So what I''m saying is, it does not matter for you to think deeply about this. It''s for you to decide. I recommend you choose the best one for you." "While we are in a game, I would also like to remind you that there''s no respawning here. Once you die. You Die! Without anyone remembering in the real world that you exist of course. Wait, isn''t that for the best? You''ll die without hurting your loved ones! That''s so cool, am I right? You can die worrying about nothing!" Yes, it does sound cool, for the suicidal that is! What the hell is this Messenger even telling us? "As for the living creatures here, you''ll find many, while some of them may look more like a human, take heed that you are different. Oh and I surely can''t forget the mythical creatures of course. Unlike your own and other''s attribute that you are not allowed to see, you can see their status before engaging." "Furthermore, unlike earth which only has 8.7 million species, There are about a total of 16 million species around here. It''s pretty much understandable... N?thervale, a realm which is times eight the size of the earth which makes it a very ideal place for powerful Herrschers and contenders to confront each other. And in that 16 million species, some can fly, some can swim, some can only be on land, while some can do both or all three. But, they are divided into types by their physical and magical elements: Salamander- Fire, Sylaphe- Nature, Oried- Wind, Undine-Water, Siren- Ice, Dryad- Earth, Gnome- Ghost-type which can only be killed through magic...and lastly, as, for those ugly looking monsters, Naethervaleians call them... Dakini - are none -elemental monsters that can fight with exclusively melee yet strong attacks. Cool names right? " "That''s about it for the game''s fundamentals. You will discover more as you venture. Let''s move on to the rules. I''m tired." "First anti-climatic rule. There are no rules. This might seem weird coming from a deity serving the ''all-good'' magistrates, but I''m just doing my work. You can kill someone by strangling them to death. By stabbing someone while they are sleeping.Poisoning. Bludgeoning. Drowning. Slicing. Crushing or burning someone alive. You can do anything! But, it''s very unlikely for anyone of you here to do that in a surreal realm like this. In a world of magic, you can do something more amazing and rise above the norms! " "All that matters in this game is that. ONE SHALL BE LEFT BEHIND.", Hermes extrapolated the fact... "Oh, and I know what you''re thinking. We''re not gonna do anything and we will be safe, right? So the Magistrates decided that if one remains inactive in the game, he or she would be disqualified and disqualification would mean? Right Death! So by hook or by crook, you will kill someone. " "I hope everything is clear. Tomorrow at three AM, you will be forced to leave this island, and until then, I recommend you prepare for your life in the outside world. You see, this island was the very starting point of the game and it will be the ending point. In the meantime, it will be locked down and will be guarded by four seraphim and whoever wishes to enter this halcyon while the game is ongoing on the background, he or she will face execution. " "And I almost forgot... You all must decide what armada you are gonna join. Those who decided to join the Mirage Armada, you will take the northern gate on this island to get out and as for the Chaos Armada, you all have to take the southern gate. I suggest you decide your side wisely! For now, you should get your belongings and probably gather everything that you think would be needed. " "That''s it for the systems and the rule! Oh, and these systems and our one-and-only rule are not final. There will be changes along the way depending on how the game''s progress turns out to be. It''s like you''re in a Beta test of a video game or something, so expect frequent updates. Oh and ...If you have any questions you can call me! I''m only one call away, and I''ll be there to save your day. Just kidding, but I''m serious about calling me though if ever you have an additional question." "For our Herrschers, good luck! And as well as for our delegates, I wish you all the best! May the odds be forever in your favor! Tomorrow, the official anchor-deity of the game will be introduced to you, and some other concepts as well. And upon your first steps outside, an Anima is waiting for you all, still regardless of the Armada that you''re in. It will give you primary tips and instructions on what to do from there. Dismissed!!! Hermes-sensei, signing off." having said that, the deity together with his presence disappeared without a trace. Everyone is speechless. They are still blue in the face and their demeanor spelled the horror and the confusion they''re going through, while a bunch of others is quite stupid enough to get a closer look at the dead body still hanged mid-air. Moreover, in their faces, a universal message is clear...It was as of this moment that everyone knew... They screwed up. Having a kid with me, I quickly aspired to get out of the scene. I can''t waste any more of the time that I have left on this island. Not to mention how Hermes explicitly said that we need to choose between the two factions already. Now, I feel the need to meet Lacrimosa. (...) I wonder what happened to my classmates? Are they still alive right now? Hell, where did Celes ran to anyway? For now, I should get back to the classroom to retrieve some belongings that I left on my desk and I should probably let Shiro eat and get a decent sleep. I''ll meet Lacrimosa after that. "I wish that the moon would be as big as this, every time I take glimpses upon it", I suddenly heard in my head, the voice of that man who submerged to his decadence that I killed, as I walked. It was my brother''s. Why now? I looked up and realized that the moon was very big and it appeared closer than that on Earth. It was ethereal, but I don''t like it. The first time I saw such a gargantuan moon had my family killed in the hands of that conceited primate. It''s the very mark of insanity and derangement. Rules huh? He stated how we can kill anyone by any means we could think of. As for my side, it''s just ludicrous. I wished I could tell this in Hermes'' face... That the rules of morality will never be the conclusion of my reasons... for me, at least. Cringe... 38 Regaining Entry "No one should gain access to the important areas of your life." -Carlos Wallace ? It''s already night when we were dismissed. Not from the first day of class. Not from any formal gatherings. But from when everyone knew for the first time what they ended up with, and how dire their situations really are. That psychopath of a deity gave us instructions to harbor tools that we think are somewhat useful outside. Ergo, what lies beyond the perimeter of this island still remains a mystery. We are yet to set foot in this N?thervale and we are yet to experience the new paradigm that awaits us there. Those Salamanders, Dyrads, Gnomes, Undines'' facades are still soon to be seen and it is not yonder when we will get to experience a new type of system where magic is in subsistence. Why call it magic though? It''s ubiquitous. They should have had called it something else to give an unusual vibe, like ''artes'', ''phantasm'' or something. I checked my watch to see how much time I have left and to prepare for our new pilgrimage, beyond the city gates which will soon be out of access. It''s still 7: 58 PM. I still have eight remaining hours. I''ll have to make the most of it. The city id still brimming in despair. It did not seem the same from when it was on earth. the bustling streets were silent. The cars remained unmoved making the traffic lights useless and the lively atmosphere it once gave is now but a fragment of the past. Truth be told, I expected that the people will act corruptly and violently after those several moments with Hermes. I thought that shoplifting, more havoc, and stealing would become the new deal as scarcity today is at its best. But they reacted differently anyway. For diverse races coming from different cultures, everyone is well-disciplined to boot. I wonder how those ''earthlings'' back home are reacting, seeing how an entire island suddenly disappeared without prior warning. It''s probably in the news by now and as well as on the different social media platforms. They better not think that the Bermuda triangle suddenly suctioned us wholly or a conspiracy alike of those cattle mutilation got us. It just shows in retrospect, the retrogression of men''s supposed-greatness. If I were to read online articles like that the moment I get home, the author might want to start seeking refuge in Area 51. ''If'' I''m able to go home that is. Or maybe, on the other hand, the deities already had the situation covered. I mean, they have the means to outmaneuver natural laws. In a single snap, they can erase or nullify everyone''s memories that an island such as this had existed without difficulties. Yet, I can''t be distracted by such thoughts that are void of merit. It would only spell death on my behalf. For starters, I have to retrieve some belongings in the classroom. Thereafter, I started to walk away from the venue point with a little girl holding my hand. If others are to see this, they might think that I''m a pedophile taking advantage of the situation, but hell do I care about their thoughts now. I don''t incorporate confirmation bias, letting the false judgment of society affect my logic, albeit, that is far from happening. Everybody by now should probably be too disturbed by the fact that they are here rather than to think of something else, sulking on their room alone, wishing that this is all a nightmare. (...) "Shiro." "What is it? Oni-Chama?" "You have been pretty silent, are you okay? You want to sleep?" "I''m just...hungry" "Oh, right. What do you want to eat for dinner?" "Fried chicken!" Again? What is it with these kids today? While in my case, I ate nothing but green-leafy vegetables way back. Well, I surely can''t act like a legitimate parent. I''m just a newly-found and a self-proclaiming older brother, so it should be ok to spoil her a bit. "Roger! But I left my wallet in the classroom, so we will have to get it first. Would you be okay with that?" I asked, having ulterior motives to retrieve some belongings left there that might be useful for our departure starting tomorrow. "Hai! Mochiron oni-Chama" (English: Yes! Of course, brother), replied Shiro with the same faultless expression. I''m very proud of this little girl. In the wake of such a catastrophe, she does not hesitate to let all of her fear show and then recover as if only a minimal disaster is plunging her. Maybe it''s a part of childhood innocence? I guess so, but I can assure, that not all kids of the same age have the same guts to move on just like how Shiro did, also being a girl. "Yoshi, Yoshi. Ikuze!" (English: Ok. Ok. Let''s go) Wait, why am I speaking Japanese now? Prior anyone can enter this city back when it was on earth, proficiency in English is a must to learn, or maybe they gave exemption to kids? Shiro is a Japanese-decent and she is still a child so it''s highly commendable how she can speak and understand the complex international lingo. Oh well, doesn''t hurt, does it? With that being said, we then head to AU''s Class 12-A8 with the roads quieter than ever. And with nothing but auxiliary street lights illuminating the impotent darkness of the night, as the moon continued to shine its monochromatic radiance. Time check. It''s exactly Eight PM. What the hell is that Lacrimosa doing? She better not be sleeping this entire time. We need to choose what faction we want to take a side on. Wait, does she even care? Most likely not. It might be dumb but it''s concerning. We need this to be discussed right away. This should be of the utmost priority. *Sigh*. There''s no helping it. The things in my classroom can wait. "Shiro, before getting my wallet, can we first visit Aunt Lacrimosa?" "Lacrimosa?" "Remember, that lady I introduced to you earlier? " "Oh, Lacrimosa onee-chan!" ...Not aunt huh? "Shall we visit her?" "Hai! but where is she, oni-chama?" "Hold on, let me show you something cool." Now if only I could reopen that portal. If I remember correctly, Lacrimosa''s realm was pretty dark inside. It was almost like the deepest pit of oblivion itself, so I might be able to manipulate the space that separates her realm from this waypoint, after all, I can control anything dark. So if I could only imagine the same portal we used earlier, this should be as easy as counting numbers...I got it. While it is the very first time that I tried doing this, not to mention I''m yet to explore the extent of my power, I highly doubt if something wrong is to happen. The darkness would never betray me, his chevalier to me is beyond any loyalty. Hmmm. "Shiro try saying ''Open Sesame'' for me." "Hai. Open Sesame!" Having Shiro to say such a trivial phrase, I managed to open a portal in front of us, a carbon copy of the one Lacrimosa makes every time she needs to enter her realm. Well, I could say it''s a success perhaps? There''s no point in too much skepticism, although I''m dragging this little girl along without prior knowledge of what lies beyond. Wait. That realm incorporates a time disorientation spell. The time there moves viably slower. I should not waste time when I''m there and I should probably get her outside the moment I come in contact. No questions asked... Oh right, there''s no need, in going critical over such a mainstream feature. Shiro can act as the nullifier since, if a third party other than the deity and the Herrscher is to see someone entering the portal, the time disorientation spell would be impotent. I guess Shiro is quite handy. "Whoaaww! Did I do that oni-chama?" "Uhmm. Yes, you did! Nice spell!" "Teeheee...Uhmm, Is that where Lacrimosa onee-chan is living? It''s dark, I''m scared to go in, oni-chama..." Having seen how obscure the portal looks like, she once again found herself cowering in fear, but this time is quite unessential...A kid is a kid Jaiden, there''s no helping it. It is in these types of situations where I would want to say "Oh no, there''s no point on being afraid of the dark, he''s a dear friend of mine!" like boasting a very loyal friend... It''s in the dark where I can think and reflect on some things. It''s in the dark where I can find myself secure and heck, in other words, I don''t get it why it is hated and is still relevant as an embodiment of imaginative horror. If there''s one thing anyone should be afraid of, its the light of day! It''s where those monsters appear and would go to work to have some monetary gains. But, na-ah, I surely can''t say that to a kid. Besides, I know how fast Shiro can maneuver over her fears. "Don''t worry, I''m here. And beyond that is the palace of Lacrimosa. It''s very magical, I think you would like it." "Magical? Are there any pegasus inside?" "Why don''t we find out?" "Ok oni-chama" Her tiny fingers then held my hand as she remains assured that everything is fine as a kind stranger in her side said so. "Ok, Shiro in a count of three! Let''s jump ok?" "Ok, oni-chama I''m ready" "One..." Hell, I don''t know why but I''m somewhat nervous. "Two..." This is an invasion of privacy in that Goddess''s perspective. Oh well, to make it a tie...I, might as well invade...a little. "Three!" Without hesitation, while holding Shiro, I jumped right in. Wait, what do I do if Lacrimosa is changing clothes as of the moment!? More like, why did that thought only crossed to me now? The next thing I saw is the great darkness that enveloped us whole, with the portal at our back, starting to close. Quite the opposite of the magical internal palace that I made Shiro expects to see. The atmosphere is so bleak as ever and there is no turning back. It would take another moment or two to imagine such a carbon-copy of the portal again, leading outside. Shiro''s grip in my hands began to add pressure. It''s highly understandable, we can hardly see anything. But more importantly, where is she? Wait, don''t tell me this place is not it. Calm down. First, let me assess the place. Darkness? Check? Chess-patterned tiles? Check! Hmmm. This is assuredly Lacrimosa''s realm. It''s beyond question, and I can quite pick up her presence here... Yet, where the hell is she? "Oni-Chama...Where''s Lacrimosa oni-chan?" "Uhmm. Let''s wait for her a little." "WHO''S THERE!" Out of the severe darkness, there bammed a door suddenly opening out of nowhere and from it steams came out as if the room was somewhat leading to a hot spring. A rosy fragment then came drifting through my nostrils. The light coming from the same door also is radiant and a silhouette of a lady figure made its appearance wondering who could have had access to this realm. It''s Lacrimosa.....fresh from the bath. 39 Indecisive Circle "Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist." - Pablo Picasso ? "It''s me", I answered while Shiro, unable to identify the figure starts to take cover in my rear. "What? I don''t recall giving anyone special access, and this place can''t be a ''personal realm'' if anyone besides me can enter on their own will. Wait... how did you enter here in the first place?" "Just nothing special. First could you turn on those chandeliers, please? It''s too dark" "Just so you know, I''ll never tolerate this invasion, you lecher. I don''t really find myself caring if you have such lustrous desires, but what''s unforgivable is how you disturbed me on my precious bath time." "Yes, yes, whatever. But I believe that I came here for not such perverted reasons. Especially there''s no way of telling what you''re doing here, this is pure coincidence, and who would want to peep at you anyway? " "You of course. " "I can''t believe this. How can a goddess even promote the idea of lust? Look, just turn on the lights already." "My. My. Do you want to see me that much Jaiden? You should have just said to me without holding back!" "Huh? What the hell are you meaning to say." "I''m naked right now" "Oh. Good thing I can'' see anything then. Look, just dress up and turn on the lights. There''s something very important that we need to talk about." "My, my! Still, as persistent as ever...I''m coming over shortly." Having said that, the deity closed the door and clapped her hand twice, again causing the giant chandeliers to shine in illumine radiance lighting up the whole realm. "Wooaaaaahh!!" Shiro was very surprised and as I had predicted, she forgot about the fear she felt ago like it was nothing. She marveled as she saw how vast that place is and of course to the mystique crimson chandeliers a hundred times larger than me. "This is her palace!" I welcomed her, as though I''m the owner. "It''s pretty clean oni-chama...but, it''s so....empty. " "Yep, I agree with you. That Lacrimosa is very very minimalistic." "Hm. Hm. But, Oni-Chama where is the pegasus?" "Oh, let''s wait for Lacrimosa, she has it." "Huh? Who are you talking to? Did you bring someone else here?" while changing, the Goddess as though she was able to eavesdrop asked. "Uhm. Yes obviously. Can''t you feel her presence?" "Well, I can. Yet, that''s so brazen! It''s like you invited someone to a house that is not even yours from the get-go" After saying that, the door reopened with the Goddess coming out from it in a red bathrobe. And the door suddenly vanished into thin air. "By the way, you have any Pegasus here don''t you? The kid wants to ride one." "That''s a piece of cake." The goddess, out of her authority summoned one in the realm via a summoning circle. It''s very playful and is passionate about playing with Shiro. I guess that should do it! I then let Shiro ride at the back of the pegasus while ensuring her safety. Good thing she forgot about the fried chicken though. "Enjoy now. And don''t lose grip to pegasus-san." "Hai! Oni-chama. Ja Matane!" (English: Yes! Brother! See you later!) Both of them then flew high at the realm''s wide empty space and Shiro is quite enjoying it herself. Seeing the joy she is feeling is somewhat nostalgic in my behalf. "So what are we talking about?" Lacrimosa then sat at her medieval-looking throne. "Uhm. Yes, it''s very important. But before that, I believe that I told you to get dressed, why are you in a bathrobe?" "Oh, what''s this? Are you too disturb of the fact that I''m half-way naked right now?" "Hmmm. Nope, I don''t mind. Just don''t complain about sudden glimpses soon." "Hm. Still forward as ever. So, what are we talking about?" "That guy, Hermes. " "Oh, so he''s done explaining everything?" "Probably, but I believe not everything. And not to mention, there is this one concern especially for you..." "And what concern might that be?" "You need to decide what faction we''re gonna support, right now. There are only two gates leading outside. One would be taken by that so-called ''Mirage Armada'', while the other one would be for the ''Chaos Armada''. There''s no such gate for the undecided. Tomorrow at three AM, we leave by either one of those two gates." "Wait did this come from Hermes?" "Yes. You might want to start thinking seriously now that-..." I am then interrupted as a small grin flashed across her face while stifled continuous chuckles followed, that she failed to suppress" "What''s funny?" "Tehee. Nothing. So basically that Hermes told everyone that we should already decide what faction we should take a side on?" "Yes" "And this is coming from Hermes? That Hermes?" "Is there supposed to be Hermes the second? No, I believe not." "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. " she burst into laughter which annoyed me a little bit. "As you can see Jaiden. I would like to give you this piece of advice. Don''t take Hermes seriously" "Wait, someone died in front of us today by the hands of that psychotic deity. And you''re telling me to not take him seriously?" "By all accounts, yes. As you have said, he is, without a doubt ''psychotic'' and that''s why you should take him lightly." "It''s not like I''m trusting him anytime soon anyway, but why?" "Fine. I''ll tell you. I''m surprised though that you''re unable to see this coming." "Yeah. Yeah. Whatever." "In his explanation about the factions. Did Hermes show you some proof to validate what he said?" "Come to think of it. No. He just expressed everything verbally ." "So that makes everything, nothing but verbal agreement right? A little bit more important than balderdash. After all, Hermes is also in quite the same scenario as us" "What are you saying?" "That Hermes is also undecided! And is still pretty good at keeping it low-key. As I have already explained it to you the first time I showed you this perfect personal-realm, the majority of us already had decided what faction they would support several ages ago. Except me, and a bunch of others, and that includes Hermes. Hmmm...You could call us the Circle of the ''Indecisives'', yet ''rational'' deities if you want." "Say what now?" Then what was the point of that Hermes going and spouting such lengths?" 40 Hierarchy of the Divines "Ranks does not confer privilege or give power, it imposes responsibility." -Peter Drucker ? "Verbal agreement?" In complete contrast to what I believed, hearing that term suddenly rolled up drums of revelations in my head, while Shiro is continuously playing with the pegasus on the background looking very happy and satisfied. "Fortunately, yes. That drivel that Hermes talked about earlier in the presence of everyone is nothing but a verbal agreement, one that you must not be compelled of following.", the goddess, wearing a cerise bathrobe replied. "So, do you mean that the ''Disqualification by Death'' is also part of the drivel?" "Oh, that? It''s true." I figured. "Yep. So everything is not entirely false right?" "Correct." "But that thing with the ''You-have-to-hastily-choose-the-Armada-you-want-to-join''. is just an aftermath of that deity''s deranged personality. You can totally ignore it", Lacrimosa extrapolated, making the point clear beyond ambiguity. "Wait. If you have said that Hermes is also in the process of making such a choice, does that also mean that he is a participant of the game?" "Yes! It should have been obvious. Did you bump your head or something? I already told you. Not one of us is exempted. Whether we want it or not. Armada or no armada. We have to take part in it. It''s an order from the highest. An order that I, nor Hermes can deny. Hermes was just unlucky this time for being chosen to be the Magistrates'' personal mail boy." Hearing that is like a table-turner for me. I thought that this Goddess never turns herself to any form of authority, but I guess that ''highest'' she just pertained to is an exemption. "R-right." So I guess, Hermes was also a subject of what he said earlier. He simply just got a task added on his tab as he was chosen randomly to be the emcee on the warfare''s opening ceremony. I wonder what the Herrscher of Hermes looks like? Yet, the question of whether who or what this Highest is, still boggles my mind. " If I may ask you. Is this ''Highest'' you''re talking about, ''Zeus''?" "Zeus?" "Uhm. He was always portrayed to be someone who takes hold of the highest position in ancient Greek literature. Hermes is also there too, and I figured that Zeus is this ''overpowered'' being, that you are all subject to follow." "Zeus? Do you mean that womanizer? That God who shoots cute thunderbolts?HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA. You''re kidding me." "So it''s not him?" "Oh certainly. Zeus is just well-known for his ability to capture the hearts of CHEAP girls, goddesses or humans they may be. There''s no way I''m submitting myself to such a brazen figure." Calling Zeus''s thunderbolts ''cute'' was just beyond what I could imagine. Why was he portrayed to be that powerful anyway? Well, maybe he is overpowered, in the eyes of that ancient playwright perhaps. "So who''s this ''Highest'' that you''re saying?" "Hmmm. Truth is, I also don''t know." "Eh?" "Yes. Unfortunately, we are not allowed to see him. No, It''s more like, we SHOULD not see him. You''re not the only ones that are governed by a system you know? And as I am kind...and also gracious, I''m gonna show you the rank hierarchy of deities to give you an insight as to where I am now and the significant gap of every deity on the power closure to the highest..." As she said that, suddenly on the air, dark fiery symbols from the English Alphabet began to arrange themselves in vigor to show data at least. And this is the result which was shown in a descending pattern, divided into three major definitions... [Lesser Deities] VII. Spirit Deities VI. Quasi-Deities V. Relic Wardens IV. Mythic Deities III. Archangels [Higher Deities:] II. Magistrates [Creation Deities:] I. Primordial 0. Highest "It''s rather simple, isn''t it? Even the worldly military ranks are a hundred times more intricate than this. " "Sorry, what is this again?" I asked. While it is clear to me that this is some sort of a ranking system that incorporates the deities, what I don''t quite comprehend is the meaning of each tier and what type of deities are there. "There''s no benefit for me if I were to hide this. It''s an insignificant type of information so it should be ok to explain this to you rather than just showing it. This is the ''Divine Hierarchy'', and as the number decreases, the power strengthens on a visible degree. Here''s how the rank goes...Let''s start with the lower food chain- the lesser deities. " "(VII) Spirit Deities - they are what men merely call as ''spirits'' and each of them holds an element to be their symbol. Remember Ignitress that I summoned that fateful night? She''s a potent example. And that giant gargoyle, Atlas, too, although probably the most powerful one in the rank... Overall, these types of deities can be summoned by the other deities to meet several needs, given that it is not in vain. (VI) Quasi-Deities - These ranks are where the heads of pantheons are found. They are well-known as they are always in direct contact with men. An example of this is that womanizer, Zeus. How dare a human write about him and make him seem like, he is one feared deity. (V) Relic Wardens - That Phantom Deity, Deus, is a potent figure in this rank...and that might have given you a little idea of what is in this tier. The deities in this ranks are tasked to secure a divine relic of importance. Weapons that are even more powerful than the quasi-deities. A blatant instance is the ''Trancy'' in Celes'' hand. In another word, a bunch of underpaid antique security guards...I have no idea how that girl got Deus to give her that dangerous weapon, but it''s beyond my concern so I don''t care. (IV) Mythic Deities - Lower-ranked Gods can never comprehend this tier. They are the ones endowed with the responsibility of keeping the balance to everything. And you may not believe this, but this is where I am now and I don''t even know how I got in that rank. Although I can''t care. Increasing the ranks means more responsibilities and more responsibilities lead to a busy life. Up until now, I can never understand why everybody wants to climb the ranks as soon as possible. If there was a way for me to go back to the lowest rank, I would have done it a long time ago. (III) Archangels - The bodyguards of the magistrates that are endowed by a very strong authority. And the ''commanding chiefs'' of the game''s factions are from this tier. Oh, and that guy who summoned Atlas is currently in this rank, although he guards nothing, he fell from the expectations of the highest and has rebelled. So, he''s a fallen archangel perhaps. So now we are in the higher deities which only embodies one rank... (II) Magistrates - Hmmm. If I were to describe them, they''re like the ''Supreme Student Council'', except the circle is made up of deities of great importance. They are tasked to keep order and are the ones deciding the hierarchy. Lastly, the Creation deities... The most revered of all. (I) Primordials - There are only two primordial deities. And the two main factions or Armadas are named after them. That''s right. Chaos and Mirage. The two primary creations are under their supervision where Chaos rules the void, while Miage rules the cosmos. Lastly, the overall dominant... (0)The Highest - The one without start and end. From where everything was created and to where everything must come back when destroyed. And have you ever wondered why the ranks ended in zero and not first? The magistrates described the highest as the number zero. It''s empty if you look at it, but it holds an infinite possibility of value. 41 Low Profile "Stay low key. Not everyone needs to know everything about you." -Ice T ? So you probably might find it unfair that deities from these different ranks are vying in the same gamble. You should not worry. These ranks, the moment you will start your journey outside the city gates, would be reset. And also, the Higher and Creation deities are not playing as participants in the game. The Magistrates act as the overseer to keep it smooth...and as for the Primordials and the Highest, I really don''t know what they are up to." "So, does that mean that all deities will start from zero?" "Yes." The goddess answered, with a very enlightened demeanor "And why do you look so happy?" "While starting from zero means losing all of the power I have, this means I no longer have to be tardy at any heavenly gatherings! This is the best part of the game. I get to skip work!" "Hmmm. That''s so you...Still, this highest really is a very authoritative one huh." "Yes. While the information in accordance with him is pretty limited and vague, all I know is that every natural law surrounds him, drawing his very power to continue operating. He has the power to create and to destroy. The power to make void and the cosmos. Imagine such power." Yes. I can pick up the sense of the image. If such power is to enter the game, everything would be broken. What I found intricate though is why the lesser deities are the only ones on the game. Why not the magistrates? Or the Primordials? They''re the ones who have the power of creation and probably, they''re the ones who made us from the get-go so why must they bear this burden? Well, whatever the answer might be, it''s probably not the perfect time to get it. "That being said, for now, just maintain your status ''Low Key''." Lacrimosa said. "Understood. It''s also for the best that no one knows that we are not yet in an Armada. It would be bad, except for Celes and Deus who already figured it out, thanks to you explaining it to them. So, what gate will I choose? There are no such gates for the undecided, you know that." "Great question, but with a simple answer. Go with the Chaos Armada" "Huh? You just said that I must maintain a low profile, and now you''re saying that I should take the route with lesser people in it?" "My my! It''s quite commendable, that you have presumed what Armada would likely have more members. You''re right. The Chaos Armada would be outnumbered by the Mirage Armada judging by the current logic of those who have been dragged along. But you''re missing something..." "And what might that be?" "It might not look like it, but fairness is a radical part of this game. And to keep the equilibrium running is of utmost priority... ''So what?'' you ask? I''m telling you, there might be some special surprise that awaits the Chaos affiliates on the other side of their gate to compensate for the big difference in numbers. It might be, that you''ll be given a special privilege hole, that the others on the opposing Armada will not likely have." "Oh. I get it, but how can you be sure?" "Just an intel I received." "Hmmm." "So for now, you have to do what you have to do. If someone asks you which Armada you chose, don''t answer. And when everyone had their eyes set on crossing the bridge, that''s when you blend in. Any questions?" "As for now, none." "Great. If that''s the case then I should probably get back at my self-grooming activity which you disturbed earlier. I''ll meet you soon outside, I also have some preparations to do... Or, perhaps you''ve also come here for a lewd reason? State it, I might give exceptions you know." "Hmmm. In your little monkey dreams... Shiro! It''s time to leave now! Say your goodbye to Pegasus-san and to aunt Lacrimosa!", I called out. "Tsk... I''m not an aunt. Geez, how many times do I have to say this." Lacrimosa angrily stated. "Ok then, ''Aunt'' is probably too much for someone who has lived for 900+ years. So that should make you a grandma." "Hmmph!" The goddess stomped her feet and showed this annoyed look of a tsundere The Pegasus, however, is pretty smart. It understood what I was meaning to say and bought Shiro down in an instant. "Okay then, let''s not forget that fried chicken now shall we?" "Oni-chama, will I be able to see pegasus-san again?" "Sure!" "Yaay! Sayonara, pegasus-san... Sayonara, Lacrimosa onee-chan" (English: Goodbye, Mr. Pegasus. Goodbye big sister Lacrimosa!) "See? The kid is even more sensitive than you are!" "Hayst. Right-right... Could you now open a portal for us? Oh and let it lead closer to my classroom" "As if I know where you''re classroom actually is. but here you go..." Then a portal reopened itself, but this time it will lead outside... For the last time, Shiro bid her farewell to the pegasus and to the disturbed goddess and together, we jumped on. The next thing I noticed is that we are transported to a hallway that seemed identical from that school I am attending. I looked at the class identification and it was 12-B9. So we are one floor above huh? But, it''s not that bad. But, something else was making my mind stutter at some point... Lacrimosa will start from zero eh? As I had remembered it, Deus in our first conversation said something like this..." Lacrimosa, in her ability to draw power from sadness, became equal to that of the heavenly magistrates and was forced to join the ranks of the deities so that everyone can keep an eye on her." Now, I think I know why everyone must start from zero. Having someone like her around would also break fairness, which is a priority, and not to mention that overpowered fallen viscount. Still, I think it is still pretty unbalanced. As long as there are sadness and despair, Lacrimosa''s power would increase even without her acknowledgment. Well, it should be an advantage for me though, so there''s no complaining. Shiro and I continued to walk. The hallway''s lights seemed to not work. Good thing that the moon''s radiance is still in its heyday...Shiro kept holding into me, but now with a more courageous visage. She really is quick to environmental adjustments. We then took the stairs leading to the eighth floor and found myself facing the same door of the classroom... where I falsely believed would be the start to another boring high school year. We walked one step closer towards the destination and to my surprise, it was lit, and it seemed like someone is inside. Maybe it''s Celes? I can''t think of anyone who has the guts to trend their feet again in the school grounds on a time such as this. It must be her. Well, I wasted enough time on that hierarchy chit-chat with Lacrimosa, so I should hurry up...Not to mention, Shiro is also hungry. Without adieu, I opened the doors and glided it to the side without thinking twice, in an endeavor to get my belongings back, with a little girl in the company. Yet, the moment I opened it, what I saw is not entirely what I expected...there are way more... It''s the whole class in an unprecedented reunion, and Celes is there too. The others looked at me like I''m an unwelcomed guest, while Shiro hid in my back, probably being shy. Maybe I disturbed them in the middle of a very important discussion. It looked like a major conflict just occurred, and the atmosphere says so too. Everybody else is on the other side, and in front of them os Celes, taking a stand by herself. It was like a scene of "One against the world" from my point of view...What''s happening here? Well, whatever the quo is, the ''Low Key Profile'' that I have to sustain...is certainly not to be forgotten. although it''s crumbling at a very fast rate. 42 The Midas Touch "Midas they say possessed the art of old of turning whatsoever he touches to gold. This modern statement can reverse with ease. Touch them with gold, they''ll turn to what you please." -John Wolcott ? Room 12-A8. This classroom never ceases to amaze me at some point. Every time I open its door expecting nothing inside, something is in fact, inside. Something that is least expected...and this is by far, the worst. I opened the door, and from there I saw the entire class, which seems to have found one common enemy, Celes, who is still looking confident as ever. The atmosphere is very stagnant and you can sense the feeling of hatred from it, yet as to why that is, I have no idea and I certainly have no intention of knowing. I continued to walk with Shiro in my hand as if I saw nothing. I am not planning to take any part in this. Celes would also likely understand my actions. I should just grab my stuff and get out of here. I had enough surprises for the day. Shiro, who is following me also behaved, seeing how serious the situation looks like. But, even if I chose to ignore this, not everyone from this crowd has the same intention towards me... "Who is that kid with him, her sister?" "Are you dumb? That little girl is clearly Japanese!" two guys started discussing. "It looked like Ms. Celes Reignsworth knew him, so is he also choosing the ''Chaos Armada?'', murmured a classmate. "Duh. Isn''t it obvious?", answered the other. It was pretty useless why they''re whispering... I can still clearly hear it. Upon apprehension, I now have an overview of the situation. This bunch, have decided to join the Mirage Armada (which is quite obvious, not to mention that I already foreshadowed that things would turn out like this) and maybe they found out that Celes is planning to join on the opposing team... While I have to maintain a low key profile, I also want to take no part in such discord. If they want to act as heroes who would save humanity from perishing, then they can. If Celes wants to act like a villain, she definitely can. And I, too, deserve the freedom to do what I want to do. I continued walking towards my desk to get whatever that I left there, without looking at anyone else. I looked straight towards the path that I wished to take while the atmosphere continued its intensity. And there, at my desk''s small compartment, I retrieved my wallet and the mp3 player I always have with me, filled with classical music ranging from the composition of Mozart and Beethoven to Alma Deutscher-the last modern classics prodigy. Well, electricity might be not subsistent outside, but I can just find a way to recharge the batteries later. I quickly placed the things on my bag, as I am also planning to hurriedly get out of this quagmire. Yet, unfortunately... "Hey! Say something!", a four-eyed classmate said, wondering how I can ignore their presence. Well, I am not compelled to reply to that say-something-dogma. I should just hurry up. "Ignoring us huh? You asked for this you fricken narcissist!", he charged at me with all his might with a little punch right off the bat. I am ready to defend myself as it should not have been a problem. A simple evasion should have had done the trick. Yet, someone stopped him. "Stop this, Glen. " a classmate intervened. If I remembered correctly, he introduced himself as ''Zen Wolfenschtien'' back at the introductions. He had no trouble stopping that charging tackle as he was taller, probably the tallest one in this class and had a stark body build. Well, I can''t find myself being the Damsel here, and I probably don''t need a prince charming. "Hey, you! Jaiden, right?" the guy exclaimed. Hearing that, I made Shiro took cover on my back as if I was protecting my own flesh and blood. I will not answer him anything. Acting mute should not be a bad idea either. He can keep on talking, I''m just here to get what I want. "Hey listen to this, you can''t believe it. Miss Prima Donna here is in favor of severing her own race, isn''t that plain stupid? RIght?", he asked while I was acting very distant, even facing away from him. "Hey, you''re with us right?" I continued to give a cold shoulder. "You''re in favor of saving our folks back home, tell me?" he added with a desperate demeanor... "Hmmm. We figured. You also are with Reignsworth here. Too hard to leave your girlfriend, friendless?" There''s that abominable misconception again. It took him a whopping 54 words before realizing how serious I am in not giving any response. "If you''re really gonna keep on ignoring me, you leave me no choice you know...You see, I''m one of those Herrschers that Hermes talked about earlier." Then suddenly, I sensed this rapid energy coming my way. I hastily let go of Shiro''s hand and gently dragged her hands away. I let out my pen to defend myself and the next thing I knew is that I got smashed pretty strongly into a wall, by a single kick with potent momentum. "Oni-chama!" Shiro shouted. So he really is a Herrscher huh...How did I know? The pen in my hand, it became somewhat heavy and the high-kick''s point of contact became... gold. Hmmm. The power to turn anything it touches into gold, this is Midas'' touch. I presume his deity must be Midas...an ancient King cursed with a very noble ability. It was a split of a nanosecond when I felt that the kick is beyond ordinary. Should I have failed to defend in that spur of the moment, I should have become a statue of gold by now. "Hey Zen, stop that! " Mr. soon-to-be representative, Daerenji Nakamura, reprimanded. "That''s his fault for ignoring me...You know, it would not hurt to give you rich kids a lesson!" He then got ready to attack me again. He slowly takes off the navy-colored glove he is wearing and from there, you can see an ''M''-shaped yellowish insignia, probably the symbol of the contract he had between a deity. But what made me somewhat laugh was how he stated he can give me a lesson...even though I don''t need one. This guy should be thankful, that I managed to get Shiro to let go of my hand. If by any means the girl would have been hurt, I will show no toleration. Good thing she seems to be fine. I then got back on my swagger, but this time I am somewhat irritated, while everyone continued to watch the farce on the background probably fearing Zen''s ability, who just publicly announced that he is a Herrscher, with ladies supporting him. So this is what he was talking about when he first introduced himself. He said, he came here for what the university has to offer, and ''for some other reasons''. I stood up, cracking my back while also scrubbing the dirt away from my uniform, almost like being disgusted by the most recent someone who touched my clothes. "Tsk. You truly are a narcissist. Well, you asked for it!", with the endeavor to turn me into a pile of gold with his single touch, he drove towards me with enormous speed, but what he doesn''t know is that... calling me a kid and a narcissist is a very serious crime, when in fact I was the most mature here while acting with complete humility. Celes, getting acquainted with the context clue as to why I''m not answering anything was becoming ready to summon her sword ''Trancy'', but that would put her into detriment even more. It''s not an act of gentle mannerism, but I''m getting tired of getting saved by someone, females at that! Well, ''Low-Key Profile'' or not, I must stand for myself, or else I''m gonna be a constant plaything by these potential plunderers when we set foot outside the city gates. While respect out of fear, is the most despicable type of respect one could have, I don''t mind. 43 In the Pangs of Darkness "Don''t depend too much on anyone in this world. Even your shadow leaves you when you''re in the dark." -Ibn Taymiyyah ? "Kneel." Suddenly as he is running towards me with potent vigor and an evil intent looking all desperately insane, Zen''s feet lost its strength, almost suddenly, which made him kneel in front of me. He''s the one being a fully-evolved narcissist here, thinking how special he is for having such links with the extraordinary. He doesn''t know that my power is even more dangerous. Apart from controlling inks, give me something that is black, physical, spiritual or emotional it may be, I can take control of it. Show me an ill will and I can likely control every fiber of your body. Yes. This is part of my power, a personalized authority I received from the Goddess. "Zen! What happened?" ladies came to the rescue worrying if that little kneeling has somewhat left a dent of wound or something. So, he already has a Fandom huh... that was rather quick? "What-what happened? I- I can''t feel my body" the Wolfenschtein descent on his knees, questioned. "Is this what these Herrschers are capable of doing? You acted highly a moment ago, why are you kneeling now? Rather weak aren''t you now cool guy.", I humiliated him, but with a very sober and irritated face, one that spells "If you should have just let me do my thing, then this should not have happened to you". "You! what did you d-do to me?!" "Nothing. Should be Karma''s doing, you know. While I only came here to recover what''s mine you disturbed me like I''m someone who is subject to answer any of your questions. Narcissist? Kid? Me? Just look at your self and reflect. Well, I''m not as introverted as you think I am, so I''m gonna tell you this... You can act heroically all you want, but your feud is probably not my concern. " "Why? Just tell us that you had joined the other side for your girlfriend''s sake you piece of lovestruck crap!" the four-eyed Glen again made his verbal attack. I looked at him with a cold gaze, as an assurance that if you''ll open your mouth again, I''m gonna do something more horrible. And him, feeling the danger, averted his hateful gaze quickly. with an insulting clock of his tongue... "Nope. That certainly is not the case and also, let me clear this out. I and Celes are not in a relationship or whatsoever. Your logic in judgment is faltered beyond flawed. We just met each other." "Then why the hell can you approach her openly? And how could you explain that you can call her by her first name! " "Huh? And why should I not? Because she is the Prima Donna? Seriously how stupid had everyone become, fearing someone just because of a nickname... Not to mention how foolish you are of your choice of publicly announcing what Armada you would join. It should have been kept a secret from the start." "What do you mean?" the gothic lolita classmate, Charlotte Shirehart, asked. While it somehow hurts to gush forth a few words now (would be a waste of saliva), I felt the need to give them a taste of reality. "You may be smiling now, that you have found allies, but hmmm...You know that you''re still hell-bent to kill each other right?" "No. There''s no way we are killing-..." "You sure about that though?" I intervened... The girl, believing in the power of friendship is unable to say any additional words. "You all really are clueless about what''s happening. Surely, it''s high time for you to realize that this is not the kind of nightmare that you have in your sleep...It''s a nightmare of the dissatisfied reality that awaits us every time we open our eyes. You can play ''friends to everyone'' but, let me repeat, we are in a game where we will kill each other to achieve our own goals and to determine the fate of humanity. There''s no way I would tell openly what Armada I chose, that''s like persuading a thief to steal your millions in your own accord. Except, we are not talking about money here." Everyone is left speechless, even the Wolfenschtein himself. What''s fascinating though is how they just keep doing better and better in making their situation worse. For them, it was the most logical thing to do. Find friends. Form a group. And be safe together. Yet, that''s just a juvenile way of thinking. Everyone here has their own reasons why they venially want that wish and inevitably, Homo sapiens have this insatiable hunger for the irrational. It''s only a matter of time when someone would make the first move of betrayal. "If you have nothing more to say then I''ll take my leave. And lastly, Instead of arguing here why someone chose to be against the 99% of the crowd present, you should have had started preparing. What you''re doing now is beyond childish, and thinking you''ll probably survive outside just because you found these dear friends who can''t even survive a little jab is but the worst case of narcissism there is. You saw that right? How that man was killed in front of us just because he defied an instruction. This is a warfare, where killing is the new norm...And this is not a matter between going head-to-head or hand-in-hand, it''s a matter of strategy. But what you''re doing here is publicly announcing that you are okay being betrayed yonder... Let''s go, Shiro. I don''t want you getting acquainted with such people." And with that, I should be on their top - 10 most hated list right now. But, I also think that it''s for the best as it was somehow inevitable. Men will always prefer comforting lies rather than the ugly truth. It''s a part of their matrix. "Hey! Undo this, will you?! Hey you!" Zen, still under my dominance shouted. Well, the moment his head cools down the bind would automatically be unchained. Without saying anymore, I then hastily got out of the scene without even saying anything to Celes. And I presume that somehow, she will be able to handle herself just fine. It''s just that, I came in a very bad timing. How did everyone know that she is in the Chaos Armada anyway? I quickly made my exit feeling a little exhausted. Probably from using my power to control someone and of course, gaining that much of a de trop attention... So this is the backlash huh? It is almost like a life span was sucked out of me shortening my days. I should probably train using this more, the moment the real journey starts... I wonder to what extent can I really make use of this? Yet... That Wolfenschtein, is really something else. If Gold is also considered valuable on the new land we are soon to explore, he''s one lucky bastard. But, that has a minuscule chance of being the case. The Midas Touch. Now, it feels like, I''m not the only one who tricked a deity unto giving a power that is beyond balanced. Ahhhh. I completely ruined the low-key plan. Oh well, can''t hurt to restart again. Celes Reignsworth. You heard everything right? There''s simply no means of ''complete'' trust right now. It''s vague beyond question. And I know you too, think the same. While we may be taking the same gate leading outside, I know that the path we will take... is very discrepant from each other. "Oni-chama are you ok?" Shiro, seeing how somewhat exhausted my demeanor is and how deep my thoughts seem, started worrying. "Of course. You don''t need to worry about me okay?" "Kay." She replied, even though her face clearly showed a very concerned expression. I checked my clock to see what time it is. It''s 9:30 PM... It''s enough. We should probably eat for now and rest. Tomorrow at the early three. The threshold begins. 44 Despair Contamination "Despair is the price one pays for self-awareness. Look deeply into life, and you''ll always find despair." -Irvin D. Yalom, When Nietzsche Wept ? From that point in time, I have decided to purely dishonor the intellectual prowess of the modern homo sapiens. I already knew of men''s inability to think for themselves. I already am acquainted with the weakness that runs through our veins. But, it was not until today that I just realized how illogical others can be, despite seeing the deep mud of issues they are in, and it''s rather making me nauseous. Proof? Just look at how those ''wannabe-heroes'' chose the ''Mirage Armada'' just because of the thought that it is normal. No, it''s beyond normal. They probably don''t even know that the fallen Viscount that have been exploiting the weakness of humanity for several eons would be in their midst, the same person that got them all here. Satan. No, End- The Prince Of Darkness. I once found it inconceivable as to why he will choose to save humanity, but I was lacking perspectives at that time. I now know why. If Humanity is to sever, then who would be his plaything? Who would he tempt? How would he then cure the deprivation of entertainment? In other words, men are just too great of wonder to be abolished and in their foolishness and vulnerability, End is taking pleasure. From that mutual discord, I am also reminded that Darwin''s Theory of Evolution is somehow incomplete and is void of authentic evidence. He should have written it...that the word ''Evolution'' does not necessarily mean ''Improvement'' and mere ''Advancement''. In our case...It''s the opposite. This is an evolution towards an ever foolish race that takes delight in their destruction. Imagine, the specific per diem ordinance that every man has to follow...Go to school at an early age. Kill yourself studying. Finish a degree. Get a job. That lifetime of torture...all for what? For retirement with the feeling of fulfillment? Certainly no. It''s for a piece of paper that we have assigned a great value, probably greater than our lives. Well, that matrix is losing ground...now, that we are here in this world that I hope, don''t incorporate such currency. Probably someone out there would contradict this perspective. it''s always inevitable to have those gung-ho positivists. They think that ''YOU, can be happier albeit the situation'', without even realizing that they are just born happy and not everyone is like that. In all truth, trying to be happier is as futile as getting taller. Perhaps, it actually is better for our race to sever from the history of creation. "It''s a foolish choice to hold onto some hope that has given up a long time ago", says Celes in the same manner. And yet, it''s also irrational to assume that everyone sees through my eyes. It could be, that the others have their reasons to fight and that, my vision is just too bleak to see them. Anyways, my encounter with the first-class reunion was not all that vain. I got to see a new Herrscher with the arcane ability to make anything he touches into gold. A classmate at that...but also, very faltered in his decisions. While an agreement of friendship never came to be (which was somehow predicted) I got to gather data that will be proven integral soon enough. Shiro and I made it to a fast-food chain. It is now 10 PM when we arrived. And surprisingly, while we walked, the roads were not as quiet and empty as before. The masses are doing every sort of thing they could think of, but ''preparing'' is still far from that... They''re assuming that this is their last day. They are enjoying it like there''s no tomorrow. They''re feeling the pressure of being in the last few hours we have left here in this safe Nirvana and you can clearly see the decadence in everyone''s eyes while doing all sorts of brazen extravaganza and vices, PUBLICLY, visages that I must protect Shiro from. The scenes are the very depiction of the pollution of despair as everyone knows that they have to bid thee ''normal life'' farewell. Well, if that''s really how they want their time allotment for preparation to be spent, I can do nothing, probably just to watch from afar. Shiro and I then entered the destination, but as before, it was empty. "Ojamashimasu" (English: Excuse me) Shiro seeing how empty the place, greeted. The auxiliary lights are on but the employees are nowhere to be found. They''re either sulking on their own rooms now or enjoying the tiny fragment of the mundane that earth once offered to its denizens. Well, it''s a ''serve-yourself-buffet'' again, I''ll just leave the payment on the table. "Huh? What is this" Somehow, a strange feeling made me cease my movement... "Oni-Chama...are you ok?" Shiro asked wondering why I weirdly paused. "No need to worry, I''m fine" With a smile, I replied to her expression of concern. Somehow, I can sense that a strong amount of power is surging from the kitchen. It''s a dark one and it''s calling me. If I was to describe the feeling, it was like when everybody on the island began to fear the massive gargoyle, Atlas, which suddenly was converted to power for both of me and Lacrimosa. Well, I should also get me some fried chicken and some burgers, It would not hurt to check it out. "Shiro, I''ll be getting your fried chicken, ok?" "But, Oni-chama that is stealing?!" "Ahahahaha. Do I look like a marauder to you? Don''t worry, I will leave the money on the table. Wait for me, ok?" "Hai! But, what is a marauder, oni-chama?" "Oh, it''s what we call evil thieves back in my country." "Hm.Hm... Wakatta!" (English: Got it!) she replied. What was I even thinking back there? I should probably refrain from using too many colloquial words. "Wait for me in here, kay? Oni-chama will be back with a fried chicken." Having said that, I shifted my focus to the kitchen, opening the doors while ignoring the sign ''Authorized Personnel Only'' and the moment an internal view of the place began to clear, the dark aroma starts to gush forth in it''s strongest. I then scanned the whole area of where that was coming from. Judging from the looks of the kitchen, everything is fine. Except for a pile of unwashed dishes on the sink. Or so I thought... Someone was lying dead on the innermost part of the room. From his uniform, I figured he was an employee lying in a pool of blood probably from the potent wounds he has. His face is unrecognizable due to the multiple stab wound it received and his legs were dismembered cutting off his main means of escape. His eyes are still opened, and his hands were strongly gripping a kitchen knife also dipped in blood, it was like he was defending himself from something...It was a fresh crime scene. But, it did not surprise me that much. I have this strange luck that constantly makes the deceased a mutual visage. I wonder what could have had happened here? ...Wait, this is certainly not the time to play detective. Where is this dark aura coming from? It''s not from the dead man either...And then, I felt something obscure. Tsk...Someone else is here... "Show yourself!" I''m sure, someone else is around and I''m certain, that it''s the source of this potent malevolence that I''m sensing. "Hahahahahaha..." A whimsical and sardonic laugh suddenly is heard, but from where it came from is not clear. Its position is dynamic, changing from direction to direction... "Hehehe.You really can''t underestimate a Herrscher, Cheshire." Cheshire? Is he rather talking to someone? No, I am only picking up one presence. I can also sense ill intent, and I could make him show himself on his own vocation, but, I should probably not make such hasty decisions that could deteriorate me and Shiro. I have to think this through, the cautious way. "Who''s there!?" "Ahahahaahaha. He asked us, Cheshire! Hmmm...What to do? what to do? Behead him? Amputate him? Or maybe cook him and serve his entrails on the child that is waiting outside?..." Try if you might, I''m not letting you get near Shiro and if he will indeed, then I must respond... Yet, from what I''m perceiving, someone is actually around and he''s talking to someone named ''Cheshire''. A Herrscher perhaps? "Lacrimosa? Ehhhhh???? Is his goddess really that powerful? Ahhh...right!...Hm.Hm.Hm. You really can''t underestimate a Cendrillon." continued the self-dialogue of the unseen figure. Wait. How does he know of me? "For now, bye...pitiful little brother. Let us meet again ok? And that''s when I will kill you." "I was shocked and unable to move, hearing the very same sobriquet that my brother used to call me on that night of utter derangement... A presence then zoomed past me, while I am paralyzed by my thoughts and intimidated by the occurrence"... Is probably what this invisible man thinks I will do... Too bad though, Cliches have no role here and I probably am not planning to give space for it now. As I presaged, a faint presence then comes to pass me. Did he actually think that I''ll leave him be after his great voice-act of copying my deceased brother''s favorite way of calling me? I think he deserves an Oscar for that. He must receive his due reward even if it means I have to drag him down back to the main stage. "Did you think that you can scare me off like that? Like, "Oh no! Mr. Invinsible cool-guy knows my family name, am I being stalked by an invisible young lunatic? " I spouted in a very confident and sarcastic manner. "Huh? What the hell are you saying? Listen to this Cheshire...Does he have loose screws in the head?" He said, while continuously moving around. "What I''m trying to say is...BEHAVE." 45 A Deformed Cheshire "I''m not crazy. My reality is just different than yours." -Cheshire cat, Alice in the Wonderland ? And then without remorse, I manipulated the dark Charisma surrounding the unseen figure, but this time, with more control, forcing him to behave however, I like. Well, for starters, he was very energetic. In the previous case with the classmate with the Midas Touch, I caused him too much dark pressure coming from his own pride, for him to be unable to keep standing up. I don''t know, as I''m not planning to experience it anytime soon, but under this binding ability, he probably felt like, having the gravity field stronger around him as I squeezed the dark aura in the environment from negative emotions, which is constantly everywhere. But this time, the ill intent that continuously engulfs his body is darker and even more visible when compared to that which I saw coming from my classmates...So I imagined it turning into massive chains that can hold him down and it was so, just as how I imagined it to be. Now, the boy finds himself incarcerated with unseen chains holding him down dominantly. If only he could see this darkness that abides by him, I think he might have gone crazy. It''s an advantage for me at least, so there''s no way I''m telling him to lighten up now. Drawing power from sadness. Fear. Despair.Even deleterious dictates. It''s a really handy power. The wielder is at an advantage no matter the environment. No wonder how Lacrimosa climbed up the divine hierarchy without her knowing about it and is then considered equal with these revered Magistrates. But, in all of its glorious manifestations, I know that a limit lies somewhere in between, a limit that I am yet to find out. "G-ghh...Wh-what is this?" the invisible threat, which is really not that stealthy begins to rant. "It''s weak right? But, don''t worry, I have so many things up my sleeve." I then let out of my pen to manipulate its jet-black ink again... "I can also do this you know..." Out of the pen''s ink, I formed a black-colored scythe and pointed it at where his presence seemed concentrated. Well, I''m not trying to look cool or anything, I just wanted to inflict a little respect. "Undo your invisibility... If you want to keep your life." I threatened while the scythe is ready to be plunged probably in his neck...And the person fearing for his dear life, without second thoughts undid his invisibility, revealing his self to me. He was relatively younger, but why the hell did he call me ''little brother'' with an add-on insult at that! If I were to describe him, he is between 14 -15 years old, probably spoiled beyond any doubt. But, what was more intriguing was the callous cat-shaped insignia in his right eye glowing in green. Confirmed. This kid is a Herrscher. "YOU, What did you do to me!?" "Hmmm...There''s no point in explaining. It would end up pointless if you are to be the listener." "Tsk...It-it hurts...CUT THIS OUT NOW OR I WILL-" "Kill you? Is that what you''re implying? You know, we are not yet outside the city, so you should have kept your ability to yourself. You even killed someone...probably what? For fun right?", said I who is frantically miffed by his puerile personality. "YES AND WHAT PART OF IT CONCERNS YOU? You kill-joy SCOUNDREL!" "Hmmm...And what makes killing fun?" I returned the question. "Isn''t it obvious... I''M SPECIAL YOU JERK! I AMCHOSEN BY A DEITY. AND WHY SHOULD I HAVE NO RIGHT TO GIVE ADVANCE JUDGEMENT TO SOMEONE? THEY''RE GOING TO DIE ANYWAY... I COULD EVEN KILL YOU..." I somehow found it to be very disturbing...How ego-centric this person is in front of someone older, just because a deity chose him for whatever reason there is. Solipsism. It''s a dangerous point of view that can make the victim think that everything in the universe was and is created for him and that he, alone is the true existence. And this juvenile right here, standing in front of me has such a standpoint that made him think it''s okay to be rude and it''s undeniably okay to take someone''s life. "Kill me. Like, right now?" "YES!! You want it that bad!? " "Try then." "You better be ready, you! G--GAHHHHH! TSK, What is this! Why can''t I move!" Failing to break the self-made chains, he felt anguish. He tried to defy my binding ability with all of his fragile strength, but little did he know that the more he struggles, the more pressure build-up will be and the more aggressive the chains become. If the case with Zen was like having been under strong gravitational force, this one would feel like, your entire body would be dismembered as you try to struggle for freedom. "Cheshire...HELP ME, YOU USELESS DEITY!" The youngster shouted in desperation. Cheshire? That''s a magical cat, right? That''s supposed to be a deity? Such a putrid taste. "You know ''pitiful older brother'', My deity is somewhat overpowered as we are still on this island. Why? You probably don''t know this but, the deities have their own ranks, and yours probably belong to the lowest of the low. It was a very wrong move for you to assume that you''re the most powerful right now...But, you killed someone. So I should have the right to also give you ''advanced judgment right? After all, there''s no way you''re surviving out there with that mischievous and nonchalant character. " I frivolously stated. With the self-sharpened ink scythe, I started to move closer as the chains continue to hold him up. "What are you trying to do?" "Oh, don''t worry...Do you see how you cut the legs of the man? It''s an obviously interesting clean cut. Tell me, how did you do it" "Tsss...And why should I answer you?!" "Hmmm. I believe that you already know the answer right? Just play along now." "I- I used a ce-ceramic knife." with pounding heartbeats, the boy answered. "Oh, a ceramic knife eh? Aren''t you curious how it should have felt if you were on his shoes? I think I should probably give you a brief overview...And, I''m curious too... How a self-centered brat like you would look like after having his legs removed from its main terminal. ''Older brother'' would you be my guinea pig?" I said in a very callous manner on the helpless enchained minor. Well, it is his fault anyway. I have had enough of dealing with newly-met exotic personalities that turned out to be Herrschers. Deities really have a weird criterion on choosing their vessel. I then got my black scythe ready to unmedically amputate his right leg. But, before that, it would be a problem if he screams now. I should probably do something about that. "Huh, wait WHA-WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?" "Silence" Unable to defy my own commands, his mouth shutter as he fretted for his dear foot''s survival. But then... "Wait!"A voice which seemed capricious then sounded on the background... And there appeared the unexpected...A cat? A cat showing only half of its body drifting mid-air...A very scary-looking one. His mouth extended to both of its cheeks with sharp teeth all being sharp fangs, and its big eyes blue as the deep ocean. Fur stripped with ash-gray and black. It is almost like Cheshire Cat from Alice in the Wonderland, except its facade, is even more devious and could scare any Alice that should have already met him vis-a-vis. And its face is something straight out from a horror movie. An undoubtedly more deformed version of the Cheshire Cat that almost everyone knows. 46 Countdown till Hades "Everybody is a book of blood; wherever we''re opened, we''re red." -Clive Barker ? Cheshire Cat. A well-known fictional character, notable for its broad grin and the ability to appear and disappear. It''s all clear now. So this is what this kid is talking with earlier, and as a hypothesis, deities have this innate ability to conceal their presence from anyone except their Herrscher and I guess this cat-deity did the same. That''s why I was only able to sense one presence." "We are sorry! Please let us go! It would be bad if he was to lose his leg now!" With a grotesque whimsical voice, It started talking all of the sudden. "Why are you saying you''re sorry to me? ...And why should I care?" "Wait! We''ll do anything!" "You two were having fun together killing mercilessly, and now your begging? How inconsequential" I stated while the spoiled boy is still unable to speak as I concealed his one means of speech, with this ''Cheshire'' deity a meter away unable to answer anything. Hmmm. sorry, but the kid needs his lesson. A leg is just a little collateral for the life he took. "Let''s just continue the fun. ok!?" With a fake smile, I suddenly plunge my scythe in his leg. It penetrated to the impeccable division of its bones like it was cake, and the youngster unable to scream the agony, as I have had control of his mouth became very ecstatic of the gruesome pain he is feeling as blood came oozing out of the deep wound. He wrestled more as the grip of the chains becomes stronger by the seconds, probably because of the unbearable pain that he can''t even scream out. "Struggle more and you''re gonna have to say bye-bye to your head as well." Not taking heed to my warning, with his deity unable to do anything, the boy started to move in the most intense ways. At this rate, he''s gonna be killed. Hmmm, and I''m not stupid to kill someone of this caliber here. "How spoiled" I then made the chain which was entangled in his neck suddenly exert brute strangling force, enough to make him unconscious for a while. "You''re tired from all of that fun, right? You should probably rest for a while." As the boy begins to trance, I undid the binding which made him fall to the ground in his face. And then, his deity, Cheshire, retrieved his unconscious body while being extra careful with his soon-to-fall cut leg and started carrying it. "You! you''re gonna pay for this! I''m gonna report this to Alice, to Mad Hatter, to March Hare...You better be prepared, boy!" Are they all deities? This is not a circus you know. To have such light characters in a dark-themed environment is a very grotesque ''another side of the same coin''. Unless, if their facades all resemble those horrible cannibals, then I''m not buying it. "Hmmm? Is that supposed to be the Circle of Disney''s friendship Pipsquicks? Then say this to them. If by far you are planning to harm me on the game, you would not lose only a leg...And you know this best than anyone. Now then, scram." As the deity utilized his power and started disappearing with the unconscious boy in his provision, he began to left words of warning with an eerily dreadful grin enough to inflict me some goosebumps. "I''ll remember this boy. I''m gonna kill you and Lacrimosa. Mark my words." And then, disappeared together with the black charisma that I felt prior. If he thinks that I felt threatened with that small words of his, he is one dunderheaded-cat. What can I say? Poor lad. Having to start the game with a leg about to fall off if not of a skin that I left uncut. Hayst. I really wish that he would be the last referenced character. Sad to say all of Wonderland''s casts seem here too. Whatever. They''re not gonna survive for long in their adventurous nature...I presume. I probably should get to the main business now. Dinner. But, first, as a form of respect for the deceased, I bowed my head and covered him with a white mantel. "Have a peaceful rest now mister." That''s the least I could do. I should probably go back to Shiro now. I made sure that my demeanor is cleansed form the cruel act of doing amputation without a medical license and then reopened the kitchen door with the fried chicken she requested and a little of mine, while Shiro was sitting there behaved in the seat she chose. But, she''s somewhat distracted on looking up at something through the food chain''s crystal glass walls. "Shiro, what are you looking at? I have your fried chicken now. Let''s eat and let''s get some goodnight sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow, olay?" "Oh, oni chama, what are they doing over there?" "Huh?" I then got into a seat and started looking the same direction. A flying pegasus perhaps? "Where is it, Shiro?" "Over there oni-chama" She then pointed her hand on the top of a very tall building lit by the endearing moonlight. And in there, on the edge was a multitude of people. There were many watching them, and several others on the ground also have been anticipating the scene...But something is not just right... Something is wrong, I can feel it. What are they doing there? And then suddenly, the people outside, as if it was premeditated all along started counting, 10...9.....8... Did something happen while I was busy? Why? A farewell party perhaps? I looked at my clock, and the time still far from 3 AM. What are they celebrating? 7... 6,.. All I can do is watch as the countdown slowly reaches to the point of one. 5... But, something is just boggling me. 4...But, I don''t know what that is. 3... Wait, don''t tell me they''re gonna! 2... I quickly got Shiro from where she is sitting while hastily covering her eyes. 1!... And then, unlike any of the luck I despised, came, a very decadent scene that I never expected. Screams and cries, again begun to be heard on the soon-to-be-abolished-city. Everyone jumped from atop of the building, Shiro is curious about. And the people on the ground starts killing...not others, but themselves. Some are stabbing themselves to death as they brazenly walked the roads. Some are passing a gun to one another as they inflict bullets on their head. Some were intentionally crashing their vehicles. A few others were courageous enough to set themselves on fire, while some? Settled on a more scientific way of drug overdosage. It is a massive suicide outside the facility that we are in. And what I found ugly to feel, is the sense of overwhelming power that is surging towards me, as they succumb to their own vain deaths. So this is why they were enjoying the hours like there''s no tomorrow. Because they are gonna take tomorrow from themselves in their own vocation. It''s a brutal scene. Everyone that can be seen outside is slowly dying on their own accord, while some who still have the gut to continue living is probably paralyzed by the horror they are witnessing. Several things are still unclear to me. How did they persuade one another to do this? Where did the idea come from? And how did they arrange such an event? How did this come to be? They better not have thought that this was only a nightmare and by dying here even before we can step outside to the unknown land, means they can wake up back on Earth on their comfy bedrooms unscathed... In the myriad of questions that I had in myself, there''s one thing that is still translucent to me... Darwin''s theory of evolution is void of truth and reality. Those primates which are believed to be men''s first forms are far too logical even for this. Then, as dead bodies came piling up on the vast streets, an announcement from the city''s PA systems suddenly stated "Please calm down. Suicide is not the answer, let us find some solutions. I repeat..." Too late isn''t it? Half of the masses are now dead...Less work for Hermes. I have to take Shiro somewhere else, without her seeing anything putrid. Surely we can''t eat with a visage like this in front of us. 47 Nostalgic Dream "They promised us that dreams can come true, without mentioning that nightmares are dreams too." -Oscar Wilde ? Decadence yet ruled again on that darkest hour. Dismally, almost half of the participants are now dead even before the warfare''s commencement. As they chose to eternally secure their deaths to the hands of Hades. And they''re not even sure if such a haven for them exists in the afterlife nor do they have an assurance of Hades'' provision. It never did occur to me, that in the frailty of logical ability, they were able to find the strength to leave the warfare just by persuading others to do it with them. It''s the concept of Herd Mentality at work. "If others do it, then it MUST be ok", probably that''s what was running on their minds when they did it, without thinking twice. Petty riddance. It may be that they made the right decision, but the merit of disappearing is not just worth the risk. With dead bodies everywhere, and with local authorities nowhere to be seen...I trended the grim road myself while carrying Shiro and the recently obtained food for dinner. I made sure that she will not see anything, neither does she hear of the cries of those that are left. After that, I and Shiro found a peaceful place where we can eat and probably take a little nap. A hotel is nearby and there''s no one on the front desk. The facility is yet empty again. And to authenticate that nothing weird will suddenly come up out of nowhere, I tried to sense if any dark charisma or ill intent is around, but so far so good. There are people on the upper floors, but it looks like they are normal. No signs of bleak aura. Good... I''ll just leave my payment on the cashier and get a vacant room''s key. With that done, we took the weirdly working elevator towards the third floor where a room is supposedly listed as ''vacant''. walked through the lobbies and then opened the fancy-looking door. What awaited us inside is this mediocre, yet a surprisingly neat place to spend the night. Shiro and I then finished eating our ''hard-earned'' kiddy meal with a little ''Itadakimasu'' on the start as per the kid''s culture. I then placed her in the bed as it''s becoming more apparent, the drowsiness that she''s in, and put a blanket on her. I checked my clock and it''s now 12 AM. Three hours to go before the city''s ephemeral lockdown. Three more hours before we will have to experience what this N?thervale really is and the whole concept of the Ethereal Paradigm. I just hope that the denizens of this realm are far more acceptable than those weirdos. "Oni-chama, What happened? You suddenly covered my eyes and I heard many horrible things." Shiro suddenly initiated a conversation with a very exhausted face, second to mine. "Oh, you should not worry about it, Shiro," I answered " Why don''t you get some sleep? We might be able to see another pegasus tomorrow you know? Or even more." "Hontoni?" (English: Really?) "Yes", so I said, even feeling unsure of the fact of what we are gonna meet outside this city''s perimeters. Will we see more creatures from children''s fairy tales? Or something else entirely. I just hope that it''s none like that Cheshire Cat which is both from a fairy tale and whose face is ''something else entirely'', sarcastically thinking. I then got Shiro to sleep soundly. It was 12:30 when that happened. We are currently in an unreserved room in a nearby hotel and it was then that my eyes felt heavy of the tiresome day I had. Hmmm. I then checked my bag to see what I salvaged. Nothing useful as of this point. Those classmates of mine and the crazy mass suicide interrupted me from getting anything of integrity. Well, with all said and done, I should stop by a convenient store first thing tomorrow. I then took hold of the music player I have had in my belongings. I should had used this earlier to make Shiro a little oblivious of those panics instead of just using one of my hands to cover her eyes while also carrying the food, and the other, to cover her ears. It was a very sound denouement. It''s no wonder at this point if she really did hear something putrid. I turned the music player on and good thing it is fully charged. It should be a while before I start to think of alternative ways to recharge this when we venture outside. I then scrolled through the music libraries I have to find the perfect classical piece that will fit the situation that I am in. John Sebastian Bach''s ''Come, Sweet Death'' and next in line, Tchaikovsky''s ''Symphony Number 6, Fourth movement''. Perfect. I then made sure that the doors are locked. I wouldn''t want any eccentric occurrences here anytime soon. Looking back at the primary plan, I was supposed to get a cheap apartment and start working to support myself while undergoing my educational pursuits. Funny to think that none of that is substantial now. Dear Grandma. I''m not skipping classes you know. Please don''t think of this that way. With that said, and with an ambient and sound environment to sleep, I found myself in a deep trance in a comfy sofa with the perfect tune, playing on my ears. (....) Suddenly, my consciousness is transported in this rather scenic view that seemed very nostalgic, still with the music that I played earlier, kept running on the background. It is my mother''s beloved garden right before it was burned down and in the midst of the white orchids os Shiro playing with the butterflies. It was a very refreshing visage that It made me cared too little for more details. Until suddenly... "Shiro, where are you going?" The girl run as the white orchids on the background began to take the color of scarlet via unexplainable means. What''s in my mind is to catch up, but for a little and fragile-looking kid, she sure is sprinting fast. She ran and ran without looking back as I followed her leniently. As we got further and further from the garden, the thicker the surrounding mist began to engulf us and the redder the surrounding orchids become. At a point, the game of tag came to an end as Shiro ceased running. A very big tree that I never had any recollection of seeing before stood in front of us. It is phantasmic in view as the tree''s branches extended to the height of the skies with unfathomable ends. It is if I were to describe, an unearthly type of tree that existed way before the establishment of mankind. "Shiro, what are you doing? Be careful now. " I said...but the girl is still not responding. She''s not even looking at me as she pointed her entire focus to the tree in front of us... and I just noticed the undeniable transition to silence from having a piece of soothing music playing on the same framework. No birds on the air. No creeping animals on the ground. Just the scarlet orchids that extended from the nostalgic garden, to now, here, the thick cloud of mist and the giant sturdy tree. It is awfully an epitome of silence that I could even hear my own heartbeat down to ''literally'' zero decibels. Any kind of sound in this type of environment would seem louder than usual. Then suddenly, overt sounds of rustlings are heard, coming from the gargantuan tree''s branches. I looked up and there, I beheld a very grotesque creature. A serpent... No, more like a basilisk judging from its size. Its fangs were overlapping on its mouth, with scales bright red in color, horns and thorny tail same to that of the dragons of ancient legends'' depictions. It is a view of bewilderment and of monstrosity. And as I remain distracted on beholding such a sight, Shiro started talking...not to me, but to someone else who appeared out of nowhere...Someone I know, who is supposed to be dead. My little sister... Jean Cendrillon. In the same dress, she wore on that same dying night. 48 Nostalgic Nightmare "Which is the true nightmare, the horrific dream that you have in your sleep or the dissatisfied reality that awaits you when you awake?" -Justin Alcala ? They are both talking in an eerie way. No matter how I called out to one of them, I can''t seem to get their attention. And there''s this kind of unseen force that won''t make me approach them, as if I lost control of my own feet and of my body. I just stood from a distance seeing them talk as if, they knew each other for a while now. "Mother, Father, This is Shiro, Big brother Jaiden''s new sister!" My sister, Jean, spoke with her usual mischievous-toned voice. Then out of the thick mist, came two personas that I never expected to see standing again. My deceased father and mother, in a very healthy and young rejuvenated demeanor with clothes also the same as that of what they wore when they were killed. "Oh, I see. What a beautiful child, right?" My father, as he approached Shiro also began to utter words under the same noble voice he always had. "I agree with you. Welcome to the family, miss Shiro" Mother also joined the conversation with a pure smile and unselfish gestures the same as ever. What is this? Mother. Father. Why are you here? Jean? My mind is still unable to comprehend what is happening right in front of me. "Oh, so you''re here my son!" Father looked in my direction. I can''t seem to find any words to say, and my mouth is somewhat holding back. I just continued to drown myself in overly sensitive thoughts... R-right. I should just greet them with a simple ''Hello''. "Hell-" Yet, I was interrupted. Father was not referring to me, he was referring it to his ''other'' son. A voice, so familiar came from behind me. A voice of a madman that I hastily recognized, to be... my brother''s. "Yes. Father. I''m here" he said, suddenly appearing in my back, interrupting my supposed impromptu greeting while ignoring me, like I am not there at that time. He then approached Shiro while wearing his favorite cloth of fine linen with a family crest on his collar, signifying his great influence as the ''next heir'' of the aristocracy. His facade is the complete opposite of what he showed to me that night of his derangement. In this mode of his, he really is the brother and the heir that everyone looks up to. Yet, I am unable to say or do anything. I still stood from afar while watching Shiro being surrounded and groomed by them. It is a picture of a family''s perfect picnic, so to say. Yet, in that perfect and soothing picnic imagery, something sinister is hidden beneath. I don''t know why, but I''m feeling it. The blatant eerie and creepiness of the panorama. And then, something went back on my bewildered mind...The basilisk which was dawdling on the giant tree''s branches a moment ago. I then looked up to see where it went, but it''s gone. Where is it? And then, came the unprecedented gunshots... "BANG! BANG! BANG!" As bullets escaped from the mouth of a gun, came loud noises in a consecutive suite. Noises, that ripped my entire family from their existence. Sounds, that had become the trademark of the murderer, some sort of desperate shouts for the prejudice. "HELP!" And then, from my business of locating the giant serpent, came a terrified voice of Shiro. "SHIRO!" I quickly turn my gaze to where they are, and it''s now a very different scene. A very great alteration of the picture-perfect picnic. My brother has now killed them...again, in the same decadent manner and is now coming to take Shiro''s life with the same gun he used on his once-failed endeavor to deem me lifeless. I literally have no power to freeze time. I don''t know why but my power is not working either. My animalistic brother then took hold of Shiro from the back, facing in front of me while holding his gun, pointing it to the girl''s head with a very deformed smile filled with the same insatiable hunger for insanity... The version of him that I can''t withstand seeing. Unable to do anything, as my feet are also severely and defiantly out of my own control, I just stood there...And my brother then killed Shiro without any forms of remorse and any hesitance. "Welcome to the family... little sister." He said while holding Shiro''s cold corpse. He then points his finger on me, gazing with a confident yet crazed expression. "Look back", he said. I then did what he told, unable to say or contradict anything. And what I saw is the basilisk, upfront, and face to face. In this perspective, it made the monstrosity even diaphanous without any obstruction. It then opens its mouth, enough to have ten people to fit inside and swallowed me whole like I am inconsequent plankton who accidentally came across with the megalodon of the vast pacific. (...) "Shiro!" With dizziness and headache, I hastily stood up, with the image of the nostalgic nightmare still redundant on my head, while looking around as I felt to have gained control of my body. I saw Shiro sleeping soundly on the bed while I gasped for breath... It was all just an evocative nightmare. An unwanted one. Good thing I did not seem to awoke the girl up. I sat down, heavy with sighs with sweat running down my face. Why? Why won''t the memory just leave me alone? It''s been years now since that happened, but still, the ugly memory hunts me to no end...and now, it''s including Shiro, without any censorship for the brutalities it grotesquely shows. I then looked at the clock-like contract insignia I have had and it''s still the same as ever. It''s hand facing three, indicating that I had nullified just three of the 12 major emotions. Anger. Sadness. Fear. There''s no way for me to feel those again. I just hope that my biography would not be that dull to read and that, it would not be a disadvantage for me here... Well, it certainly is. Emotions are stimuli and not responding to them, would be denying life. At any rate, I must alleviate the cons it offers while aggrandizing the pros and still improving the extent of this ability that I''ve just recently received... 49 Finalized Preparations "Unfortunately, the clock is ticking, the hours are going by. The past increases, the future recedes. Possibilities decreasing, regrets mounting." -Haruki Murakami ? I sat down, drowning myself in what I approved and still with the nostalgic nightmare boggling my head, when suddenly, through the city''s public address system, a siren''s emergency sound echoed through the whole city very loudly, as if a nuclear missile is fast approaching, with us as the primal target. Well, that has zero possibilities of happening. Only earth would have such an asinine invention designed to inflict catastrophe on the land we so personally walked. "What''s happening?" I looked at my clock and it''s now 2:27 AM. Hmmm. It''s comprehensible...That Alarm is sounded on purpose. To remind everyone of the journey that awaits, just thirty minutes more. The alarm js very loud that it likely woke everyone up, it goes on for almost like 5 minutes and then a new unfamiliar voice followed. "Bim pom pam pom!" here''s another weird emcee. "Hello everyone! Rise and Shine! Time check! It''s now 2:32 AM. Time check! 2: 32 AM Thirty minutes less before we begin our pilgrimage outside this city! Aren''t you excited! Awww, but, It is rather sad that not everyone is able to make it on the first night as they foolishly took their life thinking that all of this was a part of a dream! They disregarded how Mr. Hermes implicitly said that Death plays a constant role here. Well, for now, we sent their bodies to Hades. You won''t have to worry of any uncanny smell anytime soon." "Now then, I recommend everyone to settle up and recon at the city gates. Remember this okay? Those that chose ''Chaos Armada'' would have to take the Southern gate and for the ''Mirage Armada'', please do take the northern gate! Are we all clear? Oh, and I forgot to introduce myself, I am Goddess Athena and with me is Ms. Alexandra Ludenburgh, we will be the announcer throughout the entirety of the game, to its fruition, providing you fast undelayed statistical and rule updates! Don''t think weirdly of my name now. I know, it sounds horrible, but it has a nice meaning to it!" Wait, my homeroom teacher? Ms. Ludenburgh? Announcer? She was a great actress though, playing the role of a homeroom teacher in front of us...if she knew that this was to happen all along. "Then everyone! As of now, there are 345 thousand and 457 hundred active delegates left in the warfare. I can''t simply forget to inform all this statistical news. Outside of the gates that you chose, is an Anima, awaiting your arrival, one for each Armada. They will explain to you what to do next, as your primal steps on the land you all are undoubtedly foreign! See you there!" the rather early announcement ended. Yet, is to just me or these deities are really conservative on using their power, except for that Hermes who blew a whole terrain off just for demonstration. Yet, in all of their authority over the natural laws, why the hell are they making use of the public address system? It''s just weird for them to utilize such a tech. Whatever... 300 thousand huh? That''s a lot lesser than I expected. But still, as of this time, it''s still implausible to think, that in that remaining 300k+, one is only assured to get out with the wish in hand...and alive. Surely though, that Athena wouldn''t have to worry about bullying all because of her ''Godly'' name soon. So it finally starts... I then grabbed all of my stuff as I know that I can''t waste another second. First thing, I need to stop by a convenient store as planned and buy a larger suitcase, buy some basic necessities, like rope, flashlights, canned foods, clothes, and several others. and I think my money would be enough. Wait, do I really need them? It''s a land ruled by magic right? Well, it won''t hurt to give me a head start, so I guess its okay. I should just keep the numbers to a bare minimum. I would not want to stand out because of the stuff I''m carrying. "Shiro...time to wake up." I then soundly approached the girl in her sleep and started to wake her up gently. "Hee? It''s still early oni-chama." the girl waking up replied, as though shuttering her synapses, fighting the inevitable and undeniable lure to sleepiness and the unending call of the comfortable bed and pillows. The night still rolls and it would be a while before the sun shows again. It''s normal for a little girl to act like this. What''s not normal is how she is able to have a decent sleep in spite of everything she saw, even having her parents dead in front of her. In my case, it was a week of unable to wake up, another week of sleep deprivation, a month of complete isolation and years of memories haunting me to no end. Even here. Maybe some are just born strong-willed? Whatever the reason may be, this kid is quite something else. "Yes, but we need to prepare now ok?", I added. "*Ya-aawwn*. Ok, Oni-chama", with a little yawn and back stretches the girl got into her feet and prepared... It took a little while, she persisted to take a bath first... I then checked out on the digital terminal the hotel has had at the front desk and left the room key as instructed. And then out we go.. The moment we got out, those dead bodies that were everywhere are nowhere to be seen and there''s no trace of the mess that the mass suicide inflicted on the city streets. It is like, nothing has ever happened. It''s just the mundane International Clark City that everyone used to know. And on the side streets, lit by the auxiliary street lights were these vigilant-looking people going their ways, either to the northern gate or to the southern gate. Some of them looked rather excited, some looked doubtful, some were confident while the majority still has this look of the unbelief of what they are going through. Moreover, those that are left, can''t be simply underestimated. We all have had our fair share of troubles just on that past hours. But, as to what I am wondering the most, is why they are not that prepared to look at, with bags that are rather small to fit their needs. It''s like they''re going for a stroll in a park, or is it perchance that they thought it''s useless at this point? We are going to a land where supernatural occurrences are daily visage though... Shiro and I then quickly scanned the neighborhood for a convenient store. Good thing there''s this one still operating. I hastily opened the door and started picking things that are important for me and Shiro. Clothes? Check! Canned goods? Check! Flashlight and Batteries? Check! Portable tent? Check! Ok, this is it for now. Wouldn''t want to make it heavy either. Wait, I can''t go on looking like this? I now look like a mountain climber in a school uniform of a very exemplary university! Let me redo it again. First, a rather medium-sized bag. Two pairs of cloth changes for me and Shiro. Little water for the road. And of course, I can''t forget the portable tent. Alright. This is it. Now looking normal than ever. Assuming that there are no one other than us in the store, I quickly left my wallet containing all of my money and started to go back my way, towards the semi-automated door... "Young man, what is this..?" Moreover, someone is in fact in the store watching me picking all of this stuff up and returning some of them away, and it is rather weird. I did not sense his presence despite the tightening of my environmental perception. Perhaps, I got too busy. It is an old man, in his sixties in the cashier. "Uhmm. It''s cash, for all of this" I answered his question pinpointing how I benefited from this nearby store. "No need for this. You can take whatever you want" with a very innocent and undaunted smile, he replied, while throwing my wallet back at me. "You sure sir?" "Yes. There won''t be any needs for this place to continue anyway." "Thank you. You''re not going, sir? It''s only 30 minutes before lockdown you know" "Oh, I''m just gonna say my last goodbye to this place. I''ll follow up later. You go there, kid. Let us meet again, in this land, they frickin transported us." "Sure." "You both live ok?" the old man said, delineating the ''both'' part, to me and Shiro "You too. Thanks again, sir!" I then got Shiro who is also picking some snacks by the grocery ally and got out of the convenience store with everything that we need. For starters, it was very refreshing to know that someone that calm and normal still exists. Meeting someone like that would want me to take back every bad thing that I have said, generalizing the entire humankind, when in fact there are still a few who can pass through my criterion of ''notable personalities''. Well, I do look forward to a reunion outside the gates, old man. just don''t make it awkward. 50 The Point of No Return "You get a wonderful view, from the point of no return." -Terry Pratchett ? I looked at the clock and it''s now 5 minute-minus before the gates would finally open. Ok, this is perfect. I should now re-start the ''Low-key'' plan, although I don''t see myself to be THAT ''Low-key'' anytime soon. Not while a Japanese little girl is with me and not with this baggage. Well, I simply can''t leave her alone. We then got ourselves in the southernmost part of the city through the hand-made transportation I made using only the pen''s ink. Pretty handy isn''t it? At the back of a facility, away from the gazes of everyone, I then undid the power, the moment the gate became vividly visible. I wouldn''t want my identity of being a Herrscher, revealed due to a superfluous reason. And then we, alongside a vast number of ''others'' found ourselves facing a very large gate, and a very peculiar looking one, set to fit the atmosphere of ''Chaos'' as the faction''s name suggests. It is rather dull in color and is designed with bones and skulls all inlaid in a larger metallic piece, that forms this putrid-looking threshold. Well, I kinda like it... This gate...it is what leads to the outside world they call as the third realm, "Naethervale"... Wait, Is this gate always here? Hmmm. It''s not the proper time to think of such a crude matter. It is so crowded... I now understand why that failure of a goddess only wanted to regroup outside. I looked around, still with Shiro holding my hand looking rather sleepy...Now, that I look at it, these people chose to destroy their own race, for whatever reason there is. But, this number is simply not quite right... For a 300 thousand remaining population, this would be only around a thousand here. Does this mean that we are awfully outnumbered? I should not be too surprised though... Lacrimosa even implicitly said the same thing. "Is everyone now in the gates? " The public address system again sounded... "Well, looks like it...apparently. There''s no such person now who would defy any command coming from you extravagant deities." I thought. "This is now the path that you chose to face. Standing north, the people who chose to save their mankind despite the opaque future it still believes... Standing south, the outnumbered people who chose ''Chaos'' for their own race. Now, let us see which is the naive decision. Are you seeing this Alexandra? Everyone''s ready to go!" "Uhmmm. Yes. Yes. Ehehehehehe. " The homeroom teacher slash, announcer, began to talk for the first time...And that, is definitely not the voice of someone who does not know what is happening. I feel you, sensei. Truly. "Ok then everyone! Last tip... Listen to the Anima awaiting your arrival, kay?... And just be nice to the denizens there, you would not want to be eaten raw don''t you? From there, learn the extents of your powers, ok? But, don''t be inactive too much! That would be a penalty of Death! Ok then, further instructions would be given the moment you settle yourselves outside. THE GATES ARE HEREBY OPENED!" the deity ecstatically announced... A creaking noise is then heard as the weird and gargantuan gate started opening. I looked at the clock. It''s now, 3:09 AM. Nine-minute delay of what was agreed, yet not caring for the minor details, everyone is shunned by the fact that ''Here we are, in a world we never wanted and neither did we deserve''. The third realm. N?thervale. Finally, the gate opened. It is still rather dark as the auxiliary lights of the city fend off the light of the soon-to-dawn gargantuan moon. The gate is opened, but no one dared to take the first step. And I''m not doing it either. Someone will take the initiative. Then, not yonder, a morena teen from the crowd walked towards the front row and took the first step outside, without any wavers. And then everyone followed with sheer confidence. Including me...shamefully, but reasonably. And then, all of us found ourselves trending our foot in a well made phantasmic bridge, connecting the city to a terrain a hundred miles away which is still quite unclear as to what awaits because of the morning mist which is thick as milk, way thicker than how we were acquainted with back on earth. All we could hear are the rumbling of the sea waves approximately 30 meters below us and the cold winds... And then, as all of us made it outside, to the bridge, the gates closed with an unseen hand... Signaling a point of no return. Everyone watched the gates closed, as everyone knew of the fact, that if they want to not end up dying earlier than the average lifespan, they have to take this path, of the unknown with the chance of keeping the so-called ''dear life''. It surely won''t do us any good if we are just to stand here. Merely everyone then started to move forward even without the vocation of someone. Why the hell is this mist here anyway, we can''t see clearly in all of this white! And then, I felt something...hovering above us. It is big. I was the only one who felt it. It can''t be something that wants to attack us right away, right? I hoped. Then came a very loud roar, like the shouts of a thousand thunders all at once! Everyone, except me of course, became terrified and started to duck and take cover. But I have to fake some terrified actions too, to make me look normal. And then what we saw next, is this large entity with wings that extends to the skies and a spiky tail of burning vermillion... It flapped its wings mightily over us, that it cleared out the thick mists that are laid fore, giving us a view of what this N?thervale really looks like, in person. As we saw the ambient view, the majority becomes speechless, except for those who were unable to keep the excitement that they felt the moment they saw it. "Wow" and "Beautiful", became the first lexicon to be spoken by humans in this realm. I for once is also keeping it inside me. It is so beautiful. From this perspective from the bridge, we could clearly see the oversized moon whose reflection is radiating on the vast seas and swimming in it were creatures that we never dreamed of seeing. Mermaids? No. It''s something more beautiful to behold. Fishes? Not mere fishes, but ''glow-in-the-dark-ones'' making the sea look like a sky of some underwater civilization. Above, we could see the very clear night sky filled with radiant stars in where not one of the constellations is familiar and named. Birds of unfamiliar species are also seen while large dragons also flew in flocks mightily hovering above us. From afar, the same direction where the bridge is leading, we could see a well-made and established medieval-themed castle, no an empire, maybe, which is probably another few hours of walking, the moment we arrive at this bridge''s end. Yet this realm though... It''s like Earth, but before man took the rule, together with its beauty. I can''t also help but ponder at this point, because it just seems so surreal if monsters really do exist in these areas, and if something like that ''Cheshire Cat'' really does coexist in such a lovely environment as this. And it is as of this point, that those who lost someone dear would just dream that they were here too, to see all of this. But in all of this boundless gaiety, an ugly side will always be somewhere. Just another side of a coin. We can''t be distracted by the fact that this land, this peaceful-looking land, will soon be tainted with blood, as it becomes the eon''s host for the ''Warfare of Fates'', a gamble where killing becomes the new norm... By the way, where''s Celes? And how''s the other majority who chose the Mirage Armada doing? Are they also seeing the same thing? In all of the unclear details, one fact remains clear-cut. Here, we are... At a point of no return indeed. (Classroom of the Elite main theme''s climax, plays)... 51 Elegance "We don''t create a fantasy world to escape reality. We create it to be able to stay." -Lynda Barry ? International Clark City. An artificially made island in the vast pacific made through the various aid of countries. It was to be the pedestal and the very symbol of humanity''s ''ever-evolving'' state. It boasts facilities and skyscrapers with 50 floors on average, that could withstand an earthquake of magnitude 8 without a dent. Brought forth sectors designed to offer quality life to its denizens. And in the center, stood the towering city hall and a few blocks away was the university I was supposed to attend while attaining a mundane life of gray. It was truly an innovation that the joining countries can be very proud of. It was, the ''Re-emergence of Eden'', so the media says, but in a modern context. It was intendedly created to be the rich epitome of continental connections and economic trades...yet, the deities have had already made an alternative plan to utilize the island in the worst case possible. And to make it even worse, this Viscount figure hastened the plan up, even dragging others along without their approval. And, here it is now. In a truly ironic situation. The viscount figure, Celes called ''End'', summoned a giant grotesque titan out of nowhere and literally transported us here like it was a mere warm-up, like carrying a kid''s dollhouse to a new table, killing many on the process. It was then that the so-called Garden of Eden 2.0 found itself in a world that none of us knew. As we were still on the dominance of the island, receiving instructions, being acquainted with the rules and receiving explanations of what is really happening, with some dying, confused and hopeless, we never did have the chance to look out of our windows of the vast buildings to see what this new world looked like...rather, we took time, assessing the situation in irrationality and useless arguments which even made the majority attend a cult with one goal. ''Die together, we will wake up unscathed on Earth. This is just a nightmare''. So, they thought and disparagingly ignored how consequential this really is, as warned beforehand. Prior, we were instructed to prepare, and that the island, the moment we are to move out will once again be sealed with divine jurisdiction and will only re-open the moment a victor has been decided. And now, it happened. The time has come for us to bid the city farewell and say our best regards to the new life that awaits outside. A life where killing is the newest norm. The giant and bleak looking gate, intended for us in favor of Damnation for mankind(Except, I never did favor anything from the get-go), opened and the first glimpse of the outside world was rather menacing and yet, what''s clear was that we are to travel this rather long bridge in a thick mist without a lucid destination. But, fortunately, nature wanted us to have the greatest ''second'' impression of the realm... A dragon-shaped avian flapped its heavy wings mightily as it hovered above us with scales as black as charcoal and with a fiery tail as red as vermillion, clearing the mist that engulfed us which was prior a hindrance of getting a clearer view. Yet little did we know, that the mists were but an additional aspect that would set up the mood for our first legit glimpse to the unknown...in this surreal realm that the deities called, the "N?thervale"...A haven yet to be tarnished by the insatiable stupidity of men. Mesmerized. If I were to apparently describe how everyone felt as they took their first few clear glimpses beyond the city gates, it was this word. It''s not even enough to fully paint the image. Some stood speechless of what they are seeing, some wished that the deceased were here to see this too, with tears about to burst, while the vast majority was unable to hold in the excitement of seeing the endearing visage, which was apparent in their facades, especially Shiro, who''s eyes has been sparkling for quite some time now. The soon out-of-access city then closed the gate we used, with an unseen hand. It was the first time that everybody knew, that now, it finally starts. First, as I speculated on the future impact that this warfare is to cause, I am saying my humblest apology to every biological species in this area. They are soon to taste what hell is like. Yet, in all of my negative foreshadowing of the future, everyone''s face spelled a different vibe...A vibe of being rejuvenated. They better not forget that all of them on this side chose the Armada that wants to spell the end of ''Mankind'', the pessimistic ones that abandoned all hope, and that, seeing something like this, would never change the fact that we are here to kill each other. "Are the others seeing this as well?" I self-questioned, wondering how the other 300,000 plus who chose the opposing team is doing. Well, in that number, which is approximately 30k percent more than us, they should be fine at least. One by one, driven by a sheer curiosity of the ''more'' that lies beyond, everyone started to walk the rather extended viaduct which is interlinked with the city and which leads to a land which appeared lit and in a distance, is a medieval-themed castle that appeared slightly different to how fairy tails of old portrayed it. Yet, it''s still Three AM. So any vision of the afar would be a little disoriented. I should just start uncovering the fundamentals of this place first thing in the morning. "Oni-chama, where are we going? This place is pretty" Shiro started talking as she earlier stood in awe as she saw the place of picturesque. But, I can still see how sleepy the little girl is. I did wake her up a little early so it''s presaged. "I''ll show you tomorrow Shiro. You should just sleep for now, ok?", the girl, as though sleep-walking yawned and I then carried her up as she fell to a deep slumber seeing the clear night sky as she laid in my arms. Everyone then started to walk amidst the elegant bridge without any form of doubt about the possibility that a bestial creature will suddenly appear and eat us all fresh. I looked at my clock, still with the fascinated Shiro in close company and it is now 3:27 AM. For a simple sight-seeing, that rather took long. But it''s understandable. The gaiety of this place simply can''t be ignored. Yet, in all of the beauty, it showcased upon us earlier, and in all of the elegance, I sure did hate one aspect of it...It is too colorful. While colors may satisfy the eyes, it will never reach the heart. It''s just plain eyesore at this point, for me at least, who consciously lived a quarter of his ongoing existence from a perspective of black and white. Don''t be mistaken though. While black and white are widely considered as colors, no they aren''t. They are deemed as outcasts in the light spectrum as Lacrimosa also likes to consider them. One becomes obsolete by the dominance of the other. Intricate isn''t it? And that''s exactly why I like them. Then, after a long, boring and silent ten-minute walk...we found ourselves in the process of taking one small step to the twisted fate that we are to experience, standing at the end of the bridge. For the last time, we took grandeur to look at the island where this twist of fate flabbergasted us all without warnings. The International Clark City. Our waypoint, and our only means of going back home, as soon the game ends. For now, that city will be sealed, just like how the old Eden was in the ancient days. It will be sealed with a divine jurisdiction that prevents anyone from going in not so long as the warfare is in progress. We then took our very first step in the unknown land as we reached the extremity of the bridge. And then, not yonder, as everyone finished crossing the bridge, it then suddenly collapsed, implying that no one may cross again for the meantime and its debris came crashing down the moonlit waters below. And then inside the city, at its center, a light started to radiate and from it rose four large and armored statues with height same to that of the 180-floored city hall. Each of them, then stationed themselves, one at each corner, guarding the city with large flaming swords in hand. They''re the guards, I guess? The moon is now also slowly dissolving along with the bleak of the night, as the sun started to show some of its rays on the far unearthly horizon. And then, as we were distracted by the supernatural occurrence, musical sonatas began to maneuver into the air. Piano sonatas, that are truly incomparable and it is the first time that I heard such perfection. Not yonder, someone appeared out of nowhere seemingly at our backs radiating this very pure charisma as she slowly descended. Her hair is white as wool and so is her long majestic dress. In her seemingly perfect neck was a long silky Tenne, the fluffy thingy that appears on the neck of Japanese Gods, and in her back was a floating piano in arch-shape that likely served as her trademark or something. Everyone stared in admiration as she drew closer. But, there are also a number of others who showed doubt if yet again, this is another exotic deity sent by the magistrates... Yet, I apprehend her, to be the ''Anima'' that the announcer talked about earlier. "Good day everyone. I am Amadea Mozart. I congratulate you all for taking your first steps in this realm" With a frosty voice, she spoke as her feet slowly touched the verdant ground. She then bowed her head in front of us all with a noble manner, replacing all fear and doubts with nothing but a sense of Elegance. Amadea Mozart? Don''t tell me its the same Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?... But, a girl? 52 Amadea Mozar "Music, even in situations of the greatest horror, should never be painful to the ear but should flatter and charm it, and thereby always remain music." - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ? While we stood amazed at the myriad of the bizarre sights that welcomed us as we took our very first steps outside of the city gate... at the end of the bridge, a lady of elegance suddenly revealed herself along with her surreal form. "Good day everyone. I am Amadea Mozart. I congratulate you all for taking your first steps in this realm" With a frosty voice, she spoke as her feet slowly touched the verdant ground and as she gracefully bowed her head in front of the crowd with undeniable grace. "I am one of the Anima of music" she introduced, with the arc-shaped piano in her back still gushing forth the most melodramatic tones I have ever heard. Spirit of music? Is this ''Amadeus Mozart Reincarnated as a Spirit Girl'' kind of plot?... I''m still carrying Shiro around that time, sleeping soundly, not to mention I am also carrying a bag twice heavier than her. Out of nowhere, and partially out from everyone''s clear sight, I began to set up the portable tent hastily to let the sleeping Damsel continue her peaceful trance inside without being bothered by possible bug bites and plausible outroar. "In your world, you may have had known me in a very different form. Yes. That Amadeus Mozart and yours truly is the same. It was just a form I took so that I can deliver the first quality music designed to soothe the soul normally without raising eyebrows, and with me at that movement was Lorraine Vaugn Beethaven. Yes, whom all of you knew as Ludwig Van Beethoven. But sad to say, the preference of the neo-era is very different from ours, and look at what the music industry had become. Moreover, you certainly are not in fault, so let us abrogate that scornful subject.", her face showed a very disappointed expression in which I can highly consolidate. First, Amadea Mozart and now, it''s Lorraine Vaugn Beethaven. Good riddance. I wonder if I can have an autograph? Well, it would be a little dramatic, but it would only be in vain, given the atmosphere. The girl version of Mozart continues on her speech exploits while I am also busy setting the tent, while a few who caught a glimpse of what I am doing had also set their sudden gaze on me wondering as to how I could act in such a manner. And, I don''t care. It would be a major problem if this girl would be sick in this kind of situation. Done! Now that was rather quick! Such an admirable piece of survival tool this is. I have to thank that convenient store''s old man again, the moment we see each other. Salute. As I placed the girl inside and as the portable hiking tent completely stood in its apparent durability, I then zipped its fabric door to make sure that unworldly bugs that are likely to carry unworldly germs, would not find their way to the girl anytime soon. Now back to Amada Mozart... "This is your last instruction as you go on through the first stages of the game so please do listen... From henceforth, you are to set foot in a perilous pilgrimage, where Hades is like the wind, silent but is always at everyone''s side." As she said that, everyone took turns of sudden glares on the deep and silent forest laid in front of us with doubts that this could be one of the paths of ''peril'' she implicitly states. The Anima, as though seeing through the hearts of those, began to state some word for reassurance. "Are you worried that you will all be killed first thing upon your entry here?" Everyone diverted their gazes from the forest and started looking down, which is a clear sign that everyone does so approve of the hunch of Amadea. "Don''t worry, no one''s allowed to lay a hand of you as of this moment." "Uhh-umm...How do we know that?" A girl with a shaky voice and although looking somewhat shy, found the courage to speak her mind in front of the vast multitude seeking assurance that we are ''indeed safe'' for the time being. Not to mention, everyone here is at least red-handed and came unprepared. "Y-yeah. How should we know? The first time we heard an assurance of ''not being touched'' had one of us killed.", someone from the crowd also found the guts to reprimand the statement. Well, it is highly foreseeable, seeing how Hermes also said the same thing, but still killed someone the moment the person caused him inconvenience. "You all are probably thinking that Hermes and I have the same personality, but please do cease the horrible judgment. But, for assurance, here..." A luminous scroll then opened in front of us with an appearance the same of the mediocre-written contract that Hermes delivered to everyone. Another message from the Magistrates, perhaps? While the lady beheld the scroll, everyone begins anticipating to hear what it has to say... "A letter from the Magistrates...! Those who chose Chaos Armada as of now should be free from any sort of danger or harm. Neither do they need to worry about pursuant soon enough. They will only be available for peril, given that they have had completed the following. 1) Re Characterization, 2) Have had found proper accommodation 3) Have equipped their first weapons. All is done for the civility of the game. " As everyone heard that, not one dared to jump out of joy, nor question the remaining unfamiliar terms we have had heard. There''s something wrong with that statement that made the entire congregation concern to some extent for the enemy team. "Hey. What do you mean, for the ''Chaos Armada'', what about the others on the other side?"A big man with monstrous build questioned the Anima for everyone, as though feeling uneasy of what the entirety of the ''Mirage Armada'' might be facing now. "I thought you all are already well-acquainted. Did not Hermes say it to you?" the lady asked... "He did say something about the rules, the system and the classifications of sorts... But, just that..." "That''s all?" the spirit asked for confirmation, with sober expression written all over her face. 53 A Concern for Equilibrium "You must let what happens, happen. Everything must be equal in your eyes, good and evil, beautiful and ugly, foolish and wise." - Michael Ende ? "Yes", everyone replied in a synchronized manner. Then, as though insulted by hearing that, her piano faltered in its beautiful playing and came to a despicable cease. "Unfortunately, that information is incomplete." "Huh?" Everyone demanded further extrapolation...including me. "That information is incomplete. Hermes either did not or forgot to tell you about one thing..." "And what did that exotic psychopath failed to mention?" An angry man alongside a mob, came upfront. "Please do calm down, but have you been acquainted as to how the fairness of this game is considered a virtue to be implemented above all else?" the spirit asked the incognizant crowd who stood speechless. More likely everyone did not notice how Hermes implied that ''fairness, in fact, should be kept at all costs''. And, I did ask my self that query sometimes before, and I concluded that what this spirit is saying is inevitably true. Lacrimosa said so in the same manner and that she also advised me to ''fake'' join the Chaos Armada as it will likely benefit some major headstart to compensate the whole team for being outnumbered by the other faction. But up to now, I don''t know what this major headstart would be. "As you can see, you are outnumbered by the Mirage Armada." The anima of music exclaimed the overt. "Yes, we know. It is rather weird as to how the proportion and division are somewhat biased right from the start." A four-eyed tall lad came to explain his evident observation, although it''snot that ''weird'' why we are outnumbered, it''s presaged already. What''s weird is the reason for his conclusion that more should have had chosen this group. "And do you know how much ''exactly'' are you outnumbered?" Amadea directly bombarded the question to her. "For that, I don''t know." the lad stepped down. "Hmmm. As of now, I should let you know. There is something called the SCC in this warfare." SCC? What should that be... "SCC. Stands for ''Sentient Contender Count''. What is this you ask? It''s simply a daily report to be delineated to everyone by Goddess Athena, and I believe she already said some statistics...345,457. Do these numbers ring a bell to anyone?" "Its the current count of everyone alive right?" Everyone so thought the same, but only one stood bravely to spell out the answer. "Correct. And in that 345,457 remaining participants, it''s unfortunate to say that the Chaos Armada is only .2 percent in the statistics, which makes you 691 in total. "What? So this Armada is less than a thousand? And the other faction, is around Three hundred thousand more?" I thought inside of my head, but I am not alone in realizing the revelation. "ISN''T THAT JUST UNFAIR? A THOUSAND LESS GOING AGAINST HUNDREDS OF THOUSAND PERCENT MORE??" someone shouted inflicting to everyone a shiver, down their spine. Yet, it''s going a bit overboard to say that its ''hundreds of thousands percent more''. "It certainly is." the spirit answered, being considerate of the fiasco of the mathematical calculation and it is as of this moment that I think I know where this is all going... "Then how are you going to maintain fairness in this situation?" someone asked. "Oh, pardon, that I may not have had delivered the message to you clearly But, it has been made fair. To re-explain to you...The very compensation of this unfairness is that you can explore freely without worrying about any danger in the meantime. So to say, you have been summoned in a ''much more'' peaceful part of the realm." "So you mean?" "Yes... The Sentient Contender Count as of now is decreasing rapidly. Truth be told, as we speak, drastic statistical change is in effect. 245,987...187,00...157,236..." "Hey tell us what''s going on on the other side already?!!" Everyone, even though knowing what she meant started to rally..." "You all really want to know?" "JUST FRICKING EXPLAIN IT TO US!" Everyone began to act rather furious of the confusion they are feeling, and of the truth that they all don''t want to believe." "Okay. And I will not just explain it to you... I will show it to you...The process of maintaining control over the equilibrium." Everyone, who got the response that they wanted and even better, started to shut their mouths, in anticipation of knowing what is indeed happening for the Armada who houses a total by which outnumbered us on a sliding scale. Then, Amadea made her piano consequently sound in its own will as she closed her eyes in meditation. The music? Ranked at the list of the scariest classical pieces of all. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart''s ''Don Giovanni''. "Summon...The Looking glass of Clairvoyance!" And then, out of thin air, appeared a giant mirror-like figure with golden frame and through the glass, an unwanted horror movie appeared, although it''s not right to call it fiction. A blatant scene from afar...that nearly explains how this warfare, prioritizes Equilibrium above all costs." "HELLLLPP!!" "DON''T LEAVE MEEE!" "P-PLEASE JUST TAKE MY CHILD!" Sounds like that came lively from the mirror as if we all are brought behind the none-fictional scenes, and as the ''Don Giovanni'' piece''s sonata came coalescing with the horror, in the brutal clairvoyant looking glass... Uncensored moving pictures of people being eaten alive, being burned, being brutally massacred, by these unknown and aggressive bestial creatures that are just too ugly to be defined through simple terms, horrified the 690, making some feel nauseous, some crying and some covering both their ears and eyes, while some stood stunned, watching the terror within, as though watching their own race become cannon fodder for the grotesque flesh-devourers. This is how the warfare gives ends meet to the concern of equilibrium. They summon the more numerous faction to a place similar to hell to meliorate the exaggeration of numbers while summoning the lesser group to a place of boundless gaiety. Then suddenly... "Who is that girl? She-she''s saving everybody else!" Then, the horror movie suddenly and unexpectedly metamorphosed to a live-action epic as someone began to awesomely and single-handedly help those in peril, slashing the ugly creatures up, with every one slash powerful enough to slice a hundred. It''s Celes...The renowned Prima Donna, utilizing the holy relic, ''Trancy'' that her Deity for whatever special reason, entrusted to her. Now, for someone who has made up her mind to obliterate humanity for probably a long time now, together with the divine will Deus made her bare...why the hell is she there? She does know what she''s doing right? In all of the myriad of questions that I have in my mind, I know for sure that I can''t answer it all through a baseless hypothesis. Seriously though, she''s digging up a hole for herself here for being the first Herrscher to be widely exposed. Yet, that Goddess... I never knew that this was why she wanted me to keep a low profile while faking my presence here in this rather fortunate (for now) Armada. I guess, that this is the long-presaged compensation we''re receiving for being vastly outnumbered... being sent to a safer side as our primal starting-place. 54 One-Sided Principality "Since the war, we''re the only intelligent species left in the universe, therefore we think everything in this universe has to conform to our paradigm of what makes sense. Do you have any idea how arrogant that view is and on how little of this universe we base it?" -Robert Buettner ? As if we are watching a callous cinematic movie through the said ''Looking Glass of Clairvoyance'' that Amadea Mozart summoned for us, to let us see what''s going on with the other group, we got ourselves a live stream and geat angles of live horror and now... live-action. From the sonatas of Mozart''s Don Giovanni, to now some dubstep of an epic anime fight. Celes, the Herrscher of the Phantom Deity-Deus Ex Machina, faced off against the unfathomable flesh-devourers with a hellish dancefloor as the main battlefield, saving countless others in the process. Her sword as though named ''Trancy'', a holy relic of legendary origin fitted her finesse as a swordsman. It''s as if the blade is a part of her flesh and every slash is voluntarily inevitable. It''s as if, talent is present beyond doubt and that the sword is created solely for her use. Amidst all of the actions, there are some changes that I can''t help but define. Her once jet-black hair turned blonde. She''s not wearing the same uniform the last time I saw her, as it''s now a rather ancient black dress with metallic breastplate inlaid with this Crossmark at the center, skirt as white as wool with golden ends, leg equipment of black color and unblemished boots and to top it all off, a mauve-colored robe with a lotus symbol. The same as the insignia in her neck which is the symbol for her agreement with Deus. It''s undoubtedly Celes but in a more sophisticated version. She then evacuated everyone who is caught in deterioration placing them to a higher altitude, clearing the way for a major conflict, leaving the ugly creatures present on the battlefield which I think is still a lot more than the hundred thousand left of them... Yet, the flesh-devouring beasts stood paralyzed by how their numbers are decreasing at a much higher rate, than what they attacked, with the appearance of just one. The Prima Donna, now with an arena where she can fight without holding back, then took hold of her sword, tightly gripped and is becoming ready to advance once again. "Don''t hold back if you want a few of you to leave alive" she bargained, which was pretty unfair on her part. The unintelligible maniacal beasts, knowing that they don''t have much of a choice and that, the knight in front of them will not take no for an answer, prepared to go all out without partiality, bringing in more back up armed with weapons alike from the stone age. It''s now, one against a million, so to say... Dust in the dry air. Dead bodies of both humans and the monsters piling up on the battlefield. In a humid environment. She began to drive a little back to gain momentum with the same calm and undaunted look as ever. The monsters, including those humans that she saved started to gulp their nervousness out from their necks with sweat running down their faces as they fought hard for dear survival. And then came Celes, flashing through the battlefield with enormous speed without warning, cutting the defenseless throats of thousands in a split second making their freshly amputated ugly heads drift on-air as the other monsters also step back of fear. "Don''t you dare run.", she said with a merciless expression written all over her face, pointing the edge of her sword to the mass and chanceless monsters in front. Yet, the same flesh-devouring beasts did not take heed of the threat and now the first publicized Herrscher must meet all ends to make sure that these escaping inferior and brainless maniacs will never once again bother them. "From the void you are, and to the void, you shall return. AETHEREAL LUMINA!" And then, great purple light emanated from the sword wich specifically reached the fast-escaping fodders. The same light that engulfed me whole the moment she found out that I''m a Herrshcher and made me ask myself if I''m indeed about to die at that time. I never have had any idea of how potent this ''aethereal lumina'' really is as Lacrimosa defended me in that time without breaking a sweat. But now, its clear to me, why that weapon has been entrusted to her and how deserving it is of its standing as a ''Holy Relic''. In a single hack, it can cut thousands like its straw... and in a single ray of that unearthly light that penetrated their neanderthal outfits and flesh, the grotesque man-eaters that were left began to find themselves dissolving into dust from mere contact with the sword''s glorious light alone, while the other half were able to take cover by several means, by sheer luck. Then, the lights ceased making the plain battlefield saturated with the remains of the dead as though incriminated by a different and more uncanny method... It looked painless at least. Celes, seeing the assured victory of mankind which is newly foreign to this realm, paused a little while and started taking deep breaths, as if she just finished a morning exercise. "Bravo Miss! That was some nice stretching there...Mind if I take on the last few?" A familiar old man confidently spoke to Celes. It''s the same convenient store owner that gave me all of this free stuff that I have with me. The same one who compelled that we should meet each other again the moment we venture into this land. So he has chosen the Mirage Armada...Yet, take on the last few? That definitely is not something that a normal human being in his sixties can be capable of confidently saying... Is he perhaps? "Have it your way." Celes, drawing back from the battlefield without looking back, with her appearance transforming to how it looked like the last time we saw, began to entrust the remaining enemies to the old man who showed endeavor. The old man then cracked his knuckles, looking back at where the sentient members of the Armada were relocated... "I would appreciate it if all of you would go further away, young ones.", he shouted. "There''s no need for that." Someone from the crowd got himself to the front lines...A boy, probably the same age as me in a tracksuit. "Heee? Are you sure?" the old man asked... "Yes. Just do what you want to do... I''ll protect them." track-suit boy plainly answered, as if he also has a hidden ability that he alone can withhold. "Ok then...Don''t say to me later that I did not warn you " the old man said and found himself once again, focusing on the battlefield. And meditatively took a deep breath as though preparing for something big. A weaponless, bare-handed Baby boomer. And then, as he began to raise his hand upon the air, thunders came roaring from all kinds of direction and dark clouds began to cover the soon to disintegrate starry sky. We are even experiencing it ourselves even in this distance. The convenient store overseer, as though jesting made a thumbs up with a very confident face. Yet, knowing the predicament that they are in, the attackers boldly ran as fast as they could, further away from him and the plausible point of impact of whatever is to occur without turning back...but that is looking rather impossible. And then, as the thunders continued to endlessly roar at the clouds, there shook an earthquake. The strongest that we have had ever experienced, as though the whole realm''s grid has been tilted by an exponential degree and in the cloudy and thundery sky, appeared not a red flaming asteroid, not a nuclear missile but a shining blue hand of unknown origin covered in abominable lightning. It''s a visage of heaven concealed with blue and black...Lightning and a stormy firmament. "HAND OF ZEUS!" he shouted. The Thunders become even more horribly aggressive as it makes our ears ring as it roars, and the ground continued to shook more intensely as the hand drew closer to the ground then, the hand hit the surface breaking the mirror of clairvoyance in front of us, cutting our mainstream media. It never did occur to me, that the impact would so big, that it reached us. I guess, there''s no need for that looking glass anymore. We could clearly see it with our own two eyes, the bluish explosion, apparently opposite from where we are. First was the thunders, second came an earthquake, third appeared the giant lightning hand of monstrous size. And then, an explosion. So much light came out of it that even though we covered our eyes, we could clearly see through our flesh''s every bone and our veins. Then, next was a wave of impact coming out from the same direction, the sea in front of us began to be vehement and waves rose by meters and beyond. I hastily got Shiro out of the tent as she peacefully slept, hurriedly getting to higher grounds. This was the hand of Zeus... So the man named. The oldest Herrscher so far. Celes, I wonder how the hell is she so acquainted with a battle as one-sided as that and remained unscathed and untouched. It was as if they, her, the old man and the tracksuit boy, have the same life on earth...A life of bloody battle and life of rampage and that, being constantly environed with dead empty vessels which once carried a life, was an everyday mundane visage. At least, if that is true, I now know that I''m not the only one. And how dare Lacrimosa called these thunderbolts cute? Wait... Zeus is inferior to Lacrimosa in the divine hierarchy... Just how powerful is that Goddess really? What''s more magnificent to think about, is our race''s sudden declaration of our supposed-principality as special creations. We''re only here for a few minutes, and now, we are demonstrating who is the real prevalent creation to these creatures which probably already existed here a long time ago. ''Aliens-stripped-off-of-their-motherlands-for-humans-to-cultivate'', should probably be the best title for this cinematic set. Everyone, including me who is summoned in a safer part, of Herrschers and normal participants alike, asked ourselves...Are we supposed to fight them? Those that predominated the battleground in the first few minutes like it was a mere walk through the park, a mere Child''s play. Seeing them like this, made the Chaos Armada react in different manners, it would be a waste of time to state all of the 690, and I''m still unconfident of that judgment...What I''m sure, is that I can''t waste another second doing irrelevant activities in this warfare, if I want to continue to thrive, needless of the armada that I will soon settle to join. 55 Re: Characterization "The old self is dying, and the new world struggles to be born; now is the time of monsters." -Antonio Gramsci ? We have no idea what a Herrscher is really capable of doing, including me who is supposed to be one. But now, it''s clear to us, the reason that sets them apart from the crowd...their power to vanquish. Deus Ex. Hermes. Midas. Cheshire. Athena. Zeus. Lacrimosa. These are but few of the deities that I know so far and I''m not even sure what Armada some of them really are in, but what I''m sure though, is that they are not to be taken for granted. From our first night outside the city gates, we already have had quite a dilemma, especially, for the members of the Mirage Armada who were summoned in the ugly part of this realm to make the warfare seem fairer for us who are outnumbered, which I think is not the case. I think the Magistrates just want to decrease the sentient count, not for us, but for their convenience. Not to mention that the other affiliate already has their first battle experience while here we are, whom danger is not allowed to target...for the time being. Conclusion. First day. First hour. Countless lives were lost. All for the reason of maintaining equilibrium. May they rest in peace. I wonder what happened to those left alive in that thunder explosion? And Celes... She did not just suddenly betray her moral did she? By the time that the stormy and bleak clouds which are backdrops of the old man''s ''Hand of Zeus'' began to drift away, it was morning. Our first sunrise in N?thervale. It showcased an even more surreal visage. The sun''s heat was not that potent. Unknown flowers are dancing on the verdant grounds and on it, dewdrops are present. There are these cute and harmless-looking slimes just how anime depicts it to be, looking all gooey and slithery, although they have sharp teeth. Wolf-like creatures with long horns are also parading on the plains, birds with long colorful tails appearing in many forms are flying on the sky and heck, dragons are also there but in a much higher altitude. In a closeby mountain, you could see a giant cyclops'' head poking out and, if not of Amadea''s assurance that we are safe, for now...everyone could have had ran away already. Shiro, whose sleepiness departed from her, began to enjoy the view as well, with those few others who have allocated time to express the wonder, unable to recover from their very first glimpse. It''s final. N?thervale is a world, identical to earth although it''s a bit surreal and filled with both creeping and flying creatures that I don''t know exist, and if they did exist, I never knew that I get to see one for myself. Truth be told, I expected it to be the same as how hell is always depicted, but I''m quite surprised that this is one habitable world with a fair share of beauty, which we are seeing and vileness, which the other team experienced on the attack of the maniacal-eaters, or whatever it is that they''re really called. We were then dismissed by Amadea Mozart saying that we should pray for the deceased and then undergo ''Re: Characterization'' after, simply just by saying the ludicrous word. While I have the hindsight of what it is, those mundane hunches can be proven null in this supernatural sphere at any given time, it''s safe to say that I don''t even know what that really means. Not until Amadea explained... "Re: Characterization is a process that all of you must undergo." "Even the other group?" asked one from the listening crowd. "Yes. But that goes on without saying that yours will be earlier. They will undergo their own Re: Characterization the moment they finish fending off themselves from the danger that still awaits. " "So basically, they are still in a pinch as we speak?", asked another with a sorrowful facade. "Yes, and their numbers would be decreased by a landslide. There''s no doubt." the Anima answered, as other''s face turned from joyful explorers to bashful pilgrims. "When all of you are ready, just say ''Re: Characterization''. And please do note, that I don''t recommend you being lenient in this one. It''s an important primary asset of the game. The moment when you will feel drastic changes on your being." Amadea, as though dodging any more questions in accordance with the other side, began to be direct to the point. "So what is this anyway?" A girl with street-punk and spikey hair with a bat in her hand inquired with a freezing tone. "It''s where you become subjects of Ethereal Paradigm. Don''t worry, as you enchant this word a platform will suddenly appear in your field of vision, a platform whose content that you alone are allowed to see, given that you will not change the privacy selection." What? Now, it''s seemingly becoming more of a game... Please don''t. "And from there, I''ll give you a tutorial tour... Oh and one thing, the quicker you finish, the quicker the Mirage Armada would be freed from their current venture. That''s the instruction I was given." And then, as everyone heard that, even without seeking affirmation, they hastily spoke the word, without second thoughts that they would be helping their own enemies. I''m quite surprised though. Their wanton desire to help, even after becoming nemesis has still yet to change. Maybe they have someone important over there or maybe, seeing countless lives being taken away in a spur of the night was too much for them to not realize its value? Well, whatever the reason may be, I can''t be left out now or else, I''ll stand out. Shiro found herself amused at playing with the spineless slimes and as the background is tainted by the continuous showcasing of the aesthetic sunrise... "Re: Characterization," I exclaimed as instructed, but in a way, that I''ll be the only one to hear... and suddenly as if our eyes are modified for this purpose, some gray-colored ''high-tech'' user interface began to appear in front of us, audio and video-oriented. Nice, but... Cliche. ??? \u003cEthereal Paradigm Initializing\u003e \u003cLoading Archives\u003e \u003cArchives Checked\u003e \u003cExamining identity...\u003e \u003cDisplaying Profile\u003e Name: Jaiden Axcel Cendrillon Classification: Human Affiliation: @!$%^#%#^#%$%\u0026#*#^$% Crusade Pass: Herrscher Killed Participants: 0 Killed Herrschers: 0 Re: Characterization Database \u003cGeneral Information\u003e Sentient Contender Count: 11, 732 negative Herrscher Count: 333/333 alive ??? Hell. I should have had expected that the cliche whether I want it or not, would find its way all the way to here. Well, as long as it does not display HP, MP, and STA, it''s enough, I guess... And yet, what''s wrong with my affiliation? Seriously? Did someone find out that I faked joining here?... Shouldn''t be the case, but I for one, can''t neglect the existing probability. I should ask Lacrimosa about this later. Well, I could just ask Amadea, but no, not in this dense scenario... Maybe I, alone have this problem and if I ask now, it would only cause suspense to rise. I don''t want that. Amadea Mozart then continued her extrapolation. "As you can see, this is your ''Persona Interface'' PI for short. In here, your personal information has been displayed. You have three Segments there as you can see... 1) Profile, 2) Re: Characterization Database, 3) General Information. And it''s not only you who have this interface, but everyone who has sparks of stellarly sufficient intelligence in this realm." Stellarly sufficient? Hmm... That makes me wonder on what basis do they judge that upon. "Under the profile segment, you could see your name, your affiliation, and your Crusade Pass. As you can see, the affiliation there writes what Armada you chose, and in the crusade pass, you could see what type of participant are you, whether if you''re a Herrscher or a Contender, which is, of course, pertaining to those who have signed no contract with a deity. You also have there, two ''Kill Counts'', which I don''t need to explain... Under the Re: Characterization Segment, we will discuss that lastly" "The third and last segment which is the ''General Information'' showcases statistical data that all of you share which is, of course, updated daily. There you could see the Sentient Contender Count, or the SCC and the Herrscher count which pertains to how many Herrschers are left. For now, all of the Herrschers are alive and well, but as for the contenders, they''re not doing fine." So, the deity briefly exclaimed, leaving no rooms for plausible questions. Everyone''s face wore gloom for a bit as they saw the drastic change in numbers. From 300 thousand to now 11 thousand. And it''s still decreasing. Everyone, seeing that, is able to feel the ardent rush and self-inflicted pressure to do the Re: Characterization Process and finish it as early as they can. "So, what is this Re: Characterization? Just tell us!" "As I have already said. This is where you become subject to the Ethereal Paradigm. This is where you will voluntarily foist changes to yourselves for your own survival in a realm filled with what you are widely acquainted as ''Magic'', ''Alchemy'' and whatsoever. Okay, now, as everyone is eager to do it, please do listen and do my instructions carefully" "FIrst. Click on the ''Re: Characterization Database. You could see those question marks, don''t you?" Everyone, then hastily clicked as they took heed of the instructions...and so did I. ??? Re: Characterization Complete Database: Paradigm Name: Requiem Aranea Type: Dark Definition: Control anything that is dark, black, or bleak whether through imagination or physical contact Paradigm Shift: Dark By Default Limit: Once per three days Consequence: -100 day lifespan Usage Violation: -1-year lifespan ??? What the hell is this? Where are the question marks? Everything''s filled! First, my affiliation is all that ''!^#%#\u0026@%#$@\u0026'' and now, there''s this thing called ''Requiem Aranea'' in the list with this minus lifespan-thingy. As I wondered why my Persona Interface''s content very much differed from everyone''s, I continued to bombard myself with questions while everyone was like... "Yes, we now see the question marks, what should we do next?" I''m left out... Yet still, I need to continue fake-clicking if I don''t want to raise eyebrows. 56 Paradigm Shif "He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little. He who would achieve much must sacrifice much. He who would attain highly should sacrifice greatly. " -James Allen ? "So, we''re now seeing the question marks. What should we do next?" Everyone spelled the same question to the NPC act-a-like Anima, Amadea Mozart, as they clicked the Re: Characterization Database...yet, to my surprise mine is a little peculiar. There are no question marks, but everything is filled to the brink... Mine says these, ??? Re: Characterization Complete Database: Paradigm Name: Requiem Aranea Type: Dark, Binding, Manipulation Definition: Control anything dark, black, or bleak whether through imagination or physical contact Paradigm Shift: Dark By Default Limit: Once per three days Consequence: -100 day lifespan Usage Violation: -1-year lifespan ??? As though I know that there''s something not right, I have to act the same with the masses, or else I''ll found myself exposing superficial profiles that I want to be kept private and separate from the publicity. I''ll have to act however usual and casual I can be. "As you can see in the new appearing layer, there is this, ''Re: Characterization: In Progress'' prompt. It means that all of you are to undergo this said progress, may it be by hook or by crook. " Amadea Mozart exclaimed... As I thought so. It is something to be done ''only'' this day. Moreover, mine''s different. It says Re: Characterization Complete. No room for any progress at all. "So what do with do with this?" Feeling the impulse of quickly finishing the said process, everyone started to act in haste with the coalescence of curiosity about what this process really is. "First in the database. You could see there''Paradigm'' followed by question marks. That pertains to the prowess that all of you are to attain in this warfare. Simply put, in this realm, it''s not called alchemy, magic, sorcery or even wizardry...that''s too weak to be compared to this... to what we call as ''Paradigms''-The most superior type of natural manipulation, whatever the mean. If you have proven yourself to be ready, then please tap on the question marks." So my paradigm is ''Requiem Aranaea''? I don''t ever recall knowing what it means. Or giving my chosen power a name of its own. While it matches my power''s definition, I can''t help but wonder how this name came to be here, unless it''s auto... Well, if that''s the case, I should be thankful. If they were to auto-name it something else like ''xxJosephxx123'', I''ll have to sue whoever made this program, if it is in fact, one... which I think, is not the case. "And at this point. I would like you to spend an hour or two, or even half a day to think about this. Because in your Paradigms lies your survival. It''s your surreal capacity against this surreal realm, its environments that you don''t know that you are yet to experience and of course, against your enemies. Upon choosing, there''s no required limit, but know that it has usage boundaries. Please do choose wisely, after this it will remain ''inalienable'', meaning, no external links would be ever to change what you chose. It will be your power even to your last breath. " Amadea added. As though hearing the most important notif, everyone began to focus on thinking about what kind of ''Paradigm'' they want to have. In meditation as they brainstorm for the most plausible element that would fit them. They can''t mess this up now by choosing a power that is too weak or beyond control. "Click the question marks now." Again, instructed the anima of Music in the whole congregation. "In there you could see a menu of options of what paradigm you want to have. First, you have to choose the type, after that appears another menu in which you would choose the Paradigm''s main attribute...and in the last part you would be asked to have a custom input of what your paradigm shift would be." As she uttered that seemingly familiar lexicon, ''Paradigm Shift'' everyone began to turn their heads from their Persona Interface to the Anima giving instructions in front. "Paradigm Shift?" "Yes. It''s a skill that is unique to each one of you. A skill that alters the Natural Laws of the Universe for the time being. It''s the strongest attack in your arsenal." Everyone then started to think harder in their decisions, even distracting themselves from the fact that they were feeling the pressure just moments ago. It is the first time that I saw them like this. It''s a refreshing orderly view, not resorting to such rash actions that would inflict some mishaps further in the game. They offered every bit of their mentality as sweat running down through their faces as they scroll on the choices on the appearing menus... Still, here I am, doing his best to not get noticed that his Re: Characterization Database has already been filed without prior acknowledgment. "Done... We chose it. But what is this consequence here? ", asked a curious lad a person away from me who is relatively younger-looking... I have to say thanks to him later. While I have the zest of what this ''Consequence'' means, I hope that it''s something different. "It''s exactly what it means... The consequence of altering a natural law. It will be decided by the system itself." Never mind. "Did you actually think that a mere human could go and alter one and escape unscathed? Fortunately no. Even for us spirits or even the deities themselves receive sanctions afterward. First, one inlaid as the ''Consequence'' is basically the price that you have to pay the moment you use your Paradigm Shift." The Aima added. "What about the usage violation?" "It''s the same. Moreover, this pertains to a ''Maximum'' punishment that you must pay in return for not following the limit. In other words, if the prescribed limit is once per day and you use it twice, you''ll have to pay, the ''Usage Violation'', if you use it thrice you''ll have to pay two usage violations and so forth. Oh, and you certainly must not worry. By ''Pay'', we don''t mean ''material'', its something of ''equal value''. "So basically, even if we follow the limit, we still have something to pay just by using it?" "Yes. Outmaneuvering natural laws in your state is inconceivable and for letting you do just that, compensation is a must. While all of yours differ, there''s no doubt that some of you received lighter punishment. Moreover, that doesn''t mean that you are exempted to pay the due. Outmaneuvering a natural law, comes great sacrifice... even to us spirits, what more for a human? And take heed that it is not you who will decide the consequence. It''s the ethereal paradigm itself. All you have to do is to input what is asked simply by imagining it and Wella... You got yourself Re: Characterized." "Tsk" Everyone''s face turned out to a disappointed bunch, while others were also calm. Overtly, in Bleach they call it ''Bankai'', in Shaman King, ''Oversoul'', in Fate series, ''Noble Phantasm''... yet, in here, the deities like to refer to it as a ''Paradigm Shift''. A means of outmaneuvering natural laws given that something of said-equivalence is to be repaid. So, this is it huh...and yet again, why is mine filled already? It says here that my paradigm shift is ''Dark By Default'', without any additional information to be more specific. Not to mention that the utilization consequence is a 100 day minus to my lifespan, and if I violate that limit of one use per three days, I''ll have -1 year taken from my time as a biological-thinking entity. Fundamentally, it''s just that dangerous.. but don''t you think a minus in a lifespan is just plain cruel. Well, the spirit did say that it''s of equal value, so I presume that my Paradigm Shift should be something acceptable. I just have to test it later... I wonder what everybody else had...But, it''s something not good, judging from their discrepant looks. If I were them, I should not make those kinds of faces in front of others. Then as all of the crowd began to flinch their teeth seeing the consequence information while some were looking stupidly overjoyed to see some ''video game system'' come to life, someone from the crowd stood up, whose figure is familiar to us all... "Lady Amadea, for the Herrschers. You''re missing some important info right?" The same morena girl who was the first to step out into the city bridge asked this question, that I think might answer mine. She was the first to not fear what lies ahead, even in her fragile-looking body and in her not-so-easy-to-approach charisma. "Oh right... For the Herrschers, your Re: Characterization Process has been completed right after you signed a contract with your respective deities. So, there''s no need for you to undergo one. Sorry, I forgot this crucial part." So Amadea also has her clumsy side. Well, it''s better if it''s to be compared to that complaints ullage of a goddess, which I need to meet as soon as possible, sticking to the plan. Moreover, heating the word, everyone''s face is turned from one person to another, looking for this so-called ''Herrschers'' in the Armada, curious that one might be lurking with them, and then there''s me pretending to be nothing but an inconsequent plankton swimming adrift in this vast unknown sea. 57 A Novice Prodigy? "Let us not forget the true definition of sacrifice. It''s basically giving up something which is ''unnecessary'' anymore... And life might as well fall in that category." -Anonymous ? Come to think of it, the General Information data stated that overall, we have 333/333 Herrschers alive. That''s a lot. I wonder how many are there in this Armada of 690 individuals? "So, there''s nothing left to discuss here right?" The morena girl yet again asked. Amadea nodding off as a sign of agreement. "I''m out" The morena girl made her exit and faced the unknown laid in front of her, without any form of wavers. She is like Celes, in some ways, but the more aggressive type. Seeing her fled into the wilderness, one, two and then, dozens of people followed going different directions without even saying farewell. Judging by how they acted and how they confidently looked, I knew that some of them are Herrschers... otherwise, they would be showing some kind of hesitations to venture individually. From their actions and based on what the morena girl said earlier, they might share the statistics together with the 333 Herrschers in the warfare...and I don''t think that I''m alone in that thought. Everybody else became suspicious of her the moment she implicitly said that she is a Herrscher by asking that question that I held back inside of me for later. And as several others, knowing that there are no rooms for any more drivel, also followed her lead, but in opposing directions. I think that a stigma for us is gonna rise soon... But they''re not that stupid to suddenly hate on us right? I hope so. After all, It was not our doing that brought them here, especially me. So now, I have my Re: Characterization Completed without knowing how it worked. Convenient, but rather dull. Oh right... Maybe I could let Shiro show me hers. Maybe I can understand how this Re: Characterization process works. And I don''t want the processing delay from her to be a valid reason that any more lives on the other side are to be taken away. "Shiro..." I called out as she was busy playing with the slimes...she then ran towards me and refreshingly smiled "What is it? Oni Chama?" "You now can have your magic, what do you want?" "Magic? Like a fairy?" "Yes! Even more than that, so first... can you say Re: Characterization for me?" "Yes Oni Chama.... Le: Chalactelization" And then, the system, as though understanding that the kid''s l''s and r''s are jumbled showed her Persona Interface to me as I was granted permission to see it...At first, it looked like mine... It showed her profile, the general info, kill counts which are, of course, zero. Strangely, her Affiliation is also unknown, like mine. It just shows this ''!^@%#^@$'' thing... but for the most curious thing of all, is how the Re: Characterization works... I''ll find out what happened to our affiliation if whether the system had noticed that I faked joined here or whatnot. "Could you click the Le: Chalactelization button, Shiro?" "Yes, oni-chama!" the girl''s tiny fingers then tapped on the database and from there, basically the same as everyone else... highly discrepant from mine. ??? Re: Characterization in Progress Database: Paradigm:??? Type:??? Definition:??? Paradigm Shift:??? Limit:??? Consequence:??? Usage Violation:??? ??? "Okay Shiro, could you click the first question marks?" "Okay, oni-chama." As she clicked it, there appeared another platform layer which says: Choose the Paradigm Type: (Must be limited to one element) (Input through imagination) (Change is unapplicable) Ok then, how would I explain this to a kid... "Shiro, it says wha-..." While I was just about to say a few words that I think would explain this more apparently down to a kid''s level, she showed me the otherwise... Now, I know, it''s wrong to underestimate, even to a kid. Shiro, as though knowing and understanding what she just saw began to scroll down the choices and started to bombard the platform with keypresses in rhythm, one layer after the other that I could barely keep up. It seems she already has an idea in mind, an idea that I am sure that I can''t object to. Well, she is a kid... No, to what I just said earlier, it''s wrong to underestimate. And then, as she finished, a loading screen popped up... (Re: Characterization in fruition) Eh? Is Shiro perhaps a prodigy? I wanted to learn how that process goes, and here I am, beaten up by a kid., who almost looked like she knew everything... ??? Re: Characterization Complete Database: Paradigm: Soul Replication Type: Mana Manipulation Definition: Transform to any bestial creature at any elemental attribute without attaining to boundaries, copying the monster''s skills, defense, attack, and form. Can switch forms with a one-second cooldown. Paradigm Shift: Bloody Butterfly Limit: 1 minute per week Consequence: 4-day Hibernation Usage Violation: 1-month Hibernation ??? Shiro, happy with the shown outcome, no matter how little her perception of what the process is for, smiles in satisfaction. Well, having a hibernation for a consequence is not that bad right.? I guess it''s fine. No, it is by far convenient. Maybe this Ethereal Paradigm is a bit forgiving to the little ones. "Gather round now. Your ''Persona Interface (PI) is always updated. Announcements would be given by Athena through here without undue delays and also, please do expect that the shown ''Sentient Conteder Count (SCC)'' will always be in constant change as the warfare proceeds. All that you have to do now is have a weapon, and you''ll find yourselves on the pangs of both peril and joy. Make sure that it fits your physique." Amadea continued in her task. "Not too distant from here is a N?thervalian Kingdom. I recommend, you can start from there, or you also might want to go forth a more unorthodox way, then you could do as you please. It all lies in your hands. Moreover, I could say that the Kingdom is more preferable.", so said the goddess, but I think not that many would want to choose the ''unorthodox way''. For now, they''re likely to go in flocks and in the most conventional there is, except for those confident others that left a while ago. As everyone finished their own Re: Characterization, Amadea Mozart, as her elegant arch-bent piano began playing tunes of hope and new vigors, she left us with as little as "Good luck... Let''s meet again somewhere", disappearing suddenly without a trace. They really have the hobby of presence concealment which sometimes is a little macabre. ''Requiem Aranea''...''Soul Replication''.Now, to what extent can we utilize you both? Shall we test that? In moderation of course... I would not dare lose a year in my lifespan for something trivial. Although I don''t know for myself if I''ll be able to enjoy that if I do manage to preserve the span. If I die, the conservation efforts would be all for naught. Oh right. I have to meetLacrimosa first... Then, I have to guess, that from that point onwards, we''re on our own. 58 Re: Zero "Start from Zero. And reset to Zero. Life is but an amaranth circle. " -Subrata Karmakar ? After the Re: Characterization process took its fruition, we closed our PI''s inlaid platforms, in front of our field of vision. Everyone then showed realistic vigor in assessing their decision, if they did, in fact, choose the correct Paradigms for themselves with choices to choose from of merely infinite. I presume, the otakus also are in a special baffling case. Why? Because it''s usually at times like these that they will find themselves striving in a deep mud of options all for the sake of obtaining a quirky paradigm while still looking drafty. It''s fundamentally like a game''s character creation, where most of them would spend an hour or two before they can decide for one. Sadly, not much time has been allocated for this so-called Re: Characterization, and in it was not the ubiquitous feat. It''s not a means of us to defrag any of our physiques, it''s merely just a process to condone our eligibility to now be able to descend to this path untravelled, of having our so-called ''Paradigms'' and ''Paradigm Shifts'' which outmaneuvers natural laws at will, given that retribution stands so at the end. Unfortunately, for those enthusiastic bunch, it''s now but the point where ''What if I'' questions boggle their mind to no end. Moreover, for the contended me, I find myself beginning to be busy in the opposite direction. Yet, why do I know all of this? Simple. I''ve been there, but at a much mediocre extent. I then found myself reopening a portal which again leads to that dark minimalistic realm together both Shiro who frantically bid the slimes she was cheerfully playing with earlier, farewell. (...) "How''s the arrival?" "From 300k to now 10k... Quite the drastic change right?" "First few hours and already losing such numbers is quite the significance. I''m highly acquainted with ''human enervation'' but it never ceases to amuse me... So why are you here?", asked a goddess whose fragrance made it seem that she was again disturbed from one of her precious bath time. "And I wonder who planned the creation of such ''enervative entities''?" I sarcastically asked with a face that spelled ''Did you forgot that they were brought here impromptu?''. "As to your question... It''s just as planned", I answered her in the same deadpan expression as the kid beside me began to wander her eyes in the realm to and fro looking if Mr. Pegasus-san is there. The goddess, as though knowing what Shiro wants, summoned another one, as playful and as majestic as before. I then laid Shiro in its back and once again, they found themselves playing on the vast space and amidst the crystal chandeliers drifting without any known foundation. "Hm... Right, but I would appreciate it if you would stop forcing yourself into someone else''s room. Especially when they''re taking a bath. Kono Ecchi" "As if... Now, it makes me wonder, do you have anything else to do besides bathing in here?" "Oh, there are many. Want me to show you?" Answered the Goddess as she sat down again on her peculiar throne at the epicenter of the realm. "No thanks." "Still as direct as ever...So, what do you think of the third realm?" "You seriously asking me that? You know that it hasn''t been that long before the first steps, right?" "Certainly. You''re not obliged to answer that, for now at least... So why are you here again?" "I told you, it''s planned." "Uhm... Planned peeping?" "Seriously, just what is wrong with you... So, moving on from unnecessary details, you knew about this Persona Interface all along right?" "Yes, and what about it?" "I think you already know why I''m here... I and Shiro''s Affiliate information is somewhat ''bugged'' and I don''t even know if that''s the correct word to describe it. It just shows random characters as if there was an error kind of prompt. Do the systems know that we faked join or something?" "Quite possibly, but cutting to the chase, it''s my doing." "What did you do?" "Just altered some of the system''s governing rules I guess, but only to the both of you." "Hmmm?? So nice of you to include Shiro in your plans... And by the way, I think I know who the Herrscher of Zeus is. He made quite the first impression here. I''m surprised as to how you described that thunder as ''Cute''...." "Heeee?? It is in fact ''Cute''. There''s no changing that." She answered while her facade showcased an expression of mocking the destructive power we just saw. It''s in these types of scenarios when Lacrimosa unveils how mysterious she really is, and it just makes me wonder how powerful could she really be. The Lacrimosa that I''m seeing now is but the tip of one massive iceberg. "Just how powerful are you?" I questioned, facing her unpretentiously as she looked to me in the eyes with the same confident and breezy glare whilst she crossed her legs sitting comfortably on her throne. "Just probably enough to bring down a magistrate or two. That''s all." She answered, and I don''t sense any ambiguity in that response. But, to bring down a Magistrate, who the deities revered as the commanders of their congregation chosen by the primordial themselves, it''s quite implausible. But then I guess, it''s okay to believe in the implausible, for now. For someone who''s power is drawn from sadness, from depression and of any dark and ill emotions, it''s quite comprehensible how she had the potential to bring down a Magistrate. It''s a grotesque world of endless requiems from where we came from, a world ruled by sins and one that does not cease to gush forth darkness. It''s an ideal Nirvana where she can attain power. "Then, I''ll repeat this again... having you here somewhat breaks this ''equilibrium'' right?" "Yes. That is an irrefutable fact. That''s why they are resetting our powers starting from Zero..." she exclaimed, but I still find this resetting whatnot process a little bit debatable and it''s all written all over my face. "You don''t believe? It doesn''t mean that I can''t prove it to you, you know?" the goddess as she sensed the wanton ominousity claimed. "Then prove it," I answered. And then, as if the Ethereal Paradigm also takes hold of her, there appeared in front, a platform, same as the Persona Interface, but more complex and intricate in form, that I think she alone could understand what''s inscribed within. There are a few symbols that I am quite familiarized with though, the decreasing numbers in the most lower part of the display. Yet it is still in its trillionth digit. I guess there is the resetting process? I wonder how many days will it reach zero? "If you have recently undergone the compulsory process of ''Re: Characterization, we also have to undertake such a trivial process, but It''s called ''Re: Zero'' in our part. It''s to assure the equilibrium as it aims to reset our powers back from square one... And even that fallen Viscount himself should be under the same situation." she explained... 59 Trillionth Points of Authority "Having overwhelming power is boring as hell." -Saitama ? As Shiro is continuously drawn as she played with a Pegasus, yet again..Lacrimosa, showed me her intricate and unreadable interface, vis-a-vis, and began to exclaim... "As you have already presaged, this is my interface, although we, the deities, call it by a different emblazonment... And this wide range of numbers that you are seeing is my ''Points of Authority''... decreasing at an unprecedented rate, and lookie here, even in that ''unprecedented melioration'' zero is still far on. What petty." Lacrimosa added, with a little sigh in a slow tempo. "It might be a little bit assuming but, are you the only one whose recession is still in process?" "Nope. I highly doubt so... I think there are two others." "Who might they be?" "You know him... That retard who transported everyone here in haste dragging those that are supposed to be just bypassers." "You mean End?" "Woah... I''m surprised that you know him by his new name. Tell you, that guy being blue in the DISA language has quite the fetish to change his name from time to time...and the ever-changing names? All cringy as hell, that only a two-year-old with Schizophrenia could think alike.." "I could barely care... and who''s the second one?" "He''s an Archangel, where that underpaid guard, Deus Ex, takes in command, even in this warfare." "What''s his name?" "Gabrielle. Familiar isn''t he?" "Eh?" It hasn''t been clear to me, but I think that this kind of transparency is also potent enough to inflict me on some nausea. The guy who was once known as the fallen angel is now on the ''Mirage Armada'' and the other guy who was supposed to be high in command is now fighting alongside those who wish damnation. Pretty much a paradox isn''t it? But not the unanswerable type. "Hmmm... How paradoxical. One last thing though... What are you planning to do after the Re: Zero proceedings have been done?" "I don''t know... Maybe travel with you I guess? And start building my powers to a much more... ''mediocre'' statues " "And why should someone like you strive for the plain of mediocrity?... And please don''t be serious about traveling with me." "Because having your authority reach its trillionth digit even without you knowing about it, is as boring as hell... Wait, what did you just say?? YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL... It''s your pleasure!" unable to withstand my display of fervent discontent, she extended her right arm to my clueless face and started to tightly pinch my right cheek. "Please stop that..." Hiding the potent pain that her hand caused me, I pleaded with her as the tightness of the pinch began to break loose. Merci. "And how should you convince me? Having Shiro in my provision is enough... I can''t afford to have another little girl with me." another pinch then came into my innocent face, but this time on the left side with a little addition of tautness. It hurts... It seriously hurts... And I''m not a masochist that I should enjoy this. "Says him, who I watched grow up. " She replied to my insults still with the hurtful cheek pinch and with a little tsundere''s "Hmph!" at the end mixed with ''tsun'' noises... "My usefulness in this domain is of prevalence... The reasons? Aside from having a beautiful lady to venture with you, I can be of use through several predicaments... After all... This N?thervale is where I grew up..." "What?" I found myself ignoring the pain as I drew myself to what she just said. So Deities really have their own origins huh... "Although at this pace, I think it should take another day or two to completely bring to fruition the Re: Zero proceedings and I''m not allowed to step out of here until it''s done. That''s just how morbidly powerful I am. ", she then called off her potent pinches and started to regain her usual confident composure. "I''m quite surprised that you''re now submitting yourself to the Magistrates'' command though. What happened to the defiance?" "My, my! It''s not the Magistrates'' command... It''s from the Primordials, which of course have the probability of coming from the Highest. Yet, I still can''t find myself submitting to merely anything. Just this once, is an exemption and I think you know why..." "Oh... More bathing time?" "Yep... And basically for more reasons... So, it might be a little late to ask you this, but before getting inside here, what happened outside?" she asks. "Nothing much... Just the Re: Characterization, the choosing of Paradigm Shifts, and Just an Anima showcasing us some things, giving tutorials and headstart tips... She also advised us to go to the nearest Kingdom as a recommended starting point." "An Anima, said that?" "Yeah... and I was thinking of doing the same if I don''t want to stand out too much." "One advice... Don''t." "Eh?" "Listen Jaiden, I highly need you to be the best skepticist as you can be while maintaining your misanthropic asocial side, at least keep it. Whatever you do, don''t heed this instruction to directly go into the closest Kingdom from an unknown Anima." she clearly said, implying that I should not change any of the traits that I have had personally incorporated... and she needs not to worry, I''m planning to do so anyways... "Yes... I am indeed a self-proclaiming tier-1 skepticist, so any evidence on why should I believe you?" "My, my! It''s one filled with decadence as of now, it would only be ''irrational'' to go to such places without proper equipment and Paradigm Exercise. Let me suggest to you, the best alternative... In a two-day walk, the same timeframe when I think my powers will all return to zero, there''s a small town on the west, and it''s not that hard to see it either. It''s just at the other end of a forest. I''ll meet you there... And oh, the little girl also has her own Paradigm right?" "Yes," I answered. "Then, as for now, I will withhold teleporting you directly there... I recommend for you yourselves to gain as much experience in using it, and that forest might as well be a great novice training ground." "Affirmative... Oh, and about the Phantom Deity..." "What about that security guard? Do you swing that way? Please don''t suddenly make this a gender-bender narrative." "What the hell are you saying to me... I saw his Herrscher, remember Celes, she crossed the other bridge. Did they perhaps change their mind at the last minute?" "Uhmmmm... It''s unlikely. Without ghastly intentions, even before this warfare came to be, that deity has been dead set to sever humanity. There might be some other variety of reasons, which I think has something to do with that self-proclaimed phantom''s compulsive mannerism. They''re still on the ''Chaos Armada;.. at least, that''s what the registry says the last time I ''accidntallyyyyyy'' saw it." She answered, rather with the same confidence, as if she knows Deus for already quite some tike now. Yet, I felt that there is something wrong with the ''accidentally'' part. I think she just forced her way to see it, judging by her mischievous and undaunted characteristics. That goes on without saying that she could be unforeseeable...most of the time. Upon my response something made me come back to my ''much more elevated'' senses. Why would she be meeting us there? Is she really planning on going with us? That''s unimaginable for someone as lazy as her... 60 Le Chant de Roma "Talent hits a target no one else can hit. Genius hits a target no one else can see." - Arthur Schopenhauer ? "Also... here''s a little parting gift." Then out of nowhere, appeared a dagger with black encrusts and crimson-colored blade, with both rain and knuckle guards alike of a fiery snake''s steel scales. A rare weapon from the start? Not bad, but cliched... "A dagger? You deities really have the fetish to serve the usuals huh..." "My, my! what insolent and ungrateful words! Fetish, you say? Are you perhaps expecting that you''re the main character here and that you should have more than a dagger for a starting weapon like the sword of that high-class Classmate of yours?" "Hmmm, that''s a mere assumption at its best... but it''s not weak isn''t it?" "Certainly not..." "Then I guess this should do it." "Besides its not just any dagger though. It''s a chakram actually." "Huh? What is that supposed to be?" "You don''t know what a Chakram is? For an eastern fantasy enthusiast like you, I could have never predicted your ignorance." "And what good might it bring to both me and my neurons, memorizing weapons from eons ago?" "Ara-ara! Kawaikoto!" (English: What a cute thing!) "Yametekudasai... So, back on point, this dagger is only an outward appearance? And it has the capacity to metamorphose itself in some chakram or something when wanted?" "Yes... It was a gift from Hades when I was promoted to the ranks and he somewhat showed me what it''s capable of with a proud look in his face, which I think is just another... puny trick. Never used it once though and I probably don''t need it..." "So what''s a chakram anyway?" "Guess, there''s no helping it, let me show you what it looks like in personal...Try holding to the callous-looking dagger once and say ''Le Chant de Roma''." "Here we are again, with the weird algorithm of foreign chanting spells." "Can''t help it. It''s not like I was the one who designed the system." "Hayst... Can''t hurt." Then, as I was about to grab hold of the weapon''s handle I can''t help but think of what Amadea said to us earlier. If I remember correctly, the moment an individual obtains his first weapon, they will then be illegible for peril and I''m no different. But, I think there''s no use delaying it now. As much as Lacrimosa here has implicitly thought, it''s better for us to start venturing to the pangs of danger, rather than to delay it even more, while those that are in the Mirage Armada are only getting more acquainted with actual combat. And I don''t think that I''m the only one with this idea. Everyone in that 690 should already be feeling the need to get a hold of a weapon they can call their own... No matter the rarity. I then took my first hold of the weapon. It was light and has quite the cool and legendary feel to it that I think even a kid could wield it without errors... and then, appeared in front of my field of vision its basic description with a three-dimensional representation of what the weapon looks like all inlaid in a futuristic platform of neon-green. q?|TTTTTTTTTT|?r Weapon Description Name: Grendel Rarity: Mythical t?|TTTTTTTTTT|?s "There''s also a rarity tier for weapons huh?" I asked. "Per se, yes. There are 6 relic and item tiers; 1) Prevalent, 2) Rare, 3) Prototype, 4) Mythical, 5) Sacred, 6) Arcana, but if I were you, I would choose to ignore such minor details. It''s only there to show the reputation of the weapon, they don''t actually prove anything, unlike in your ARPG''s and MMO''s. There''s this one time that I saw a prevalent relic holder defeated a Scared. Simply put, I think it''s just there to show merchants the value of the relic...nothing more and nothing less." Lacrimosa exclaimed. So, as she said, it''s very unlike video games. It does not show the damage or any of the attributes it incorporates. All it displays is a weapon''s name and guess what? It even has rarity. Everything else from that, I think would be ''User-Dependent'' meaning that no matter how cool it looks like, it depends on the dexterity of the user and the capacity of utilization to use it effectively and efficiently. And then, heeding the chanting instruction I proceeded... "Le chant de Roma" I chanted, the same tone how Lacrimosa stated it before, and then in my hand, the dagger ''Grendel'' became something else entirely. A ''Chakram'' so to say... but, in their little monkey dreams. I would like to describe it more vividly... It''s like the ''Mirror Wheel Eye'' actually, also known as the ''Sharingan'', but a large weapon which I think is long-ranged. From its dagger, It suddenly became a circular blade, almost like the shuriken of old but relatively larger with three surrounding larger blades that took the form of number nines encrusted in a circle perfectly distanced from each other. I think the size is half of Shiro but it was light as ever. It maintained its colors of both black and crimson and at the diameter of the round weapon, the handle came to be. "Nice isn''t it? Hades did have a legendary blacksmith to do it from its interior." "Can''t argue about that, but... Shiro, would you come down here for a moment?" "Yes! Oni chama!" Shiro then signaled the Pegasus to let her down and it was so. I think Shiro has the innate capability to befriend mythical creatures at this point. "Hmmm??? What are you planning now?" the goddess with an evil smirk on her face and cold eyes asked as if she knows what''s running on my mind... Then as the flying horse''s heel touched the ground, so did Shiro, jumping out from the back of the befriended creature facing me with all curiosity of why I called her while her face expressed the unequivocal joy of her most recent joy ride around the nominal place. "What is it oni-chama?" The little girl asks while being playfully cheerful around the Pegasus who she befriended. 61 Little Girl With A Mythical Relic "Everyone has talent. What''s rare is the courage to follow it to the dark places where it leads." - Erica Jong ? "What is it, oni-chama?" "Want to have this? This here, is Grendel" I then presented to her, the weapon. still in its secondary form, the chakram. "Hey! Are you serious?!" Lacrimosa, as though knowing my plan began to rant in a very noisy way. "Giving a child a weapon of this caliber is absolute madness," she added. "I don''t need it." "Heeee???" "Even before I came here, I am well-equipped... All I need is my pen''s jet black ink and I''m good to go. I can make my own weapon and it''s not limited to only having two forms. " I don''t mean to sound cool, but it''s what I think is rational. If I were to have this weapon, it would be great but it would likely destroy the purpose of me choosing my paradigm of utter manipulation of bleak things. besides, I can''t just focus all ends meet to myself while Shiro walks about in an all ''easy-go-lucky'' warfare... sarcastically speaking of course. It''s best if she would have a weapon with her, given that I don''t know how her paradigm really works. "Painstakingly, I''m having a hard time understanding a nimrod of your level, an expert at that!" "Oh, there''s no need for you to understand me. That''s one hard and time-consuming work, and anything but that for someone like you." As I and Lacrimosa began to throw off waste sound arguments, Shiro began to examine the weapon herself even reading the weirdly limited description. "So what do you think of it, Shiro? It''s nice, isn''t it? I would like you to hold into it, to protect yourself okay?" "Hai! Oni-chama!" she answered as if she knew how serious I really am. "Shall we try it then?" I suggested, without taking into account the plausible harm it could bring to Shiro... Yet, I don''t know why but I''m somewhat confident...and it''s one weird gut feeling. "Hey, all that is needed to do is throw it right? And it will come back to the hands of the user" I asked the insulted goddess. "Basically, but it would take an enormous amount of dexterity to catch it. Normally, I would not recommend you using it here, but it''s a kid, so I guess it should be fine. Try hard to not break anything, especially the painting... Or else, I will-" Shiro, feeling the urgent impulse to try it out, threw it as Lacrimosa is still speaking some words of warning. The said chakram as though thrown by a giant came adrift to the vast emptiness and slashed across a few of the crystal chandeliers obliterating it into bits while its broken debris of discrepant sizes came falling down making the realm shook in its own accord. From its fast-phased rotation also gushed forth strong and aggressive winds that dented anything on its way. And then, the chakram having lost all of its resistance to continue forward, rotated 160 degrees to return to the point where it came from with momentum still enough to break a chandelier or two. I was worried for a bit but, the kid as though catching a thrown frisbee seized it without any difficulty. A mere Childs'' play. "Hey... Tell me, where did you get this kid again?" the Goddess being reluctant of the damage and focusing all of her blatant curiosity in the happy driven girl, asked... "Don''t make it sound that I bought her from a meat market," I answered as if I ''m a proud parent or something... Could she be in fact a prodigy? At this point, I don''t know. All I know is that my eyebrows won''t cease from raising. First, is as to how she conveniently set up her paradigm without asking for assistance. And now, throwing and catching a dangerous mythical weapon with her fragile-looking arms which is thinner than the blades itself, even going so far as to get the attention of such a frivolous deity. "Shiro, how was it?" "It''s nice oni-chama... tehee, but it''s big, I can''t carry something like this oni-chama, I''m only gonna slow you down", she replied. "Don''t worry Shiro... You can make it handy by chanting another magic word." "What magic word oni-chama? ''Open Sesame"?" "Ahahahah... No. it''s ''Le Chant de Roma''" "Hai oni-chama... ''Le Chanto de Roma" the little girl in Japanese accent chanted, and the chakram re metamorphosed to its primary state, a callous looking dagger which Lacrimosa named ''Grendel''. A wolf in a dog''s clothing, so to say... "Wooahhhhhh!!!!" Shiro marveled as she began to be flabbergasted by the fact that she is to have the weapon herself the same as to have a new toy. "Keep it with you always ok? And be careful in walking around with that" "Hai! oni-chama. Mondainaidesu!" (English: Yes! oni-chama. No problem!" "Yosh Yosh! Shall we go now? Say your bye-bye to Pegasus-san... Aunt Lacrimosa has some cleaning to do, isn''t that right??" I somewhat insulted her again, but this time it is of no effect. "Huh? I think you''re misunderstanding something here..." And then with as little as a little snap, everything has gone back to the way it should be, as though nothing has ever happened, with the Goddess not resorting to a superfluous effort of cleaning up the mess. The broken crystal chandeliers once again assembled itself with unseen hand and the dents the wind left on the floors began to fix itself as though there are- some auto-fixing microchips there...Well, it''s a realm of her own design so it''s her will that would be prioritized in this place... "You got anything to say?", the goddess with a deride expression asked while clapping her hands in the same fashion as someone do after cleaning the dust off a window. "We''re leaving," I answered with a half-assed face. "Hmmmmm... Hahahahahaa!" the goddess laughed her soul out, while I and Shiro slowly jumped off a warp gate leading outside. As my business with Lacrimosa was brought to fruition, I and Shiro found ourselves in the third realm once more. Get as much experience as we can... Regroup at a small town located in the west... That is the plan...Ok here goes nothing. 62 Excrescent Chimera "But if you''re gonna dine with them cannibals. Sooner or later, darling, you''re gonna get eaten . . ." -Nick Cave ? As we got a depiction of what the next steps would be, and the stratagem to obtain real-time combat, I and Shiro, with her newly obtained weapon ''Grendel'' of high rarity began to opt-out of the warp gate, leaving the garrulous goddess Lacrimosa in her leisure. Hence we were sent back to the same place from whence we entered. The not-so-far view of the sea with the ephemeral sealed earthly city became vividly clear on our site as our feet slowly began to trend the verdant ground once again. I was sure that some humans could have still been around the place but to my surprise, none remained. It might be wishful thinking, but they probably have mustered some courage and are on their way to the city that Amadea advised us to go, which Lacrimosa said is a place not suitable for an individual without proper equipment. I don''t know why, but her words made it seem that the denizens in that particular city are somewhat hostile and I''m getting these unorthodox images of demi-humans with sabertooth fangs and ugly facades. Well, it better not to be that way. The time is around noon with the sun shining in its might, but with not much heat. It would be best to start the two-day journey now, to not spell any further delays. A delay would only mean the drawing closer of this Hades who likely overseers the deceased as described by the previous deities. But then, Shiro who is with me poked my shirt as a means of saying something... "What is it?" "I''m hungry Oni-chama." Into the bowl of appetency, the girl found herself while tapping on her abdomen. Well, I might as well kiss Hades at his butt-cheeks! Good thing I bought some canned goods though. We still don''t know how food works around these parts, so it''s best to have some imported ones from the start, it''s not just from any local country... it''s from another world. And then, as though conforming with the little girl''s, my mid-gut began to brazenly growl. Hmm. Weird, I never have had this blatant craving to eat such a ready-to-serve buffet. Maybe it''s the ''Scarcity Error'' at work, the fiasco in which the last cookie in the jar makes our mouth water to an unimaginable extent. I now applaud myself for reading Rolf Dobelli''s "Art of Thinking Clearly". It''s at times like this that I am able to unveil my inevitable and clandestine part as a thought-capable individual. "Shall we eat then?" "Wa-i!" (English: Yay!) "Oni-chama let''s eat under the tree over there!" She pointed her finger at a close-by tree situated in a little mound and in it, were peach-colored leaves. It''s almost identical to cherry blossoms, but having more dense numbers of leaves and extending branches that can accommodate up to approximately 20 people under extreme heat and probably, rain. Why is this tree not on earth though? should have spelled more convenience... "Ok sure," I replied to the overly excited Shiro... Too bad, fried chickens are still in a long way from her. If chickens do exist, that is... The little girl then ran taking shelter on the shade with a myriad of giggles escaping from her lips. "Be careful now, you have a sharp weapon with you!" I said, as I fetched our things and patched the portable tent which was left on the field eventually. Good thing no one stole it. So they did keep a little of morality I guess. Well, wherever they should be now, I somehow hope that they''d be safe and that they should minimize the hypocrisy, not that I''m different. " Oni-chama Hayaku!" (English: Oni-chama hurry up!) the girl ecstatically replied. I then sat down with her and opened two canned spaghetti and two bottles of water. "Itadakimasu." "Itadakimashu!!" We then dug right in. I was quite surprised though... It''s delicious and Shiro''s face spelled the same expression. It was my first time eating canned food, given that my grandma has her weird preference of always a green diet. At least, now I know, how it tastes like... I wished I could have brought a little more with me after all that old man was very generous to give everything I needed for a hundred percent off. (...) After a few gulps of water, and some junky dessert of cheesy crackers from Shiro''s picks, I am then becoming ready to begin the journey, but I think a little rest is a must. I, nor Shiro can''t afford to have such stomach aches along the road, not to mention how unhealthy this is, but the taste is worth it. From the comfy shades that the tree gave us, fresh ''globalization-unpolluted'' winds came passing by, rejuvenating us to the core, while Shiro is also making herself fond of her weapon and while blue shiny slimes were basically bouncing and jiggling everywhere, and I found myself ullaged into a deep thought of what the basic structure of this surreal world could possibly be. For us, it showcased a very nice first impression, but not with the other group who got to experience hell the moment the northern gates closed. They were attacked at a brutal state and from 300 thousand, we''re now down to approximately 11k... I then checked my PI to have some update on the General Information Data... ??? General Information SCC: 9,999 Herrscher Count: 333/333 ??? Unlike before in which the numbers just kept decreasing, it reached a point of consistency. 9,999 to be exact, with the Herrscher count still unaltered. "Oni-chama..." As my attention is taken captive by the statistics, Shiro suddenly called out to me, with somewhat a scared tone, and from afar stood a mythical creature, with a very irritated face whose attendance alone, destroyed the heavenly view of the surrounding''s ambiance. This is bad, still as a skepticist, I never could have imagined that danger would strike on the light of day. Well, it is an unknown world so, anticipating it should have been normal. The creature is also somewhat familiar, but it''s also rather different. It''s like the ''Manticore'' of Persia, but this time, it''s solely one large dark-skinned lion with wings of a bat, tail of a venomous scorpion, eyes of neon green, fangs of Siberian tigers and elongated horns of a Barbary sheep. It stands approximately 5 meters high and I can quite sense, that it''s coming to eat us both, with dark intent written all over his monstrous presence that made the puny and fragile-looking slimes flee the scene. \u003cDisplaying bestial Interface\u003e And then as the manticore-looking carbuncle slowly walked towards us, confident of our vulnerability, it''s stats then came to display, in a platform like in the weapon''s description earlier...and if I remembered correctly, the moment we engage, the stats would then be hidden as per said by Hermes. q?|TTTTTTTTTT|?r Name: Excrescent Chimera LVL: 20 HP: 10000 MP: 0 Type: Dakini t?|TTTTTTTTTT|?s A Lvl 20 Chimera eh? From the last time I read how it was described, it looked way weaker...but this, I think would be not of the same case. Moreover, it''s hardly worth my time. I did not even sense it coming, that would only mean that it would not put up a great sparring partner. If I were to fight it, it would be without a doubt, dull. I can just painstakingly control it and let it eat itself to make it look like a detective file of nothing more but a case of cannibalism... but I think, we should make this experience, to be of good use. "Shiro, want to try your weapon out?" I asked the trembling girl, which somehow os a little savage act in her perspective and is somewhat against the Philippine Republic Act number 7610 for Child Endangerment Protection. "Ehhh?? That would be killing oni-chama!", she answered. Kill? How is she sure that she can kill it though?... "Listen, Shiro, the monsters out here are not like Pegasus-san. They are evil and will eat us both..." "Will it cook us first?" Wait, that''s what she''s concerned about? "Ehehe, No... It will eat us raw" "Ehhhh????? Son''na ko to shitakunai!!!" (English: I don''t want that!) With teary eyes, afraid of being eaten ''uncooked'', she then took hold of Grendel and threw it towards the approaching monster without hesitation, still in its dagger form. And then... "Le Chanto de Roma" the girl chanted, and the dagger suddenly became the same chakram but had more momentum grazing the ground as it speedily targeted the monstrosity, not giving any room for even a quirky evasion. It came across the monster in mach speed, cutting both of its horns like they''re cotton candy, and advanced at a very far angle. \u003cDamage Inflicted....\u003e \u003cBestial Interface Invalidated\u003e The stats then became hidden as Shiro inflicted the very first damage. As expected. The, even more, irritated Chimera came charging at us at a very hasty speed... While Shiro confidently waited for the backlash that the Chakram has to offer... "I don''t want to be eaten raw!!!" The girl shouted as she raised her hand on the air, ready to grab hold of something... And then as the Chimera continuously charged at our direction, then came back the chakram that sliced of the monster''s head and had gone back to Shiro''s hand with blood all over its crimson blades, even cutting the glorious tree at our back, from the rotation''s momentum it had gained alone. If I positioned myself somewhere closer there, I think I am no different from that Chimera. The monster stood headless and neon blood came oozing out from it''s amputated neck and then it fell with a large *thud* sound signifying the gargantuan size of this monster. Wow. Shiro, are your deceased parents perhaps weaponry connoisseurs? Just who did I pick up? If she can yield a weapon like this, deeming a monster of this size lifeless in a dual hit, then, is there a need for her to use her paradigm? Thoughts like that came flying into my head, as I beheld of Shiro''s mysterious mastery. "Teheeee!" the girl, having the blood-stained weapon in hand smiled in the most innocent of ways, happy that she is partly saved of being eaten raw, by our first Excrescent Chimeraic encounter. Palpably, her first-slain. 63 A Sinister Path "If you don''t play you can''t win." C Judith McNaught ? Shiro killed her first Chimera. With not so much, but of little effort, or none at all. We then began to go west, repositioning our sight from the verdant plains where we had our first kill experience, to now a very dangerous-looking and putrid forest with all of our stuff with us. Well, at least there''s this rough road void of grass, a clear sign that this pathway has been used for quite some time now and that, it actually leads to somewhere. This place is a charismatic one though. As I beheld how bleak the atmosphere in the inside looks like, the Italian-written song ''Cena d'' Amore'' began to play in my head not as an expression of love, but of the creepiness that lies ahead. From the start, it''s like Aokigahara, the suicide forest back in Japan but only, it''s overtly darker. The decaying air, which I can blatantly smell from our standpoint provided the fitting abode of those who worship cannibalism. It is primeval and is filled with centuries-old trees ullaged with poisonous-looking ferns in which we should have had no means to anticipate what could lie beneath rustling on the bushes, a typical unlit forest that should be avoided. And yet, darkness huh... perfect. Now, I''ll have no problem seeing what should be before us. Besides, I see no other opening that leads west, but this one. Of course, I could just fly my way around using ink, but that would be idiotic negligence of experience. "Requiem Aranaea", I whispered, as a sort of calling out to my paradigm, which is of course not compulsory. For once, I thought it could deliver cool aspects, but eww... It''s just plain cringe. I should probably stop doing that. My, I think I''m gonna throw up... I held my stomach not out of pain, but of the feeling of self-abashment. Good thing that I did not spice it up with "let me borrow your power to conquer the darkness that reclines fore"... Like those, primal anime character signature moves which would take at least one episode to call out the power, another two episodes of desperate screaming, one episode of throwing the charged ball and another episode to realize that the power was not potent enough to burn a single strand of hair. Well, moving forward... As though having the prowess of a ''byakugan'', but in a much more elevated state, I am able to surmise what lies ahead through the surrounding darkness as if I''m giving it its own eyes and to directly report to me everything that is suspicious and any peril that will likely hinder us in getting to that town. The quality? Better than iPhoney 11 Pro Max. Sure! As I scanned through the place, monsters are present, which is beyond precedented... each of which has its own grotesque imagery. A mile from here, there''s a gorilla-looking monster with crystals that germinated out of its back, eating its own cub and is in a group of approximately what, maybe 39 constituent? Well, at any rate, it''s not "If I want to cross alive, I have to avoid them", it''s the other way around. If they want to live, then at least they should use every bit of their brainpower to avoid me. 878 meters, there''s this pond, not filled with water but of neon green liquid, and in it, skeletons of many unidentifiable creatures, piling up innumerable. 783 meters, there are these wolf-like-creatures with horns, which have, discrepant number of tails and also, do vary in sizes roaming within that specific area which is only a few feet or so from the road that we must navigate. Oh and I can see there stats very well. All elemental attribute: Gnome, which is an alias for dark-type pokemon... Just kidding with the pokemon part though. Pokemon are adorable, but these ones, I doubt their demeanor. Hmmm. I''m not saying that I''m a Pokemon, but they are undeniably the same as me, but relatively weaker... No, much much weaker... How can I say so, you ask? I can choose to kill them now, if I want to, just by controlling the shadows that they''re creeping in. Turn it to swords, spears or anything sharp that I could think of. I can do that. Mundanely, anything that is dark is under my control. In other words, this forest is a very nice dominance for my paradigm, but traveling it would not spell much of a challenge. By the way, Anything closer in my range I can sense nothing but slimes and smaller threats. Well, I know for the fact that the further we dive, the more dangerous it would become and the stronger the enemies get. So, I can still breathe confidently for now. Not that I''m worried... It also is the same for me. The thicker the darkness becomes, the more control I will have. "Shiro, shall we go? Aunt Lacrimosa''s waiting on the other side." I asked the girl who was by my side, who chose to play with the slimes a little bit rather than to see the interior of the forest. "Hai... But, oni-chama can I ask a question?" "Sure, what is it?" "Why does Lacrimosa onee-chan love to go to dark places?" "Hmmm... Maybe it''s because it''s ugly like her?" "Ehhh??? Onee-chan is not ugly! She is beautiful, like an angel!" Hmm... That''s also how I took perception of her the first time we met. Beautiful. Elegant. Graceful beyond bounds. Yep. Not till her mouth started to blabber to no end. I don''t know why but every sound it makes, nullifies her facade down to earth... She does look like an angel... if her mouth is kept with a duct tape that is. "I''m just kidding, Shiro. Hehehe." I frivolously replied, "Hmmmphhhh... Yous shouldn''t call people ugly, oni-chama. My mother used to tell me that all people have beautiful in their insides too..." "Roger that!" Look what you''ve done Jaiden... You just turned your adopted sister to a Values Educator, which is supposed to be your role, and worse, you even made her remember her mother. Remembering that her mother''s not with her, the girl''s enthusiasm suddenly dropped. She probably saw memory flashing before her. "Let''s go?" I asked without taking consideration of the little girl. I have to say sorry, it''s not like I''m good at cheering someone. "Yes, oni-chama! Bye-bye Mr. Slimies!", she bid thee slimes that she played with earlier her farewell, and to my surprise, they frickin responded back with their slithery waves, that again made the girl rejuvenate her usual self. Salute to the slimies! Then, to the unknown, we both go, and to this sinister path that we must navigate in two days time, whilst knowing that if we don''t abide by the rules of the warfare and to merely play, then the chance of getting off in the first few quarters would be slim to zero. And, ''Winning'' in our minds is not that prevalent. First in the checklist is ''Survival'' in an environment that we are not fully accustomed to and in a realm with so little knowledge of what really is inside its sphere. Other than that, this might just be the perfect warm-up for the greater challenges that we are hell-bent to face, not yonder. 64 Unforeseen Incursion "Be alert and be sober of mind. Your enemy, the devil roars like a devouring lion, seeking whom he may devour." - Bible | 1 Peter 5:8 ? After that, we took our first steps towards the dark forest... Along the way, we slew different slimes. They are aggressive compared to those that are exposed outside who genuinely played with Shiro, which leads me to this conclusion that staying in the dark really does have an adverse effect... Not that I could care. As we go deeper, the monsters get larger and palpably stronger. Now, we are on our guards... I know where the monsters are coming from, while Shiro has this innate talent to utilize the mythical weapon in hand. With such a combo, I point out to Shiro where to aim Grendel next and she''d do the slaying. I feel like a MAFIA boss now, wrongfully exploiting juveniles to do the dirty work, but I can''t let this kid stay in warfare without any vivid experience. She needs every experience that she can get as early as possible as I act this optimistic hero-cameo protecting her from any scene of the inevitable brutality. hat, simply won''t do. In every throw of the chakram, it''s not just the monsters who get slashed to half, but also some of the age-old trees that are peacefully standing on the background. I now think there''s nothing that this weapon can''t sever... not at this caliber. Next, we fought, an unpredictable monster... A rabbit taking the size of a grizzly bear with both ears long enough to touch the ground. At first, it presented itself as a cute and adorable white life-sized teddy bear, but Shiro is cautious enough to unhesitantly kill it the moment it stepped closer to us. As it received its first dent of wounds, whilst quickly evading the full impact the chakram could have caused, it uncovered its true colors, which is very much a stereotype. It''s fur suddenly began to metamorphose to red-colored and its eyes began to take a different shape and its steamy mouth opened to an extent that made it look like the Marvel villain, Venom, but uhm... the rabbit-version. It''s fast to boot, probably on par with the speed of Grendel''s chakram form...given that it is not able to gain proper momentum due to too much resistance along the way... no winds, no vast space, not to mention it has to bump into some trees at some point slashing it with a clean cut. Oh, well, I can just do this. No cringe balderdash this time. As the red rabbit stepped in one of the shadows in pursuit for us, I took hold of its feet using my paradigm''s binding ability to immobile it, and for Shiro to have a clear target. Then, seeing how vulnerable the target is, Shiro using Grendel, slew the monster and hacked through the monster''s insides that made its repulsive guts spill all over the ground. Shiro is looking tired for all of that throwing that operates through her dexterity and control over the weapon. And as I''m about to suggest that we need to take a rest, she thought the otherwise, and still is willing to continue. "Here, some water..." I handed out a bottle from the bag. "Arigatou, Oni-chama!" With as little as few gulps for rehydration we then continued, but this time, I''ll make the workload lighter. I just can''t let a kid, suddenly become my bodyguard or some sort. Bigger and more aggressive slimes. Red Rabbits that want our flesh for dinner awaited us. With every appearing monster, I take hold of it, using any dark means. Whether it be by the shadows that the trees have been giving off, or just by simply manipulating their insatiable dark intent, and then Shiro would deal the first and the last hit, with every average-looking monster not surviving the first throw. Shiro seeing my rather bleak manipulative ability, and sensing that it''s probably;y my doing, asked all of a sudden... "Oni-chama, is that your paradigm?" "Yes. It''s to control anything that is black into anything that I want it to be" "Woaaahhh!! So that''s why Lacrimosa onee-chan gets along with you." "Really? Maybe. Ahahaha" Although, I know that the case is in a completely different field. "We really are a great team oni-chama!" "Of course! I couldn''t have done it without you, who''s surprisingly really are quite notable in using Grendel." "Grendel? Who is that oni-chama?" "That''s the name of your weapon, did you forget?" "Ah right. Tehee! I am the primary school champion in frisbee, oni-chama! While catching Grendel-san and throwing him is heavier, but they do the same, and return to my hand!" So that explains why she is good at using it. Good thing the reason, is without supernatural aspects. Champion huh? So she is an athletic type. I presume. But, Grendel is palpably different from the normal frisbee... It''s packed with crimson blades and is, as the girl has said, ''heavier'' and way bigger to boot. I think Shiro is just plain genius in using these types of ranged weapons. With that being said, we continued forth as the scarcely-seen sun also slowly started to dawn in front of us, but then... suddenly... it all felt weird... As if both of us had stepped into a trap laid especially for the both of us... An ''Unforeseen Incursion''. And it''s not only me who felt the sudden shivers, but Shiro also did too, as she stopped suddenly while turning her head towards the different directions looking as to where it might come from. "Oni-chama...?", she whispered, while strongly clinging to Grendel. "Yes...I know, Shiro. Just pretend you did not feel that. Ok?" I said while the girl shook her head to show approval but the expression in her face, spelled the same nervous and confused girl when I first saw her. I then patted her, right in the head and placed her closer to me as both of us continued to walk silently assessing the environment in every step, cautious of the underlying peril. Silence dominated the whole forest which became a little tainted by the dawning morning star whose golden rays could even barely enter the forest... and I don''t like it when things get silent. ''Now, what''s happening?'' With the question in mind, I hastily scanned through the whole area, using the lurking dark things and every shadow that I could get in contact with... To my surprise, the moment I gained a 360-degree angle and perspective of the whole area once more... the monsters which should only be appearing in the deepest part of the forest are now, surrounding us- two cute bowls of human salad. That explains why there was an urgent increase in ill intent on the already eerie atmosphere. Yet, why did Shiro also sense it though? The monsters... they''re suddenly appearing on my radar of intensified senses as if they were teleported or something on purpose. The gorilla with the crystal in its back... the wolves with the varied number of tails... even some Chimeras and Red rabbits are fast approaching, not to mention, there''s something gargantuan, creeping undergrounds. And it''s not just the monsters that I''m sensing. In a thousand meter radius, I can clearly see nine? No, more than ten presences of whose species I can''t prove, all veiled in the same white robes in a humanoid form, but taller and has short horns... and then, a message from one of them, overtly delivered by the shadows around it... "Finally... the girl, a perfect sacrifice to our living king has arrived. THE KURENAI!!!... Her, heart. Oh, I can sense it from here... Its tender texture would give an explosion of taste to the mouth... Ahhhh!! What a splendid aroma. Purufufufufuffufufufu... Finally! OUR KINGDOM COULD RISE ONCE AGAIN!!" Kurenai? Whatever that may be, it seems that they are after Shiro? Well, sorry. No matter what reason you may have, you can''t have her... and you probably won''t leave from here unscathed. 65 Espionage "And I''m not spying! I''m evaluating! It''s the same difference!" -Kim Harrison, ? Second by second... the domain becomes darker and so, the clearer I came to see and yet, the golden light of daybreak still is yet to say its complete goodbye. Here''s the status quo. Monsters have surrounded us, even before we could get to the innermost part of this unlit labyrinth of a forest. Chimera, Aggressive slimes, Red Rabbits, the Gorilla-like monstrosities and the wolf pack which has its individual peculiarities. Not to mention that there''s something unspeakable that I could sense moving underground. It''s as if they were lured here with a purpose. The masterminds? I think I have a clue. A hundred-meter radius, veiled in white robes, humanoid creatures are on stand by, each of which is on atop of trees, spying us like legit Ninjas and I have the jest that they are interested in Shiro whom they called the ''Kurenai'' for whatever reason they have. The dark intent in the atmosphere also began to ameliorate degree by degree as the monsters drew closer and in it, I can sense this burning passion to kill. Good luck though... Think about the lexicon ''killing'' in front of me, and I can likely kill you first. Then, as though finding myself traversing the dark hearts of those monsters that are coming for us, I gained full control over them, in an instant. What''s inside their hearts? It''s not hunger, nor to prey, but the blatant endeavor for more darkness and blood spill. Good. I can kill them anytime I want then. Wondering what''s been constantly breathing on the underground, I also tried to take control of it, but it was not Gnome... Its attribute is something else and I can''t even feel any dark intent coming from it. It''s impossible to read... but, I can quite see the shape that it''s in that if I am to describe using the ancient depictions of mythology, is like a ''Gorgon'' but way, way bigger. Its upper body is alike to that of a mere human, with head and eyes, yet, with a venomous looking mouth and snakes for hair, while its lower part is something alike to the body of a serpent. Its name according to the system? ''Euryale'' with an HP of over a million... For whatever reason, I can''t also see any charisma coming from those humanoid encircling us either. They have nothing in them, and every time I try to enter their minds, something''s protecting them. Maybe they have somewhat like an item that could nullify binding abilities? That would without a doubt put me in a pinch. We continued to walk down the slowly, but assuredly darkening path, and not yonder, those monsters began to surround us. They have arrived, with fangs ready to be inflicted on us, if not of my manipulation. Their stats? It''s 20 times stronger than the red rabbits we have fought too far. Everything is elevated beyond foreseeable rates that, fighting ''fairly'' with all of them at once, would without a doubt spell a challenge, even for my paradigm. And by ''fair'', I mean not being a coward as to see through the hearts of these wild entities. Not happening though. I''m not dumb as to let such abilities to lie in wait, unutilized while it is assured to save me both my energy and time. I will use it, without ''manly'' questions asked. Shiro then got her weapon ready, while I am still in full control of their hearts... and then, came down a very brutal tone of amplified voice that came echoing through the forestry, a voice of wanton desire for the head of whoever and whatever it is that they want, which I think is the one in command of the monsters, prior mine. "NOW!!! KILL THEM!!!" Ahahahaha... how overly and confidently stupid. As the white-veiled creature said those words, the monsters did nothing. They just stood there. Of course, they will only take heed of my command. I have long immobilized the monsters with the same binding ability, by transforming their ill intent to chains making sure that I can hold them down as long as I want to. Then, as though having the ears and eyes of clairvoyance, I was able to hear and see what those weirdly killers are devising. Legit espionage indeed. "WHAT? WHAT HAPPENED?" Seeing how his words did not influence the monsters, this one started to stress out. "Sire. We have lost control of the monsters!" Reported one, bowing his head to what seems to be of high in command. A very poor report indeed. "HA? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" "I don''t know sir, but they''re not responding." "DAMN IT!" Replied the one in front of the lackey, one that I quite find larger than those around, with an uncontrollable temper for a tone. Yep... Damn it indeed. "Ahahaahaha... You don''t quite get it, don''t you?" another one began talking. He is one with those, but in his head is this rather high and broad white cap and in his hand is a scepter with light floating particles encircling its yellowish gleaming crystals. A priest maybe?... I feel that he is quite different and this ominous unexplainable clean aura coming from him is ever obscure. I can without a doubt, pick some dark intent, but I can''t manage to get through. Unfortunately, the same with the previous attempts, I failed to enter his mind and I just continued to spy at them using the dark side of a tree nearby. The priestly-looking guy''s tone is calm and is very cheerful as if he himself is in control of the situation. And then... "That man... He can control the shadows. And this is rather bad, monsieur. Kurenai has a weapon in hand, I can sense that it''s obtained from Tartarus and it''s now in the brink of the evening. We should withdraw for now" the priestly-veiled creature exclaimed in front of the constituents. What? How does he know of these details? "WITHDRAW?! Are you asking me to look like a milksop the moment I return to the kingdom? I would RATHER DIE than withdraw myself now! Tsk! Now that the Kurenai is in our sight, I can''t let this come to pass! DAINSLEIF, JUST DO YOUR ROLE! You can run if you want to and squeak like a baby!" replied the big guy in a much more hostile manner. "Ok, ok... Calm down, you hot-tempered baloney. And if you want to increase the slight chance of capturing them, then I would suggest lowering down... your voice a bit." "AND WHAT MIGHT YOU MEAN BY THAT?" "The man''s eavesdropping on us, the moment we first appeared." "WHAT? THEN DO SOMETHING YOU USELESS MAGE!" Then, as if he sensed where I''m spying from, he looked at the darkness where I''m performing the espionage and oh, what an unexpected demeanor it was. His face is partly a human''s, with two symmetrical horns coming out from his forehead. "You, how you doing. you heard the big guy. Go easy on us kay?" he said as if he''s directly looking to me. He found out where I''m surveilling them from, and then he cast these abominable light-like rays that illuminated their whereabouts, making it impossible for me to see them, cutting my main line of anticipation. Moreover, that light is something odd, though. Did it cancel my paradigm directly? The face of a rather, nervous teenager then began to be apparent in my face, making Shiro a little- bit worried. Yet, this is where my inability to feel fear comes somewhat handy. I can move and think clearly without having to worry about recklessness. "Oni-chama..." Her face began to show the usual-concerned expression. Not good. I can''t let her lose her morale now. ''Shiro, I''m here okay? As long as I''m here, no one can touch us" I comforted Shiro, crouching my right knee down to the slightly-moist ground while patting her right on the head. "Hai, oni-chama!" the little girl lifted her countenance, as she received the insurance, which were mere words, but yeah, potent enough. "Nice, Shiro! " Ok, now that I have calmed the girl down, time for me to weigh in the rational facts. We''re surrounded and the perpetrators can''t be underestimated either. Running and hiding now, is nothing but a very foolish choice and survival''s most abominable wishful thinking. Time to get real. First. I need to get a wider view while setting up the arena where Grendel could gain more momentum. That way, I could also see where the enemy would be coming from. This is their domain, and it''s without question that they had traveled this forest a thousand-time now. So,I need to change the landscape a little bit. "Shiro, could you cut down these trees that surround us? It distorts our view of our very first moonrise, and also while you''re at it, could you also kill those frozen monsters?" "Of course oni-chama!" Shiro, with formidable strength, throws Grendel with the strongest momentum I have ever seen that not even the hefty trees could hinder. The blades of the mythical chakram came hacking through the hundred or so monsters and also hereby, cutting down the trees making them fall in different directions. As the girl quickly finished killing the manipulated gnome-type monsters, she then initiatively began to focus on cutting down even more trees. Then, in a single potent throw of the former frisbee champion, about a hundred trees and more fell powerless. Then appeared a view of the last streak of dawn that is quickly being conquered by the darkness of the uprising night, and from it, the slightly chipped full moon also began to arise. Yet, what surrounded the moon is not its clear corona but the veiled creatures who are mainly whom I and Siro are up against, drifting on the air, with the white robes that they used to conceal their identity, serving as their wings. And one of them stood the same priestly-image who holds a scepter of power. "Yow! Would you give us the little girl?" he said while extending his hands toward us, making Shiro, who just realized who they are really after begin to take cover in my rear. This is going to be one heck of a showdown. It''s me against a bunch of demi-human pedophiles, with their main target as my ally. 66 Overly Reckless Hero "Sometimes it is better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness." - Terry Pratchett ? The sundown took its fruition hereby disappearing from our sights completely, and in exchange is dusk and the abnormal quick rising of the moon, with winds blowing forth causing these melodramatic noises on the surrounding still trees'' leaves. The surrounding visage is somehow stale, if not with its coalescence with the stench from the freshly-killed monsters everywhere. Shiro, who is their main prey, hid on my back while I stand corrected to move, facing the humanoid foes with the ever-confident prance. "Yow! Would you give us the little girl?" the priestly guy above us started exclaiming, as he and his companions took flight into the clear night skies with their robes as their main magical tool for flying. "Yow! Such a very nice way to greet someone who just arrived from someplace else!" "Eh...Did you like it? Thanks! That''s very nice of you to accept our ''warmest'' welcomes! We are indeed very hospitable. Now, please do hand over the little girl and you can go explore to your heart''s content." "Such unpretentious and direct demi-human. Why would I? And who are you supposed to be?" I replied, in a very assertive manner with an impassive physiognomy, while the little girl on my back who is their main target held into my uniform, tightly as ever. "Ahh, do pardon. I thought you already know my name! After all, you were eavesdropping on us a while ago." "Hmmm...First of all, It was not nice of you to tail us around while luring the monsters in. Now tell me, which is a more punishable crime?" I backslashed while radiating the same sober expression. "Alas! So you already know of that one! Ahahahaha. What a high espionage skill indeed... As for the answer to your question, let me introduce who we are, new-comer. We are the assassination party of a little Kingdom, opposite here. And I am Deinsleif, the priest and the spokesperson of the team, and this hot-blooded guy you saw earlier is our kingdom''s reckless hero of renown... Berserker Count Joberwock Roswald." "TSSS... You could have explained more of my greatness." The big guy who said about his ''anti-withdrawal ideals'' just moments ago clicked his tongue in annoyance. "You see? ''Short-tempered''... And I''ll say this as many times as I would. Would you, give us the little kid?" the priest added. What''s with this rather rush and constraining request?... They know for themselves that there''s no way I''m giving up Shiro to some strangers who endeavored to kill us. They can even send an Earl rather than this ranked nobility count if they want to, but still, no can do. "There''s no use wasting the time of your kingdom''s hero so I''ll catch to the chase. No" I declared. "Hmmm... Now, this might be bad. We need the Kurenai for certain needs and if you have no intention in handing her quietly-peacefully, brute-force would be used, monsieur.." "I know very well. The same goes for all of you. If you refuse to leave us alone, yes...brute force would be, without a doubt, used." I replied with a little hostility added to my once deadpan demeanor. "How interesting. I never knew that the second realm''s most superior entities are these much well-rounded. Hmm. Nice. Very well, but are you sure? There are like 20 of us you know, the most feared assassins among these parts, and who this party up against is you... a mere human from the second realm who got invited by a certain deity who took a liking to you." Oh, so they do know of the ongoing war. "Hmmm... That is indeed underhanded, but yeah I can tolerate." I replied to his inadequate threats of me being numerously surmounted. Then suddenly... "HAAAAA??? YOU PLANNING TO GO ALLL OUT WITH A PIPSQUEAK LIKE THIS!? WHAT ARE YOU, SOME KIND OF AN ALLEY CAT!" the Joberwock suddenly butted in. "As I have told you, Mr. Hero, it''s dangerous to fight someone like him alone. Especially at night like this. You saw how his power made all of the surrounding monsters feeble." an argument between the priest and the hero begins to spark. "PWEE! JUST FILL ME UP AND I''LL FIGHT HIM ALONE" "Here we go again... As you wish, you overly reckless hero... That guy standing in opposition can control the shadows at will. The only limit is his ability to imagine as to what shape does he want the shadows to take." "GAH GAH GAH!! SOUNDS REALLY DANGEROUS, BUT NOT ENOUGH" "Look I appreciate you know that much about my power but, controlling shadows? Mind you, that''s not even a quarter of my paradigm." As a response to the belittlement, I sent back the threat. I''m a legitimate pursuant of equality after all. "BIG WORDS YOU GOT THEIR KID... HEY PRIEST HOLD ON TO THIS FOR ME!", he then quickly wore off his robe, throwing it to the overbearing priest''s defenseless face and coming down to the ground with his epic entrance, which is not really that epic... As though jumping from the heavens, he fell off towards our front giving off this vibration going on into the ground and there is smoke everywhere from the heavy impact of his jumping. Everyone in his group followed him, making their individual heels meet the surreal dusty terra firma. Then, as the smoke started to rescind, the uncovered demeanor of the Count Jobberwock Roswald then became apparent. He looked very big when he wore the white robe prior, but I was somehow mistaken. If I were to describe his physique, it''s probably your typical earthly body-builder, yet, what made him appear like he is entirely made up of muscles is his heavy-looking armor and his rather giant sword placed at his back. His face also showed his middle age with the usual scar on the left eye, for the cliched vibe... and just like the priest, he also has two horns in his forehead which have bright-red color on both of each point. "LET''S DANCE KID... I''LL BE TAKING THE LITTLE GIRL WITH ME." He spouted while holding his two-handed greatsword which has an animal''s skull on the center and with blades that looked like it was harnessed from a backbone of a large creature... beckoning that he is ready to engage anytime at his discretion. "Good luck hero..." the priest, who introduced himself as ''Deinsleif'' mocked him by giving that unenthusiastic and dead good-luck dogma. "OH SHUT THE HELL UP! SO KID WHERE''S YOUR WEAPON?" "Huh? Oh, it''s hight here...", I then let out of my humble pen from one of my pockets. "SERIOUSLY GAH GAH GAH! Hoi! Give this kid a weapon!!" "There''s no need" "HAAAA??" "I think I made it clear... There''s no need." "GAH GAH GAH!! You better not be underestimating me, kid. Did you know how I fricken killed an immortal gorgon?" "By Gorgon, did you mean this giant creature that has been moving underground for quite some time now? ... And did you just say immortal, and that, you killed it? Not so immortal sounding." "HMMMM, how arrogant... Deinsleif, I can kill kiddo right, he seems to know my secret weapon?" he retaliated calling me arrogant, while, look here who challenged a new-arrival... "Secret weapon? Do you mean the uncute dead snake you killed and controlled? You must be kidding...But, if you can, then you may..." the priest answered him. "TSSS... DAMN YOU. IF YOU THINK I''M NOT WINNING, THEN HELL I''M NOT HOLDING BACK!!!" he shouted in a very berserker stance, holding his sword with its tip slightly pierced on the ground, making it shake a little bit. "HERE I GO KIDDO!!!!!!!!! GHAAAAAA" "Hold up..." "HAAA??? WHAT?" "I can''t fight like this... having a kid on my rear." I then looked at Shiro who is hiding in my back, confused about the sudden pre-occurring events. I patted her again right on the head to somehow pacify her mixture of emotions, and as usual, she just gave me the same smile full of trust and optimism. The very opposite of mine... "Oh right... HEY YOU! USELESS PRIEST! Cast a spell on all of us now will ya?!" "And what spell might that be?" "Something that can suddenly kill us all if the kid is to be hurt while our duel is still on! What else do you think would I mean?" "Tssskkk, don''t you drag me on this one." "IF YOU WILL NOT, YOU''LL BE THE NEXT IN LINE AFTER THIS KID!!" "Ok, ok I''m doing it. Geez!!" Like how earth''s literary piece''s depictions, he then held his scepter high up on air, as if declaring his dominion over sorcery. "Thou malediction, fall upon our heads and make aegid to thee, child as the enamored treasure!... Fall, Curse of the Drasengald!" He declared, while there''s this sudden crimson smoke entering their bodies. "HOI, PRIEST, what does the spell do?" "Simple. If the girl where to be hurt, all of us would be killed." the forced-priest replied, making everyone on his side somewhat feel the shivers. "Now, that''s interesting!!... GAH GAH GAH! Hoi, lowly assassins, if I were you, you should start protecting the girl, if you want to see the light of tomorrow, that is!" "Y-Yes, sir!!!" They replied as they encircled Shiro with sweats running down their faces for the activation of such curse... "Satisfied now kid?" "And what assurance can you show me that if you would, in fact, hurt her, you''ll be instantly killed?" "GAH GAH GAH! No need for such assurance kid. This is an order from me, so I''ll highly doubt if they can muster the courage to go against such orders." "Eh?" "And besides, if they were lying about the curse and are to hurt the little girl, interrupting our battle... THEN I WILL BE THE ONE TO KILL THEM ''RELENTLESSLY''. This is a chevalier from a man to a ''slightly-developed-man''. What do you say, kid? Fair?" "Fair enough." "OK THEN! GAH GAH GAH!!" Then, as though having Gilgamish''s Noble Phantasm, I formed out swords, spears, javelins, and daggers, all of which are replicas of the renown weapons of old, made entirely of polished and hardened ink, and in the center, a dark replica of the holy sword everyone knows as the ''Excalibur''. and in my hand, I envisioned a death scythe... Well, heroes with guns, daggers, and swords are all mainstream... It won''t hurt to devise from the usual... "INTERESTING INDEED!!! IF ONLY YOU ARE OBEDIENT, I could invite you to be a high official in my regime, but, your eyes answer it all in advance. GAH GAH GAH!... HERE I GO, KID! DON''T YOU COME KNEELING DOWN TO ME LATER!!!!" And so, my first ever showdown against this so-called ''overly reckless hero'' commences, under the outrageous rays of the slightly chipped full moon above our heads... which I find to be displeasing. A hint, of a very demented outcome. Well, some things can''t happen ''thrice'' right? I could only do so much as to hope. 67 Cavia Porcellus "Every man must decide whether if he walks on creative altruism or in the dark of destructive selfishness." -Martin Luther King ? Although this is my first experience, it''s in in these types of suspenseful scenarios, that Ravel''s ''Gaspard de la Nuit Le Gibet'' will suddenly autoplay in my head. A perfect piece to depict the constant and treacherous presence of death... In this recently-changed landscape, where dead bodies of monsters are omnipresent and the stench of their freshly-spilled blood corrupts the stale atmosphere with cut-downed trees on the circumferential region all executed by Grendel''s avid momentum, an Arena has been set, amidst this cleansed portion of a sinister forest for my first real-time battle royale... but against a kingdom''s count which also seems to be a hero of renown. And a few meters away, stood the little girl whom they called as the ''Kurenai'' accompanied by the priest and their subordinates who planted a curse for themselves that would blow off anytime if someone were to hurt Shiro with or without intentions. The little girl also showcased fragile hope written all over her face, that I can somehow defeat this opponent before me, unscathed. Not so heroic now, ain''t he, the big guy who even proudly spouted his success of beheading an ''immortal'' Gorgon? What kind of a self-proclaimed man would challenge someone like me whom they even encouraged as a ''newcomer''? And seriously, what hero should he be? Resorting to brute force just to seize their prey, who is a little girl and has no proper knowledge of why all of this is happening. Hmmm... Into the drivels again are we Jaiden? No matter, I just hope that the presence of the aloft full moon is somehow not bad-luck and not a sign of utter derangement. "HERE I GO, KID! GHUAAAAAA!!" Then with all of his strength, he dashed towards me in overwhelming strength. And with all of his heavy equipment, the slightest swing of his sword as he tackled begins to alter the direction of the surrounding winds and as his feet swiftly rashed, so did his every step cause large cracks on the ground. All out on the first tryst huh... I still can''t control him for some reason, and it''s not just this man, but also everyone who was with him prior. There is in fact an ill intent present on each of them, there''s no doubt about that, but still, there''s something that has been covering it restraining me to manipulate anything out of their self-generated darkness. For now, I should focus on not dying. I''ll eventually find out what''s been causing the restraint. And so the first clash happens. His gigantic sword which I think is twice my size began to hack through the thin air in an endeavor to reach me, but it''s not gonna be that easy. As some sort of a hasty-planned defense stance, I thickened some ink focusing it at one point, which I speculate to be the direct point of Impact. His greatsword as though anticipated failed to breach the on-point defense. Yet, as I received the impact, even with such defense, I''m still able to feel some jolts making my feet submerge a centimeter or two in the foundation which I''m standing in. The concentrated ink-made shield, which I would like to emblazon as ''impeccable'', is not that great in endurance as it received some dents from the continuous push of the greatsword, and it would only be a matter of time that this ''impenetrable shield'' could hold out. So, as a minor offense, while still holding out to the defense, I manipulated the replicas of weapons on my rear to drive back the aggressive guy. And the Joberwock then stepped back a little, knowing that being in a close range with my arsenal of replicated weaponries is going to spell lethal aftermath even for someone like him. "GAH GAH GAH!! I COMMEND YOU KID... NOT EVEN A HALF OF MY ENEMIES ARE ABLE TO WITHSTAND MY FIRST ATTACK" "Hmmm... Compliment accepted. But, how should I say this...hmmm... Was that, even an attack?" I said, which is clearly a bluff, but he considered it the other way. "YOU LITTLE PIPSQUEAK! YOU''RE NOT GONNA GET OUT OF HERE ALIVE!" Consecutively, he dashed towards me very recklessly while swinging his skeletal greatsword and all I could do is defend. He was driven by the taunting statement earlier... Still, I can''t help but notice that for quite some time now, he''s been using nothing but physical onset. It might just be my imagination, but I think he is underestimating me. "HOI!! YOU''RE NOT GONNA WIN IN THAT STATE YOU KNOW? WHAT''S THE MATTER? SCARED TO GET OUT OF YOUR SHELL, BOY?" Yep... I guess what I imagined earlier is not entirely false. While I took cover, receiving both consecutive physical attacks and verbal humiliation, little did he know that I actually have a hidden motive. I am fully scavenging his armor, observing for an item and the likes that I think are not letting me go through his mind. It would really be a game-changer to find something like that... or else, I''ll have to move all of my body and utilize energy to defeat this guy, and that would be a major pain. "Oy vey! I never knew that being both a count and a hero makes you this weak! " Yet, again I unequivocally taunted him with the same, but an elevated type of bluff to sneer him to come closer than his required range. "YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SH*T!" He continued swinging his sword whose force is increasing with each of its robust wages, while I also started to dodge, moving my muscles to a bare minimum while still finding new angles on his body to see if some item is somehow disrupting my paradigm. Moreover, it''s not just dodging and defending that I''m doing... If I can''t get inside his head, I should just force my way in his muscles in the meantime. As he continues in his rather short-ranged and vexed pursuits, swinging his skeletal greatsword, little did he know that aside from the vigor to locate a hidden item or some sort, I am also actually injecting some inks in his body from the replicas of weapons that he can stop like it''s nothing. I envision drops of inks taking in the form of tiny needles whose tips are only .20 millimeters, hence not giving any pain when being injected. Good thing that his heavy armory is not that durable to objects which are still a little bit far to being sub-atomic particles, or else getting the ink in his body would be wishful thinking. "COME ON! MOVING LIKE THAT IS NOT GONNA GIVE ME MAGICAL WOUNDS YOU KNOW!" "Oh, it will." "HAHH?" And then he felt it...the excruciating pang even with the absence of outward wounds, as though having his insides continuously pierced by unprecedented materials. "GUAHH!! W-WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME??!!" he slowly got down to his knees in front of me while spewing up blood as the tiny needles of ink inside penetrates his body''s vital parts endlessly. "Muscular system. Check. Lymphatic system. Check. Endocrine system. Check. Circulatory system. Check. Respiratory System. Check!... And it''s only a matter of time before your nervous system will be penetrated next. " "GUH?? WHAT A-ARE, Y-YOU SAYING?" "If I were you, I should just shut that loudmouth of yours. As we speak, your heart, lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, are now bombarded by tiny holes." " GAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he screamed in agony as a way to meliorate the ongoing pangs. "Count Rosewald!" His worried underlings came to his aid, leaving their positions as some sort of self-initiative when they saw their great hero slowly dying out in their sight. Well, they can''t just ignore seeing that, can''t they? But then, the gradually dying count''s greatsword suddenly glows in dark greenish color, and just like that, stood up like nothing ever happened and like nothing has been killing him from the insides... And the underlings, found themselves being deceived by the person who they looked up to. "Sir! What are you doing?" "Sir please no, my sick daughter''s waiting for me.." Faint voices escaped from the mouths of the first two who rushed for aids, as their penurious soul has been sucked out from them by the skeletal greatsword. The most cliched way for a villainous character to recover. "I TOLD YOU... YOU CAN''T INTRUDE IN A BATTLE BETWEEN MEN" he said with an obscurely large smile, pinpointing the statement to his, now-dead lackeys whose souls just got sucked out... Imagine a lifeless body whose been frozen for millions of years at the peak of Mount Everest? That''s the closest picture to describe them. "YOU SHOULD JUST FOCUS ON PROTECTING THE KURENAI FROM GETTING CAUGHT UP FROM OUR DUEL" "Yes. I understand... not sure about your caring-lackeys though" The priest answered undauntedly while the other lower lackeys in their party were unable to say anything. "WELL THEN KID, SHALL WE CONTINUE? I STILL HAVE TO BRING THE GIRL BY TOMORROW SO I MUST HURRY UP." "They were such nice servants ready to offer aid when you least expected the need for one..." I said. "YES! OFFERING THEIR LIVES FOR ME TO RECOVER IS INDEED A VERY VALOROUS MOVE. GAH! GAH! GAH!" He replied as if we got ourselves in the mutual zone of understanding. Hmmm. Is it just me or he misunderstood what I meant?... Either way, how arrogant and how selfish. I don''t really care as to whatever happens to this man, but such cowardice is so overwhelming to witness and here I am, previously wishing that the denizens in this wold emblazoned as N?thervale are far more intelligible than those back home. Turns out, it became ''partly'' true, but in the most inconsequent ways. I should truly be careful what to wish for next time. I have to express my greatest condolences though... Now that I know what''s been keeping me from manipulating their negative aura... An amulet with a small yellow crystal at its center wore either as a necklace, a bracelet or as a keychain for their weapons, have been boggling me now. How the hell would I know? Simple. I can see the item to be common for all of them. Even the priest has one left hanging on his scepter, the deceased two, and so did Count slash Dumb Hero Jobberwock Rosewald. "Hey old man, I''ll have you know that I''m not holding back now. Please do dance well and don''t let the lives of those two you just killed lie in waste." "Did... DID YOU JUST CALL ME AN OLD MAN??" "Pffttt Ha...Hahahahaha"... Do pardon, but I can''t help but let out a very eerie expression... seeing how dumb the person I''m up against, letting such words trigger him... Well, he might as well be an authentic specimen for me to explore the extent of my paradigm very well. So, will you be my first ''Cavia porcellus'' (Scientific term for Guinea Pig) in this realm, Count Rosewald? "WHAT''S SO FUNNY KID? AND WHAT''S WITH THAT UNFAZED LOOK? YOU THINK YOU''RE ALL SET TO KILL SOMEONE LIKE ME JUST BECAUSE YOU MADE ME PUKE A LITER OF BLOOD?" "Yes." a simple answer indeed. No use wasting my saliva with the likes of him. 68 Unseen Chains "Arrogance is a frightening thing whose tomorrow is dark." -Niyaz Ahmed ? "MIND YOU KID, THIS GREEATSWORD THAT I''M HOLDING IS A PROTOTYPE-TIER WHICH I OBTAINED AFTER I GAINED THE GIANT GORGON. NOT THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS THOUGH...BUT AS YOU SAW IT EARLIER, I HAVE THE POWER TO SUCK OUT SOULS AND CONVERT IT AS AN ELIXIR OF LIFE FOR MY PERSONAL USE ANYTIME OF THE DAY. THIS SWORD INHABITS MY PARADIGM, ''SOUL TAKER''." Prototype? That means that Grendel is relatively more valuable. It''s a mythical relic and this one, is just a prototype... How the hell does it have a very frondeur skill of sucking out souls? And more importantly, it inhabits his paradigm? "Oh ahhhh, I see that... Then? Am I supposed to cower in fear or what?" And while I find this conversation to be too superfluous, I must act like I''m immersed or something, and of course, while having my next motive in mind... In all of that moving around earlier, the effort, at least, had been paid, seeing something peculiar. In his armor''s torso, there''s this amulet that''s been boggling me, and to grab it without him noticing, is now of utmost priority. It''s the only plausible item that I think is restricting me from using their dark intent. It''s just a hunch, but as of my statistics, the probability is quite authentic. "HMMM... EVEN BEFORE COMING HERE, WE ALREADY KNOW OF YOUR STANDINGS HUMANS- THE MOST SUPERIOR ENTITIES ON THE SECOND REALM. BUT, I NEVER KNEW OF YOUR PRIDE, NOT UNTILL I MET YOU." "I''m quite flabbergasted to represent such ''superior'' beings here. So you already knew of our coming?" "DON''T MAKE IT SOUND LIKE YOU''RE A MASQUERADE OF MESSIAHS, OF COURSE, WE KNOW!", he instantly replied. "WE WERE INFORMED BY THE GODS THEMSELVES THAT YOU''RE GOING TO UTILIZE OUR GLORIOUS LANDS FOR YOUR WARFARE. A FIGHT TO DECIDE IF WHETHER YOUR RACE DESERVES TO CONTINUE STRIVING OR JUST DIE OUT, RIGHT? AND THERE ARE THESE SPECIAL BREEDS...HMMMM... WHAT ARE THEY CALLED AGAIN? HERRSCHERS?" he added. "Yes... That would be the case. And you? From what race are you supposed to be from? From your looks, I can see that you''re a creepy horned-lizard or a demi-human of some sort." "WHAT''S A FRICKIN LIZARD? WELL, IF YOU HAVE THE GUTS TO COMPARE IT TO US THEN IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING STRONG...AND YES, WE ARE INDEED CLASSIFIED AS ''DEMI-HUMANS'' ESPECIALLY BY THE GODS THEMSELVES, BUT I SUGGEST TO NOT LET THAT GO OVER YOUR HEAD. BEING ''DEMI'' JUST MEANS THAT WE DON''T INCORPORATE YOUR PITIFUL WEAKNESSES." "BY THE WAY, CALL US THE ''TARRAGONS''. ENTITIES WHERE BLOOD OF THE DRAGONS RUN AMOK." "So that explains your grotesque demeanor." "GAH GAH GAH!!!! SUCH CONTEMPT... ENOUGH FOR THE ACQUAINTANCE CHARADE AND LET US BEGIN ONCE AGAIN." He then snagged his bad-ass greatsword taking the stance of a man of war who is ready to dive into battle once again. Yet, little did he know, that it is now in my possession and turns out, my hunch is right on the spot. "Begin? Begin what?" "THE IMPENDING DUEL WHOSE VICTOR GETS TO KEEP THE KURENAI. WHAT DO YOU THINK AM I TALKING ABOUT KID?" "Oh, that? HAHAHAHAHAHA! I was also about to say the same thing, but I think there''s no need and do pardon for the frivolousness but I''ve...already won." "HAAAAA???" "To put it down to your level of comprehension, here" I then showed him the amulet in my hand that I secretly grabbed from his armor using a shadow. And how did I take hold of it without even moving, and him noticing? Simple. I created a warp gate, the same when opening Lacrimosa''s realm, but this time, relatively smaller, and with my hand as the main destination. "This is bad, Hero, withdraw now!" The priest, sensing what I am about to do begins to warn the hard-headed hero in desperation. So he already noticed. I surely can''t underestimate this priest for whatever reason. "HAAA??? ARE YOU LOOKING DOWN ON ME YOU GARBAGE MAGE?" "Tsk! You''re really gonna die you a-hole!" "AND HOW COULD I?" "That kid, whom you''re up against..." "HMMM??? WHAT ABOUT HIM?" "I was wrong! He does not only control the shadows but he-" Too late for an urgent realization there, monsieur... And then, just like with the Herscher of Cheshire cat, out of the big guy''s self-generated negative charisma that started to gush forth the moment I removed the amulet from him, that I, again formed out bleak and controlling chains from it, but larger and more durable. I can''t know for sure what these ''Tarragons'' are capable of doing so I must elevate the chain''s tenacity. And then, the binding-Jutsu... Sorry though, I won''t have any spare time to let you show off what your savage-looking greatsword is capable of doing at its hundred percent. "WHA? WHAT IS THIS? SOMETHING''S GRABBING ME!", the unseen shackles formed, strangling him with knit-tight grips, as his own malice also begins to vigorously crunch him, without even seeing it. How unfortunate. Then as though the chains are mechanized to spell more gripping power, the heavy armor in his equipment began to bend and his breathing is slowly but assuredly decelerated, with the self-proclaimed hero unable to move at all, groveling on the ground losing touch of his weapon "As they say back in my world, old man... Arrogance is a frightening thing whose tomorrow is dark... And by ''dark'', you''ve already lost, by default." "TSK... YOU LITTLE." the air-deprived man had the courage to talked back but still with the apparent affliction and as his own generated hatred and grudge for me increases by each second, the more the tightness of the unseen chains multiply by a viable degree. "I would recommend you, as of now, to empty your mind... Or else, you''ll really gonna die." I said, but the old man''s brain is all muscles that it did not comprehend. Not a single word. "Sire!" With ardent worries, his loyal lackeys then also began to hurriedly go towards him. It seems that they never learned their lesson. Whatever... I need to stop them if I want a clean sweatless victory. "Sir! Please do use my soul!" "It would be our dying pleasure sir?" Say what? Are they really going that far as to serve this guy with muscles for a brain? Knowing that letting them come any closer to the guy would somehow spell a headache for me, I intervened... "Opsie Dopsie... I can''t let you pass, ''knights in shining armor." I hindered them intentionally. "Get out of our way!!" Taken on by the thoughts of worries as they see their master suffering from an unseen bind, they aspired to kill me, drawing out their weapons of which some, where very powerful-looking spear, sword, and even maces. Just how loyal can they be to this abominable and flamboyant hero? "I get your chevalier characteristics, but is this supposed to be an act of a party of ''assassins''? Using such cheap tricks head-on and not resorting to sneak attacks would only spell death. You all know that better than a novice like me right?" I downright disparaged them while I dodge their attacks like its nothing, throwing my pen to a much safer direction and then teleporting there without known delays. Almost like Minato Namikaze at this moment, but not with a Kunai, and instead... a common world pen. I never knew that darkness has this undeniably ardent speed in transportation. Well if light can do it, then there''s no way that darkness cannot and while there''s no such scientific ''speed of darkness'', there is this fact, stating that ''Dark Matters'' do have a speed of 54 meters per second... Not that genuine for an explanation, bet yeah... fair enough. 69 UNO Reverse Card "Sometimes, the strong and the weak can switch places just like that. But, staying in a strong camp, that is the hardest thing to do." -Asano Gakuhuo ? "We said, move!" Without any hesitation, all of them came to me all at ones. They are quick as fit for an assassin, but, not fast enough. "You guys never learn... I can feel you also disliked school huh. I guess that''s what we all have in common... but, I can see you all have no intention of making me your friend." "Not until you free our great hero from your unseen trick!" An aggressive lancer replied. Then with all of their might, they hacked their weapon from where I stood, breaking the ground and causing it to sink half a meter. Such strength...Good thing I was able to dodge it and as to how I did it is not that intricate. Before they could even hit a strand of my hair, I already threw my pen towards a random direction, and there, just like Minato Namikaze and his special kunai, I teleported without buffers and any delays. "Hey, where are you all hitting at?" I tapped an assassin in his shoulder asking that very apparent question... Seeing their failed reckless incursion, another then followed up an attack but as easy as it is, I''m able to teleport myself back to the bound greatsword hero who now, is experiencing major difficulty in breathing as the bind gets stronger by each passing second. The assassins were ready to again attack me, but all of that moving around is very irksome. So how about a little sanction. "Behave, if you want this man alive." I declared while pointing two or three sharp ink-made weapons in the bounded pile of muscles. One for his head, one for his heart, and another...as you guessed it... for his balls. "Sh*t...okay okay. Just please don''t kill our kingdom''s hero... without him, our kingdom is bound to suffer even more!" They then stopped in the hasty. consecutive and violent attacks while putting their weapons on the ground. But, why would I even care about their kingdom though?... "Hey, monsieur priest... Please do follow the lead and put your scepter down, now." "Hmmm... Such ingenuity. How did you know that we have those amulets?" Taking heed of my instructions, he let go of his active weapon on the ground without any questions and neither a grieving face of seeing their leader grovel. "Hunch," I exclaimed. "Pure hunch huh..." he replied, still with confidence. What''s with the undaunted look anyway? Well, I think I know the reason, judging from how he is treated by this man. There currently are two plausible reasons for that confident face: Reason number 1) He is confident of the hero''s ability, or here we have Reason number 2) He hates this guy with every bit of his life and seeing him get killed upfront might actually be a fulfilling reward. I choose to believe the second option, although I can''t offer lenience on the first one. But more importantly, how quickly the tables have turned... UNO Reverse Card? "Hey now, are you okay? How does it feel to see your servants beg for your own life?" I asked the breath-gasping bound man as he was busy catching as much breath as he could while his lackeys stood from afar gritting their teeth, seeing me humiliate their sire, kneeling and weaponless. "No answer? I take that as a ''Yes''" "PHA-..." "Hmmm??? Is that your last word? Then say it aloud to let your lackeys hear it." "PARADIGM SHIFT!" What? Instantly, the suffering man was able to talk again as his muscles tensed up to let some air enter the recently oxygen-sabotaged body. So, Reason number 1 turns out to be the correct explanation as to why the priest is very calm huh... How unfledged of my mind to balance probabilities without any apparent data. "SUMMON! IMMORTAL GORGON, EURYALE!" The still-shackled man called out. And then, the ground started to shook in a magnitude that I never experienced before... Ah right. The monster moving beneath us... how could I forget? So that''s really under the command of this fool, but I guess this would also be his last resort... I hope. Well, he did call it his ''Paradigm Shift'' right? And then, came out a very monstrous visage, although it''s nothing compared to the grotesque giant gargoyle which carried us all here. Its lower body is without a doubt, is of a snake, but it has these innumerable legs of a centipede, the upper half is as ugly as ever, with a human''s head with live snakes as its hair, and with long saber-tooth fangs brimming with its potent purple-hued venom. It is very enormous to behold, and up above our heads is the same full moon... An even more clarion mark that something deranged is about to take place. I really do hate the moon''s presence, especially in this realm that made it seem thrice the size when I gaze at it back from Earth only to remind me of my past. It''s almost like, I can see my brother''s demented smiles in its vile brilliance. The moon should just explode already. Seeing how ugly the gorgon is, I took some time to look at Shiro as I speculate that she, once again, is afraid and she needs a pat on the head, which is implausible to be done in this kind of situation, and turns out I''m correct, as she looked back at me with the facade that I envisioned for her to have. While the little girl did have a very brave-stature whilst holding her personal weapon tightly between her fragile arms, I can clearly see in her eyes that tears would burst out at any second... So, as a way to alleviate her fear, I let out a very forced yet one jumbo smile and a little thumbs-up that would somehow reassure her that everything''s gonna be fine, yet again. And the little kid, seeing my frivolous and obligatory demeanor, then replied with a cheering face that says it all... The hope that I can beat this monster... The hope that I''ll be able to handle this truly unfair scenario of one against a few... The hope of me, obliterating this predicament. I surely can''t die right now... Well then, what should I do with you, you putrid monstrous creature? 70 Immortal Gorgon: Euryale "You read any Greek myths, puppy? The one about the gorgon Medusa, particularly? I used to wonder what could be so terrible that you couldn''t survive even looking at it. Until I got a little older and I figured out the obvious answer. Everything." -Mike Carey \u0026 Peter Gross ? "PARADIGM SHIFT! IMMORTAL GORGON, EURYALE!" With the giant gorgon''s grotesque appearance, which I prior apprehended to be this big guy''s hidden biologic arsenal, everyone including me marveled at its appearing statues... This certainly is not a time for a classical music ''auto-play'' reference... but rather, for a modern dubstep, ''Infected mushroom'' by Guitarmass...and it''s not to my liking. Don''t get me wrong. \u003cDisplaying Bestial Interface\u003e ?|TTTTTTTTTT|?r Name: Euryale LVL: 900 Type: Sylaphe HP: 1,000,000 MP: 100,000 t?|TTTTTTTTTT|? Type Sylaphe... So that explains why I can''t take control when I first felt it creeping underground "LEVEL 900? How is taming something like this even possible?" "So, this is the hero''s power, his Paradigm Shift. How magnificent!!!" The assassins in pursuit, stand numb as they beheld the bestial interface showing the monster''s stats with words that can''t help but express their avid admiration for its summoner and for the summoned. What''s a level 900 capable of doing anyway? We fought Gnome monsters earlier on a level scale of 20-95, but all of them did not spell the slightest of challenges...Well, guess I''ll find out as there''s no use standing around while looking at that myriad of numbers. Shall I test it then? I then tried to hack its skin with controlled ink-made javelins in its abdomen, firing it like ranged cascades of arrows from my back without even lifting a finger, inflicting the first set of damage. \u003cDamage Inflicted....\u003e \u003cBestial Interface Invalidated\u003e And without any difficulty, the fired ink-based weapons pierced through like it was cake... but, it''s HP is dully affected. It did get down to a 998,132, but like having barrels of holy healing potions, it suddenly zoomed to its original numbers and the wounds completely healed not even leaving the tiniest of scars... and as designated by the Ethereal Paradigm, the stats then disappeared from our sights, leaving me with nothing but a little clue of what it really is capable of. Hmmm and here I am laughing my entire sarcasm off earlier, I can now see why they dubbed this as an ''Immortal'' monstrosity. While I clearly am not a connoisseur, I think it''s something not meant to be killed... but tamed. Just like how this old man did by whatever tricks he could have used. "GUUUUUAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The chained, still trying to get off from the bind began to shout as his muscles tensed up more and more, breaking his worn armor to pieces and as well as the chainmail he is wearing underneath, making the ground shake to a considerable degree, but still not enough to deem the invisible shackles as ''impotent''... and as though the Gorgon and he, are one, it starts to violently move around uncontrollably as it seems to also have felt the physical torture that his summoner''s is going through. It''s no use. The more you struggle, the more you will suffer. If only your brain had that kind of finesse to realize... "Phew! Inviting the Gorgon to the little party while we''re around... What a retarded hero." The priest started talking, but still with a calm demeanor... "Monsieur, I''ve been meaning to ask amidst all of this farce... why can you be that confident? Is your trust in this man right here that great? Or is it that you won''t care if he''s killed right now." I can''t help but ask. His confident face had been boggling me. "It''s both, with one addendum reason...", he answered. "And what might that reason be..." "Elementary ethos...What can fear contribute to this kind of predicament? Feeling such trivial matters in a battlefield would only be fatal ...It''s unfortunate though, that these lowly assassins don''t have the same mindset." He answered seeing the lackeys in fear, showcasing the very opposite of his unfazed expression. That''s one hell of a relatable answer though... "Assassins, run towards the end of the forest if you want to live! " The priest, while supervising Shiro in some sort of a barrier, then instructed the agitated remaining party members who are prior set on killing me, and like undignified dogs deprived of free will, they followed the priest''s words running like cowards away from Euryale and me who has taken their master hostage still struggling to break free. "Look at your loyal lackeys, leaving you like you''re some noble excrement... Hahahaha. You even went so far as to summon your hidden special weapon. So they basically value the priest''s order more than yours?" I mocked the captived hero. "QUIT WITH THE BULLSH*TS!!!! HOI! GET BACK HERE NOW!" "Oh don''t worry, I won''t let them get away like nothing happened... but that also doesn''t mean that I''ll offer them to you. Don''t get your hopes up." "TSK! CURSE YOU!" "Please do..." After all, the stronger your hatred, the more darkness I can manipulate. "Now. if you''ll excuse me..." I then left the shackled nimrod, to intervene those assassins from escaping the landscape. "Opppsss no can do.." I then multiplied my pen''s ink via a finger''s flicker, manipulating it to become unfathomable weapons whose designs are my own and such that have never been seen before...I made it encircle the whole terrain, amassing millions of blades on a spherical formation, in such a way that it almost covered the whole arena hereby blocking some of the moon''s light leaving the whole battlefield, dark-veiled and dimmer... An ideal place for me and my functional paradigm to go berserk anytime, not paving way for any kind of escape. "Whoever leaves the arena early would be killed... That''s a major rule in a war, right? But for those who want to step back on the limelight, please be ready to have few of those mass collection of weapons implode in an omnidirectional barrage. or if you want to at least have some time for your life''s greatest memoire to flash before you as you die, then there are these vast shadows on the sole of your feet that I can also use to take full control of your being like your a mere puppet stuck in this circus." Of course, killing them would be easy now that I know which has been restricting me from manipulating their negative intents, so I guess that the statement of ''Leave and be ''automatically'' killed'' is quite an exaggeration, except its beyond any doubt, the most plausible scenario they are in. "Wha, what''s wrong with this newcomer? He''s, he''s controlling such forces even without chants." One of the escaping goats began to accidentally venerate as they saw my creation and the dark terrain I created even engulfing the giant Gorgon with cold sweats running down their nervous faces. Judging by that poorly-made statement, I guess ''Chants'' really are a norm here... But, I just find them to be cringy and why would I do it if my paradigm works without it? "CURSE YOU JERK!" the same Gorgon summoner shouted in desperation as the chains continue to shackle him with ever-increasing grip as his hatred also increases. Quite the hefty kind of suicide. Now then... Darkness? Check! An impeccable priest acting as Shiro''s guard? Check! The summoner under my control? Check! This Gorgon on the domain? Check! "Hoi Priest... Be sure to protect the kid okay? Don''t forget now, that you''ve planted a curse for yourself and in your lovely party." "Hmmm, sure. The little girl is safe as of now... but... I''ve also been meaning to ask you this, monsieur newcomer.." "Ask... I don''t have all the time for this." "How can you be so confident, against such?" "Hmmm, returning the question now aren''t we? The answer, however, is also simple...Elementary ethos... I''ve lost the ability to feel such trivial vehemence. " "Such interesting beings indeed... ''Men'' was it? From whence did you descended from?" "Ah yeah, but don''t generalize me with them..." "HAHAHA!" The priest burst into laughter for reasons that I can quite imagine... Well, whatever... Now then, shall we dance, Ms. Euryale? The giant Gorgon taking some time to look at his master then sets her dead and deep eyes on me. The snakes on its head begin hissing and her fangs began to let out this neon-purple fluid that looks very poisonous from my own point of view. Its long body then encircled its master protecting him from my sight, but not from my chains... It will continue to crush him little by little as it gains power from his own arrogance and hatred. "Newcomer... I express to you my humblest condolences!", The priest started to exclaim. So he really is also confident of the hero''s ability. That explains why he is madly dauntless... "I accept the warm greetings there, monsieur priest. One question though... Do I die? If I look at it?" "Luckily, no. This is not Medusa... This one, however, is Euryale, its sister... but an immortal one." "I see... Thanks for the data!" So, it doesn''t have that ''look-at-me-in-the-eyes-and-be-a-pile-of-stones?''... That''s rather boring, what surprised me is that he knew of Medusa, a very fame-mired monstrosity on Greek literature. Now, the minds of those ancient authors really have me worried. And then the Gorgon aggressively charges, sweeping some sturdy trees along its path as if unmindful of the fact that this, is now my domain... 71 Major Chess Piece "When you see a good move, look for a better one." -Emmanuel Lasker ? While it might be somehow deranged to say that I am ''comforted'' by the priest''s and several assassin''s provision on Shiro, the same guys that want to have her for their own unknown reasons, I have no choice but to believe in the curse that they planted upon themselves saying that if the girl gets hurt, they will die. They look overly serious about guarding the girl so it should be okay, not that I''m letting down of my guard though... Being extra cautious in this circumstance would not hurt and that, it''s best if I somehow intervene, each of the moves that they''re going to catalyze. First and perhaps the biggest threat, the summoned Euryale. Now the immortal Gorgon charges up towards me with great indignation as his master continues to suffer by the continuously clenching chains, protected by the very same monstrosity encircled within by its enormous serpent body. I can''t also take control of the Gorgon... It doesn''t have charisma for itself, unlike the morbid pile of muscles for a guy... and not to mention that the type is Sylaphe. Guess I''ll make use of the surrounding darkness then...Good thing the terrain has been made authentically dim. It might also be questionable as to why I would only say this now but, the ink-made weapons I purposefully created encircling us in a sphere formation, even covering the whole sky is actually not limited to having only one purpose and while I already told the first apparent reason, which is to cut off anyone who dares to escape, it could also be used for the offensive. Gaining control of the ink-contrived weapons, I then utilized almost half of them, deforming it to combine to a very large sharp-edged cross in par with the gorgon''s size while assuming that it will do the trick rather than depending on smaller weapons that would not even leave a scar. Maybe a bigger weapon could work, somehow delaying the fast regeneration of the monstrosity, and from there the second plan commences... I have no intention of prolonging this any further... With imagination as a remote control, I plan to marshal the fall of the giant cross mid-air with the monstrosity as its main target, but first, let me set up the correct stageplay for the assurance of a wonderful performance. Using the dark silhouette which my en masse of weapons also produced as it covers the whole terrain from the moon''s superfluous brilliance, I then form out two giant hands, one in each side of the moving Gorgon and made it clasp against each other in a way that if Euryale wants to survive, she has to hold out the hands from crushing her first...but then, let''s say if she does manage to hold out that first incursion, there will be the giant cross falling from above. A checkmate so to say. The plan commences. Basing from the first part of the plan, I made the Gorgon cease from her onset as two giant hands formed from nothing but pressured-shadows in each of her sides, beginning to clench her on the center... but the immortal-emblazoned monster is not so powerless that she could not hold out to such pressure. Conclusion... The first plan is not that potent. Time to advance to the second part. With the Gorgon clenched side by side unable to move... like a meteoroid, I then manipulated the giant cross mid-air to reach an even higher length for it to gain momentum and as it reaches a certain height, which is a very significant one indeed, it''s time for a meteoroid show... "Heaven Concealed" is how one of the most powerful villains in anime calls it. As the giant cross''s tip opened the head of the Gorgon, a huge cracking sound then ullaged the whole terrain, with the ground shaking as if a real meteoroid really did fall and then, a wave of impact from the gained momentum. It hit the Gorgon amassing this very huge hole in its body with purple blood spurting almost everywhere... And I''m not so stupid to have no follow-up plans. Conclusion number two... I made it fall at the Gorgon in the most linear ways piercing her body from head to the first few meters of her tail, and as hypothesized the regeneration has been somewhat slower as the wound was very great, a very disgusting one to behold. Time to advance, to the final plan... With jet-black ink pierced on its body, I then disembarked them to become subatomic particles that would excavate the Gorgon''s inside, destroying its most vital parts, almost like having an auto stage 4 cancer, but worse as the patient will have no time to see for themselves, their expected death tanning. The minuscule particles of ink then entered its body slowly destroying its guts, defenseless. The Gorgon, feeling the pang coming from her insides, howled in great adrenaline hitting its systems, but, as though it purified itself... my cancer cells lost potency as if suddenly, and I was unable to continue the operations any longer. It then regenerated, faster than ever before... Conclusion... That was a waste of time. Another integral conclusion... Higher-level beasties here in this realm Naethervale is not a joke. With the failure of my detailed-plan, I found myself relying back on third-tier skills. I then perpetrated some giant chains to somehow restrain the Gorgon from its even more violent moving, but making use of its type, Sylaphe, which has something to do with nature, it manipulated the surrounding trees, giving life to each of them in a form of giant golems that still is ugly as hell. But, with having much of my ink taking in the form of an en masse of weaponry arsenal, destroying them is a mere child''s play... Utilizing the ink-based weapons mid-air, I moved from one golem to another bombarding their bodies with a barrage of holes and cuts deeming them powerless. "I already told you... Euryale is immortal" the priest extrapolated the fact even more. "Don''t underestimate the Paradigm Shift of our Sire, you puny dark mage!" An assassin with dual knives aforesaid. "Oh, you mean the man who chickened out and let this Gorgon be his living shield?" I replied. " It would only be natural! You were also up to using cheap tricks earlier! The master even commanded our priest to curse us so that you could fight in fair condition, and this is what you''ll repay? You''re a coward!" Exclaimed the other. "Yeah! You should be ashamed of yourself, you coward!" Huh? Seriously what the hell are they talking about... Well, ''Pawns'' as they are they will always find ways to inspire themselves to stupidly admire their echelon even more, no matter how stupid they really are... It''s not that different from Earth''s ancient politics. "Coward? If I am indeed one, doesn''t that make all of you plain defecates? On what set of taboos did you presume that I will not use cheap tricks? And did we set some rules that state that I can''t?" "Well-" "Hmmm... Pathetic. If you got time to point fingers then blame this to the one who sent you to take the little girl captive. You suddenly showed up, assuming that I''m weak because I''m a human novice. Challenging me to a duel which clearly is one-sided because all of you are already fond of this realm and then there''s me who just arrived. Now tell me who''s the coward?" They stood too corrected to even dare say a word. "What''s worse is that you even assumed that I would fight hand-in-hand with such an experienced overrated hero. Hmmm... But really, your main mistake was being involved with us... both me and the girl." Those pawns who proclaims to be a dignified party of assassins now really do piss me off... Without any known bounds, unable to kill it because of its impeccable regeneration, I chained the Gorgon, holding it down unable to inflict even the slightest of damage... But I''ve got an idea. If I can''t kill the summon itself, then its weakness might be the one it is trying to protect... that muscle man... An integral piece in this implicit game of chess with a freaking unkillable rook. "So, you''ve already figured it out?" asked the priest. "Yes... Quite the obvious shenanigan. I think that killing him would somehow silence this Gorgon up." With both the summon and the summoner unable to move for the time being, amid the presence of the chains... I then undauntedly began to walk towards the shackled hero... And there, right in the middle of the Gorgon''s encirclement was the man who''s still holding onto his life... "Yow.." I greeted. "TSK CURSE YOU, SHAMING ME IN FRONT OF MY MEN LIKE THAT." "Curse all you want... I''m gonna have to kill you." Out of the myriad of weapons I can choose, I picked the most noble-looking one to at least fit the murder weapon used to kill this revered and rash hero. I stood a ''winner''. A ''victor'' so to say, in this little masquerade. But... "Gh..Gh... GHA GHA GHA GHA GHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" A demented laugh psurted out from the shackled man''s pursed lips.... "Laughing your death is also a preferable option eh?" I replied with also a hysterical smile, delaying the easy kill... "YOU UNDERESTIMATED US KID" Huh? "Paradigm Shift! Cancel!" As I heard that declaration that came from someone else, a very graphic light with unknown origin bombarded the whole terrain. I covered my eyes from the weird brilliance as it really is eye-aching. And slowly adapting to the sudden emanation of light, I slowly opened my eyes, and I beheld... my ink-made arsenal awaiting my instructions on-air, falling to the ground like mere straws and my chains stopped working. I can''t even feel any charisma nor can I see any dark intent... it was as if, my paradigm has been negated. I can''t use anything. "Summon! Iron maiden..." What I then noticed next was my inability to move my own body and slowly being veiled alive by the sudden appearance of a human-sized torture tool, that Rome used to have back in the middle ages. It then closed with nothing more but an eerie creaking sound... and from afar, I could hear this slowly fainting cry of the little girl. "Oni-chama!!!!!!" (...........................) Something hurts... Where... did I falter? 72 Synthesized Angel: Kurenai "Sometimes, an angel is not in the light, it is found the darkest of places." -K. Webster ? "Oni-chama!" Jaiden was incarcerated in an iron maiden...With his Paradigm, ''Requiem Aranea'' negated and nullified, all done by the priest... And it was not only Jaiden''s paradigm that had been negated but the same also with the active spells in range with the priest''s paradigm shift, hereby deeming the curse of putting to death whoever hurts the little girl, powerless and impotent... And now, the little girl is left amidst the party of assassins who are after her, confused, vexed and abolished as the moon is continuously radiating its brilliance without interferences, tainting the whole landscape in its monochromatic light. "Heal." The priest''s scepter touched the forehead of the severely-damaged and proclaimed hero who''s name is ''Count Joberwock Rosewald'' who is on the verge of blacking out, unconscious earlier...and so it was, that he was then able to stand up, but still with the apparent injuries from his struggles earlier to brush off the unseen shackles. "GAH GAH GAH!! NICE TIMING DEINSLEIF! I ALMOST DIED THERE! THAT KID WAS RATHER SKILLFUL FOR A NOVICE!" "Hmm, Of course, I did tell you to not underestimate such humans chosen by a God. You even made me use my Paradigm Shift... Now I can''t use any major spells for the week. Know that i advance" "GAH GAH GAH! I ALSO USED MINE YOU KNOW!" "Sire!", the lackeys, seeing their master well had been freed from their nervous breakdown and began flocking around the hero as if receiving all of the credits...but the hero reacted otherwise. "YOU PIECES OF SH*TS, I''M VERY DISAPOINTED IN YOU! HOW DARE YOU HAVE THE GUTS TO RUN" the hero responded in an aggressive way, strangling the first one to ever greet him in his quick recovery. He was angry as to how ''they'', his emergency life elixir can have the guts to not give him their soul when he needed it the most. "I SHOULD JUST FEED YOU TO EURYALE!" He added aggressively, while slowly one-handedly throwing off one inside the Gorgon''s grotesque mouth, ready to receive the midnight snack. "Sire, please no! We- we had no choice but to withdraw." Pleaded the man who is about to be served while the other ones did not even try to save him nor stop the hero from doing such a horrid act. They were all too afraid...much more afraid than facing the demeanor of the Gorgon itself. "Count Rosewald stop that. We had enough troubles for the day. We had the Kurenai now don''t we?" the priest exclaimed calming the hero down. "HMM... YES. THE LITTLE GIRL." They then turned their faces to the stunned little girl, still holding on to her weapon Grendel. "KID. COME WITH US... DONT WORRY, YOUR OLDER BROTHER SEEMS TO BE ALIVE. " the hero said, but Shiro felt the otherwise... She can''t feel Jaiden''s life. She can''t sense even the faintest of his presence. "You... " "HUH?" "I already warned you... not to have something to do with me," the kid replied with a voice alike to that of a combination of a normal little girl and a demon''s offspring. "HMMM... SO YOU FINALLY PLAN ON MANIFESTING YOURSELF, THE SYNTHESIZED ANGEL, KURENAI. ATER ALL THESE YEARS, OUR KINGDOM''S RUN-AWAY ANGEL, WE MEET AGAIN... YOU EVEN CHOSE A KID TO BE YOUR BEARER." "Well, her parents from the second realm were the ones who gave me the privilege." "WELL, WHATEVER... GOOD THING I STILL HAVE THE GORGON WITH ME." "Did you think that that ugly creature would protect you from me? You insolent fool." The girl races her head, only for them to see that she was showing a different aura of crimson, her left eye, now taken the color red and her thin hair slowly turning scarlet and her demeanor was not as fragile as earlier as it showed this new austere and deadpan expression. The others stood back in fear, except for the priest and the hero himself... "GAH GAH GAH! I WAS SUPPOSED TO GET YOU BACK TO THE KINGDOM AND DO THE RITES THERE, BUT I THINK I''LL DO IT... RIGHT HERE. I''LL JUST SAVE YOUR AROMATIC HEART FOR THE KING''S MEAL!" the hero spouted with the same unfazed and arrogant stature taking hold of his greatsword. "Do as you wish...But, not like oni-chama... I''m not holding anything back" "ONI-CHAMA? IS THAT THE BOY''S NAME? HOW PUTID OF A CHOICE." "No. It''s what the girl likes to call him... Now then shall we advance to the desired climax?" "THAT''S THE SPIRIT!!!!!!!!!" the hero then hastily comes to attack, with the Gorgon also following below him and with the priest''s support." "DEINSLEIF! " "Right! Bounding spell third tier!" declared the priest in a very serious manner, as such as Jaiden never saw. A lit magic circle then appeared right under the little girl''s soles with the purpose of sealing her from conducting any movement... "How cute" But it broke in its own accord, not being able to handle the girl''s prowess. The priest draws back a little. He can''t use his paradigm Shift and he can''t use a strong tier-ed spell as a consequence, so now he considers himself as extra weight for the hero to bare, but has to do every support that he can. "HOI! ARE YOU THAT WEAK NOW ?" the hero stopped to mock the priest and an unlikely argument sparked in the middle of the battlefield. "Are you sure that you should divert your eyes from me?" "Huh?" "Well, I can only manifest myself for a few minutes or so... so you should probably get the party started." "GAH GAH GAH! IS''NT THAT THE GOOD NEWS FOR US THEN." "Well, yes... I hate to admit it but in my vessel''s state, I am in no shape to kill any of you." "GAH GAH GAH!" "But...That doesn''t mean that you''ll survive, unscathed. " "TSK! THEN HERE GOES! YIEEE HOWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" With the greatest speed of his capabilities, Rosewald slashed his sword which is approximately three times the size of the girl with elevated rashness and recklessness written all over his face. But, using only her bare hands, the girl took hold of the sword to defend like it was mere stick... "How disappointing... You can''t even leave a scratch in this girl''s fragile skin." And seeing that he failed, causing a little embarrassment for the hero''s side, he even tried to convert her soul to a life elixir of his use, moreover... "Hmmm... Cheap prototype relic skills have no effect on me." "HAVE NO EFFECT HUH... EURYALE!" the hero then called for the Gorgon''s assistance and so it was that it manipulated the surrounding woods forming it to a suite of moving wooden status with a thousand arms each which all are relatively ten times the size of the golems which Jaiden single-handedly overwhelmed prior. "I never saw you use this much of the Gorgon''s ability when you were fighting with oni-chama earlier..." the Kurenai asked... "ISN''T IS OBVIOUS? I WAS SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST!" Seeing the visage, the Kurenai, taking control of the little girl''s body responded as to as little as "Hmph. Show off" with the same deadpan expression as if the approaching Gorgon and its en masse of armies is not even worthy to be deemed a stimulus. "Shiro-san, mshiwakearimasenga, sukoshi paradaimu o kariru koto wa dekimasu ka?" (English: Shiro sorry, but can I borrow your paradigm a bit?) ... The Kurenai, taking full control of the little girl''s body spoke as if she and the girl are still in touch with each other, and as if they have known each other for quite some time now. "Nante sutekina on''nanoko... arigat." (English: What a nice girl... Thank you.) "Oh, Oni Chama? Mochiron! Shinpaishinaide...Watashitachi futari no tame ni kare o sukuimasu...Sore wa tashikada " (English: Oh, Oni-chama? Of course! Don''t worry, I''ll save him for the both of us... that''s for sure.) "Ima, gsei sa reta tenshi no shutsugen no jikan." (English: Now then, time for the SYNTHESIZED ANGEL''S EMERGENCE." Then, as though having the girl''s acknowledgment, with the vast opponents approaching... the Kurenai was not willing to hold anything back. She then took hold of Grendel, the little girl''s mythical weapon in its primal dagger form...and wounded her right arm, as such that neon red blood began to drip to the verdant grounds from where she stood... "Paradigm Shift! Bloody Butterfly!" 73 Rebirth of the Bloody Butterfly "Just when the caterpillar thought her life was over, she became a butterfly." -Haines Howett ? Synthesized Angels. The collective emblazonment, given to the 12 powerful higher spirits that are extant in the Third Realm, and are powerful beings of high renown blessed by the Primordials themselves of unique abilities to make the entire realm a better place for its denizens. Yes, there are 12: I. Calypso (Harvest) - blessed with the power to aggrandize agriculture. II. Hitchcock (Glamour) - blessed with her power to turn rubbles to jewels but with the correct materials. III. Vale (Valor) - blessed with impeccable knowledge of the seas and its depths. IV. Beowulf (Order) - blessed to maintain the beasts of the land. V. D'' Artagnan (Fortitude) - blessed with the power to inspire. VI. Daedalus (Amends) - blessed with the talent to forge weaponry and equipment. VII. Longinus (Temperament) - blessed with the power to create material things, (e.g. Technology) VIII. Sartre (Wisdom) - blessed with high strategic intellect. IX. D'' Nostradamus (Insight) - blessed with unrivaled hindsight and precognition. X. Tsukuyomi (Remark) - blessed with the answers to each of the questions of the universe. XI. Kurenai (Heal) - blessed with the power to reinvigorate physical wounds. XII. Bismark (Benediction) - blessed with the power to turn commoners to heroes. But the 12 of them, they were the kind of spirits that are exploited from time to time. Not your stereotypical ''Angels''. Their endowed unique abilities which had been the cause for their rise was also the primal cause for their pitiable downfall. Not yonder, without or with so limited power for self-aegis, they were suddenly considered as a Kingdom''s personal belonging, working 24/7 for a certain Kingdom''s gain, and it was then that their divine task failed. They were considered as material treasures that can be sought and it was not far when the third realm''s 27 Kingdoms resorted to violence and malicious acts of war all of the name of obtaining one for themselves for the achievement of their exploits and visions. But, one of the Synthesized Angel, Kurenai... was not willing to submit. She was one of the synthesized angels, always with a very sober look, had flawless skin, crimson hair, ruby-colored eyes and scarlet blood-stained wings alike to that of a butterfly which signified her ability to provide lost blood, heal deceases and recover the wounded. She ran and ran from the Naethervelian''s sight often causing Kingdoms war and great sacrifices of the people to obtain her, one Kingdom specifically who had never for once had a Synthesized Angel for themselves was her arch-nemesis. The Kingdom of Aurelius... Yet, outnumbered and having very finite capabilities for any offense and defense she was captured and felt betrayed by the other Synthesized Angels who suddenly submitted their wills to the kingdom''s respective kings instead of being loyal with the primordials and above all, she also felt alone and abandoned by the same Primordials who sent them there, who never for once had looked back to at least see their current grotesque stature. She was then exploited under the command of King Aurelius, but unlike any other synthesized angels, her powers spell great advantage in the battlefield. For years she would join the Kingdom''s warriors to wage war with its neighboring territories healing the wounds of the plunderers without fail and it was only a matter of time that the Kingdom gained exponential wealth and fame as the King, its Hero, and its Archpriest continues to claim the credits. Not until one day, she saw her only opportunity, a weird stroke of luck and felicity... While on the battlefield, with the army and its king and governing commanders distracted, suddenly a rift beside her opened up. She did not know where it leads to, nor did she know what will happen to her if she were to go inside... but she knows more than anyone else that it was her only chance of escape. Hurriedly, not minding the risks, she endeavored to go through the rift, and the King seeing her slowly go inside, ordered his army to fall back from the battlefield to reclaim the escaping Synthesized Angel, but Kurenai was not willing to go back in there. She then summoned a flesh-hungry Gorgon, ''Euryale'' with all of her strength, and blessed the monstrosity with an impeccable ability to heal, even going past the limits of her powers to hinder the vast armies approaching. The unkillable Gorgon, killed countless of armies that day and while the Kingdom did not know where it came from, they know that its ability to heal was from the now-escaped synthesized angel, the very reason why many lives were lost that day... and hence the birth of the ''Bloody Butterfly'', her debut to becoming a killer from a harmless healer. The King, bitterly indignant as his secret weapon got away, swore with his life that he will get his hands on her again, no matter the cost and the time that he must pay... Kurenai achieved her sudden and risky escape and fell into this rift of rather a bottomless pit and heavy sleep came to her... The moment she woke up, she found herself in a place that she knows nothing of and that, she was inside a little girl''s body. In this new world, she could not use her powers, all she knows was that she is seeing through the girl''s eyes and is always with her. The question as to why a rift suddenly appeared that day which leads to her being inside the girl never departed her, but the answer was simple and such that she understood the moment she knew. Turns out, the foster parents of the child was the one who summoned her through their earnest prayers to save her from near-death as her original mom died as she was still delivering her and having the Kurenai to take part in her body was one ultimate healing-key for anyone. The girl grew up and the two of them would converse inside the little girl''s head and have become friends very quickly, no, family... It was the Synthesized Angel''s first time to know what the feeling of safety is and complete freedom from those who sought her life. Little did she care about her new environment at all... all she cared was that she''s safe and that, she has a new family she could care about, but the boggling thoughts of her allies left to suffer back in the third realm never departed from her and fate was not that static to let her live the life she thinks she deserves. The moment the giant summon, Atlas, came in that peaceful day to pick up the city to transport it to a realm for warfare decree, she knew that she is now back in the embrace of those monsters and in the presence of her allies that are now caged in their respective kingdoms. Exploited, abandoned, and above all, hopeless. The little girl also lost her foster parents that day, but it was also the same moment when the two of them met their new brother, Jaiden. Now, facing against her, was the Kingdom of Aurelius''s party of elite assassins, the Hero who has always been the right hand of the king, the same Archpriest, and as well as the immortal Gorgon which she herself, made immortal, and is now the Paradigm Shift of the hero as he was the first to tame it. And inside an iron-maiden, a meter or two away was the brother they just met but had grown attached to who has also fallen prey to the Kingdom''s conceited stratagem, all to reclaim the Bloody Butterfly for themselves. Kurenai, under Shiro''s body, is not that weak as she was before, now that she is inside a human who recently jus got the benison from the Ethereal Paradigm. She can now have a proper offensive stance with a little limit and not to mention her impeccable ability to heal almost a hundred times better than the Gorgon, Euryale. 74 Pride and Resentmen "Pride and resentment are not indigenous to the human heart, and perhaps it is due to the gardener''s innate love of the exotic that we take such pains to make them thrive." -Hope Mirrlees ? "Paradigm Shift! Bloody Butterfly!" Suddenly, the monochromatic brilliance of the moon up above ceased its endearing beauty and what replaced it was a moon tainted with blood as if millions have been slain there at that moment. Using the mythical weapon, Grendel in its primal form, they wounded themselves in the wrist enough for a drop of blood to spill on the ground... and with that single droplet, came an instantaneous downpour of gore that altered the color of the atmosphere, from its monochromatic taints, to now a grim visage of vermeil death and resentment. Blood filled the whole scenery. Shiro, under the supervision of her Synthesized Angel acquaintance, starts to float right up high in the air as if an unseen hand lifts her up to prevent her soles from touching the verdant filthy terra firmas... and then from the same ground where she stood, the downpour of blood mysteriously started to alter forms, developing to become the likes of a tornado, but not made up of wings but of blood... and amidst it was the little girl, slowly metamorphosing to something that mere humans can not. "HOOO??? SO YOU NOW KNOW OFFENSE." The hero, seeing for the first time what the synthesized angel is really capable of, now that she''s inside a human who just received her own paradigm marveled at the cardinal visage and the crimson tornado, as though it means a demon lord''s entrance to another parallel universe began to spurt out this massive array of red flashes of lightning and the vehement surge of the winds that made the other ones except the persistent hero draw back in fear of the visage alone... Then, the rather, the roseate sudden cyclone began to relinquish and inside was a dark orb shining in the brilliance of the redness of rubies... "Be careful, Count Rosewald... This is unlike the novice earlier. We are talking about a Synthesized Angel with a hundred times more healing prowess than your pet... Not to mention that now she''s inside a second realm denizen, we don''t know for sure what she really is able of doing." "YES... YES... I KNOW... Y''ALL BETTER STEP BACK AND CALL FOR REINFORCEMENTS... I''LL KEEP AN EYE ON THE UNDERDOG IF IT TRIES TO ESCAPE AGAIN." "Yes... Men! Drawback!" the priest commanded the assassins and having great trust for their hero, without a second thought, fled the battlefield to call their allies. The hero turned his focus at the bloody visage again, but this time, not with the uncanny frivolousness and reckless nonchalance but only with the pride that he must withhold, the pride as a kingdom''s hero endowed with the responsibility to once again claim their kingdom''s lost healer whose skills are second to none, a widely-considered ''material'' for their kingdom''s growth and continuous rise to major fame and power. The red-like orb laid afore, which was the outcome of the bloody cyclone started to break piece by piece slowly evaporating to glossy cerise specks of dust, and it was not long before a powerful entity''s appearance... so the hero thought, with his ever-arrogant pose and with his rather overbearing smile as the Gorgon and its vast army of trees given life were in his rear, f which he hope is ready to go against a powerful countenance. The orb completely broke and what then revealed was the Synthesized Angel and the little girl, still in one body, but in a different demeanor. Shiro''s hair became red as blood, her eyes became bright crimson in color, and her hair, scarlet... and in her back, was surreal wings alike to that of a butterfly but is made of blood and in their hands was not the mythical weapon, but a shiny red scythe larger than that of the body of the girl. "Kisamara! Oni-chama o tgoku suru yki!" (English: You! How dare you imprison oni-chama!) Shiro suddenly talked pointing her hand to the iron maiden where Jaiden is currently sealed. "Oh, Shiro-san... That man is very stubborn. He does not understand. Let us take our intentions by force now, kay?" Kurenai asserted. "Hai! Kurenai onee-chan" "Yosh!" Shiro and Kurenai started to boldly talk with each other in one biological body and seeing them talk like that were like seeing the utmost visage of someone having an identity disorder at its peak. "GAH GAH GAH! I SURELY DID NOT UNDERSTAND A WORD THAT YOUR COUNTERPART HAD SAID, BUT THERE''S NO WAY I AM STUBBORN... GAH GAH GAH!! BY FORCE EH! EURYALE ATTACK THEM!!!" The Gorgon came dashing forth once again with great wrath together with its army of giant wooden statues. They then with all power started to throw big boulders to the girl, while some were planning on engaging close range... but the girl seeing all of the farce, was not even responsive to the upcoming danger. She just stood there doing nothing and letting all of the attacks into her without resorting to any guard or such. She was then vividly hit by the various blitz of the giant statues who all bombarded her with melee attacks, but it all has no effect on her. Not a wound is even showing... "Kawaikoto." Kurenai said in plain mockery. Moreover, it was her first time doing this, finally confronting the hero who partly symbolized the overall image of the kingdom itself which stripped her of her will and she was happy and the feeling of going to the offensive which he hasn''t done directly before is very ecstatic. "AS EXPECTED OF THE ANGEL OF HEALING... YOUR POWER IS SO POTENT THAT EVEN IF MY ATTACKS HIT YOU, NOT EVEN A TINY BRUISE IN YOUR SKIN IS SHOWING." "No... Your attacks are just plain weak. That''s all. "GAH GAH GAH! NOW WE''RE TALKING!!..." The hundred-hand statues continued the barrage of melee attacks directly at the girl while the Gorgon, standing half a kilometer away started to charge itself howling towards nature with an eerie cry to give her power, and then as if it heard its call, giant trees, thrice the size of the previous ones began to spurt quickly from the ground, and in the trees were these green luminous specks of lights of which the Gorgon started to compress in her mouth. The compressed green lights then began to take shape as a spheroid of emerald-green. The spheroid in the Gorgon''s mouth then compressed to form a much larger state as it finished charging up energy from the surrounding newly-disgorged tree giants. But the charge was far from its fruition while Kurenai and Shiro continuously take superfluous zero damage from the wooden statues in pursuits. Five layers of magic circles then appeared in front of it and it was so, that the spheroid then slowly began to pass by the five magical circles. First layer, it became dark green... Second layer, it became twice the size... Third layer, thrice the size and so on until it reached the fifth and final layer and it became five times its original size... "YOU BETTER BE READY! IF I CAN''T EVEN INFLICT WOUNDS THEN WHY NOT BLOW YOU UP WHOLE? EURYALE! FIVE-LAYER NATURAL FULMINATION! " "Hmm...Insolent." The spheroid launched from the Gorgon''s grotesque-looking mouth towards the same spot where the little girl is still standing. who, as of now, have no intentions of dodging or whatsoever. It then detonated right in the face of the bloody butterfly in a way that incinerated half of the statues, ... A seemingly familiar scene back on Earth in its territorial wars. The explosion then subsided wiping almost half of the wooden armies in pursuits, leaving this incinerated view of the point of impact, and set adrift in the air was the blood-winged girl whose lower half has been entirely blown off, but without even a single drop of blood spilling to the ground. It''s as if they both were two souls conjoined in an empty doll whose blood will stay clandestine as willed... The hero, seeing the aftermath and the drifting body-half while the other half was blown to dust, a halcyon sign of him inflicting damage to such a creature, reveled in magnificence and his fathomless conceit, but literally as if its ashes were too corrected to be one with the ground once again, it began to rise up in the air in a split minute forming the little girl''s anatomy. It''s healing in its best resentment to never submit to pride. "TSK! IT DID NOT EVEN WORK!" "Are you done?" she asked, and the hero, seeing the ineffectiveness of his incursion ceased, gritting his teeth as the look of arrogance begins to depart from him. "Then it''s my turn now." The bloody butterfly then took a tight hold of her lengthy cardinal scythe and got into the stance of someone who is about to display a unique prowess. With one slash of the girl''s scythe, gushed forth a red-colored wave and with it, all of the remaining tree statues in 360-degree radius were slashed down without falters and not only them but as well as the Gorgon and every tree in the surrounding landscape. Some of the mountains standing afar were even hacked down like its nothing, re-altering the ever-changing landscape. From the deep sinister forest to a little arena, and to now, a perfect environment for major conflicts to rise. But the Gorgon, given its immortality from the Synthesized Angel herself does not intend to die an insignificant death from that single slash. "EURYALE!" the hero shouted, and the Gorgon healed, but the difference in regeneration is very apparent. "Oh right... You''re immortal." Kurenai exclaimed. "GAH GAH GAH! DON''T ACT LIKE YOU DON''T KNOW A THING! WE KNOW THAT IT WAS YOU WHO BLESSED IT FOR YOU TO ESCAPE... FUNNY TO THINK NOW ISN''T IT? THAT THE MONSTER YOU EXPLOITED FOR YOU TO RUNOFF IS THE VERY SAME TOOL THAT I''LL USE TO RECAPTURE YOU.." "I will not deny the allegation that it was I who made her seem immortal, and yes... I am the one." "GAH GAH GAH! SUCH HONESTY! THAT''S WHY ALL OF YOU AND YOUR SYNTHESIZED ANGEL FRIENDS ARE UTILIZED LIKE LIVESTOCK!" "Hmmm... I see. Then should I reclaim its immortality then? "WHAT?" "Time for you to say goodbye to your pride, hero... Shiro-san. Let''s do this okay? After that, we will go get oni-Chama." "Wakatta! Kurenai Onee-chan." (English: Got it! Big sister Kurenai!) Shiro responded. 75 Precipice of Fake Defea "Their heart grew cold, they let their wings down." -Sappho ? "WHAT? YOU CAN DO THAT? BUT YOU GAVE IT WILLINGLY YOU LITTLE SH*T!" Exclaimed the hero with such a facade that glyphs his arrogance slowly deviating from him. Well, it is understandable. The Gorgon, his chosen Paradigm Shift, his chosen identity, is all except immortal if the Synthesized Angel wishes so. And he knows that the Gorgon would not be as fearful as before if that aspect is to be taken away from it. "And that''s why I can reclaim it anytime.", answered the Synthesized Angel still drifting mid-air with her majestic cardinal pair of butterfly wings and her lingering death scythe twice the little girl''s hight. "TSK! SCREW YOU AND YOUR NEWCOMER LITTLE VESSEL!... EURYALE! FIVE-LAYER NATURAL FULMINATION... ANOTHER!" Ordered by her master, so to say, the Gorgon then started to once again charge a spheroid following the same process... but this time, the hero desperately does it consecutively none-stop making the established grounds quiver several times, one highlighted aftermaths of the consecutive bursts of energy. "ANOTHER!" "ANOTHER!" "ANOTHEEEERRRRRRR!" But everything was still ineffective, to the little girl that is, taking the attack like its nothing but teeny weeny ant-bites or even exponentially less. Otherwise stated, not a single damage was inflicted while once again, there were lots of alterations on the landscape. It is now both a treeless plain of burnt grass from the consecutive spheroids'' combustion of compressed natural energy and an extremely shallow lake of blood from the sudden downpour upon the manifestation of the Kurenai. "DO YOU EVEN HAVE A FRICKING WEAKNESS?" the hero asked with sweat running down his deformed demeanor while his Paradigm Shift pet did not stop the barrage, weakening degree by degree at each attack. "When you and your puny kingdom held me down and when the primordials who endowed to us with this troublesome and genuine responsibility suddenly abolished us... yes I have. I can''t use offensive paradigms. I am not even allowed to say my concerns in front of your king... but now, it''s different. Now that I am inside this vessel, I am no longer subject to the weaknesses you offered me." Kurenai answered. "JUST FRICKING GET BACK TO WHERE YOU BELONG! TO OUR CASTLE''S LOVELY CELL YOU BUFFOON!" The hero added as he desperately thrives to use every bit of the Gorgon''s elemental attribute foolishly and finally realizing the impotence of his bombards, he stopped and made the Gorgon est for a bit by behaving in his rear. "Hmm, I only stated the truth and now you''re referring to me as a Buffon. Such a desperate and assertive low-life... " "OF COURSE I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CALL YOU THAT! YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A CIRCLE OF BUFFOONS!" "Say that again..." The moment Kurenai heard that balderdash which is also an unerasable mantra for the Synthesized Angels themselves, her heart grew a little cold and it''s only a matter of time before a feral exasperation is to breach out in between the impeccable division of anger and rationality. But, Shiro, as though internally calming her down touched her own cheek to somehow pacify Kurenai. "YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE ALL MEMBERS OF THE SAME CIRCLE CONSISTING OF NOTHING... BUT BUFFOONS! IS THAT CLEAR?" The hero repeated his derision undauntedly while completely ignoring the fact that he just set himself at one deep predicament. "Shiro-san... Gomene...Chotto anata no karada o kari sasete" (English: Shiro... Sorry... Let me borrow your body for a second." "Arigatou." As though the little girl answered her internally, she whispered in a tone that showcases the coalescing of gratitude towards Shiro and her crystal-clear hatred for the mocking hero who does not know how to keep his mouth shut unless in the verge of death. "Take back what you just said..."With eyes, brimming scarlet-red parading this elevated grudge, Kurenai then glared at him. "OH-HO??? I''M SO SCARED! JUST COME HERE AND FIGHT ALREADY!" the hero taunted Kurenai into attacking, but unlike him, who let small factors affect his judgment on the battlefield, Kurenai never loses touch with her logic. "Hmmm... Asking the lady to make the first move is very unchivalrous for a muscle-man like you, don''t you think... But, fine by me." Then, at lightning speed, Kurenai then dashed towards the hero with her scythe.., a speed which the hero stands no chance of evasion... "THAT''S WHAT YOU THOUGHT! EURYALE!" The Gorgon then attacks once again, but this time without using its natural prowess as it seems to be running low in MP. It then utilized its fangs in an endeavor to bite off the butterfly, but ultimately failed as its size was a major predicament to catch up to that girl whos moving faster than sound. And quickly foreshadowing that any vigor to dodge is in vain, the hero tried to retaliate the supersonic attack but failed at an unscrupulous state and Kurenai, faking her attack threw the scythe at her other hand and then grabbed him by his thick bundle of hairs and started to drag him around with his face eating the verdant dirt at the speed of sound and with a body inside a broken armor, causing this large cracks on the ground from whence the hero has been scraped facing ''earthbound''. Still, with his face scraping the ground, Kurenai then relinquished the land sowing at a point and threw him to a nearby mountain deforming its once perpetual cone-shape, causing a vivid shake on the ground with the hitting point as the epicenter, in a way that half of the mountain''s geography has been flattened out and the hero left to be buried underneath. "I never know that plowing the land with a Tarragon''s face would feel this good," Kurenai exclaimed stretching Shiro''s back with a satisfied smile in her face seeing how far the hero has been sent flying. A thing which she can never do before in her frail body. The Gorgon was left on the battlefield... and not feeling the hero''s presence, it just stood there, waiting for orders to come out but there was none. It then tried to once again return underground from where it appeared prior, as though it received signal to do so from his currently buried master or something... "No, you''re not escaping. You still have something which I own..." Kurenai then threw her scythe right in the tip of its scaly tale piercing it through and on the ground preventing the Gorgon''s hasty subterranean escapade who still owes her its pre-known ''immortality''. "Shiro-san... Shall we save oni-chama now" "Hai!" (English: Yes!) "Rykai" (English: Roger that") Conveying that, sounding like an ongoing act of monologue from someone else''s perception, Kurenai, utilizing the blood wings, enveloped the Gorgon whole as if eaten by a red predator alive, and inside the dome of blood, the Gorgon went, not being able to move that much due to the cramped space and there...a requited skull session unprecedentedly lit up. "I thank you, Euryale... And I''m so sorry for calling you at that time, I can''t think of anyone else strong to held that vast army and in the end, I still need to reclaim my power. Sorry." The Gorgon then calmed down as the Synthesized Angel touched its forehead, and then "Please... Kill me." In some sort of telekinesis, the Gorgon speaks in a voice that is clearly in the embrace of suffering and the wanton desire to be set free that caused shock in Kurenai''s countenance... "Why?" Asked the Synthesized Angel. "The moment he tamed me, I think of nothing but going on a rampage... I''ve killed a million now." "We are practically standing in the same thin ice. I feel the same as they exploited me and from merely seeing my counterparts used as some sort of a personal belonging as well" Kurenai shared with practically a saddened demeanor, but the Gorgon''s resolve is whole and unshakeable. "Yes... But unlike you, I have no chance to redeem myself. I failed to save my sister, Medusa from drowning in her own power and now she''s dead. The only reason for me to continue thriving, now...dead. Truth be told, I was happy when you summoned me right in front of that battlefield. Thoughts like ''I''m finally gonna be killed'' crossed my mind... but unexpectedly you gave me a portion of your exemplary healing ability." "Sorry" Kurenai bowed her head with some sort of regret tainting her majestic countenance. "No... I understand. If you had not done it than you could have failed the escape. Now, Please take my life as retribution for all of the wrongs that I have had done, and please consider that time when you summoned me to divert your enemies the final remission of my many sins. Take my immortality. A power that I did not ask nor deserve and then please behead me...I''m ready to meet Lord Hades. Perhaps he is more tolerable than that assertive hero." "Is this what you wish?" "Yes." "I understand" "Thank you..." "Oh and Euryale, "What?" "I''ll make sure I will avenge you," Kurenai claimed with a very chivalrous expression. "Thank you..." So the Gorgon said, with a very satisfied look in her still-stressed facade while leaving little words all of which are scambled in one deterrent message... "That man, he is not dead yet. A thousand of the Kingdom''s soldier is also approaching, including the king himself. Please take heed. But, there''s no need to worry about that hero. He just have great vitality but his paradigm is not that strong, especially without my aid. All you need to worry about is that priest who can cancel out paradigms... and also King Aurelius himself... Oh and, you all better live. I''ve heard that these humans we''re transported here for warfare. I''ll be rooting for you and for the little girl''s triumph... Synthesized Angel, Kurenai... Now then, please do proceed." "Yes... Thank you and... Goodbye" Kurenai then raised her scythe and beheaded the Gorgon in a way that made her head float on air matching perfectly with the exotic red atmosphere and then blood started to ooze out from the main body... blood that''s slowly becoming one with the girl''s majestic cardinal wings, symbolizing that once again, she got a portion of her power back." "Let''s meet again someday, Euryale." She said while looking up...Then, the Gorgon''s warning filled her ecstatic thoughts... "The King huh..." Fixing her sight from afar she exclaimed in the adrenaline of re-meeting with her sworn-nemesis who wishes to keep her as a material for battle. "Shiro... It''s almost time for your limit right?" "Ahahaha... Are you okay with that Violation though? Another hour in this form, in exchange for four month-sleep and hibernation?." "Oh, oni-chan... Right." She then relinquished the big dome of blood, leaving with a much more majestic pair of wings, and then she approached the Iron Maiden where Jaiden has been sealed, to keep her part of the bargain of saving Jaiden... She then stood in front of it and made her bloody wings touch the tiny and rusty openings of which a liter of blood passed through and inside will mutate with Jaiden for a reason unknown. "He''s safe for now, Shiro-san" "Now then, let us deal with the king, shall we? They always like to fake defeat... Now its time for a retaliation...with oni-chama of course." And then, it was not yonder that the footsteps of a wide array of approaching armies began to be heard echoing through the air... and the buried herolike a risen dead slowly standing up again from the heavy mountain debris that engulfed him, but now a broken pride in his face,... "Here they all come... Shiro-san. The very reason why I suffered, and the very reason that explains as to how I meet you all... The Corrupt Kingdom of Aurelius." 76 Pandora.EXE "The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence alone, becomes an act of rebellion." -Albert Camus ? (Jaiden''s POV) As my vision is a little blurry, with my head, feels spinning, and my consciousness slowly but assuredly fading away, I started to see these tiny droplets of red slowly entering through my clothes, creeping in such a strange way... "Was that Hades? In the form of cockroaches? Hehehe... There''s no way." I cretinously start to converse with my self in vigor to somehow ameliorate the silence that''s getting to me. But then, out of nowhere and unprecedentedly, my consciousness returned to me like the eyesore-causing lights on the background, suddenly filling me up like a jar of water. Eh? What the hell did I want to convey through that weird definitions? But First... I wake up from that fainting sensation and found myself obscured in this rather flaxen place with a cold atmosphere making the heat index drop via exponential degree... Hays... It was supposed to be a dark one if we go with the cliches, but whoever put me in here must be that ingenious enough to realize that I can likely manipulate that darkness to get myself out of here. So cliches can quite be useful in some specific times huh... But, I stand firm in my belief that cliches are very disturbing. There''s no way I''m depriving myself of that golden fact. Yet still, what boggles me is the setting''s yellow color... Too bright and luminous that it could make my head explode at any second. "Yet, where am I?" Oh right, I was feined by that hero''s easy defeat, hence I let my guard down and Wella, here I am... My paradigm has been canceled by that unpredictable priest and the next thing I knew was being eaten alive in this resplendent place while feeling these many stabs approximately everywhere in my body as if I got tortured or something using Rome''s very own tool for persecution, an iron maiden? "Wait, what were those anyway?" I then examined my body checking as to where those tiny red creeping things went but there''s nothing... How I hope that this better not be the story niche where a character of importance suddenly gets Amnesia. I sat down a little, as my feet begin to gnaw, and I just noticed this many torns in my worn uniform, and as to where I got it, I don''t remember. But I did feel like I was pierced by many blades moments ago as I got here, but ghastly, I also have no wounds. "Oh, Shiro! What, what happened to her?!" Tsk... There''s no time to chill. I have to get out of here. Remembering that I left a kid in the hands of those aggressive Tarragons who want her for their personal reasons that I am still to know more about, I quickly got up my feet to start thinking any form of stratagem that can likely get me out of here. I then let out of my pen, and to my surprise, it ran out of ink... It must be because of my massive utilization earlier. Right, my torn clothes are black... I then tried to manipulate it, but it''s not responding. Still, It''s got to be this place. I can''t use anything in my Paradigm. Wait. Calm down... I can''t afford to lose even an ounce of my sound logic right now... Well then, if I can''t use anything, I should probably just open my Persona Interface... maybe a guide is there? Not that I remember but it''s worth a try... I then opened up the interface and there, still just the presentation of the most basic information and participant counts... but there''s this button that''s quite new to me... ??? Name: Jaiden Axcel Cendrillon Classification: Human Affiliation: @!$%^#%#^#%$%\u0026#*#^$% Crusade Pass: Herrscher Killed Participants: 0 Killed Herrschers: 0 Re: Characterization Database \u003cGeneral Information\u003e Sentient Contender Count: 11, 732 negative Herrscher Count: 333/333 alive \u003cPandora\u003e ??? Pandora? What''s that supposed to be... I have no recollection of it always being here... Still, for its button to appear here, it must be something of cruciality... right? Without waivers, I then clicked on the button... But, suddenly a glitch appeared and manifested this malfunctioning-like display..... like a virus in my PI and like potent cancer cells, the reoccurring glitches covered the original interface...then displayed this rather elongated loading screen and these texts with the visual interface now a bit more futuristic. XTTT ? TTT[ \u003cInitiating third-party programme\u003e \u003cProgramme Initiated\u003e \u003cPANDORA.EXE\u003e \u003cInstalling execration for fist time use\u003e ???????????????????? \u003cDisplaying\u003e ^TTT ? TTTa Pandora.exe? XTTT ? TTT[ \u003cPandora.exe Installed\u003e \u003cYou will be re-directed to another page. Continue?\u003e ^TTT ? TTTa What? As though simply switching Google tabs, it mundanely asked, but fortunately, not with an MS Window''s prompt box, but with this peculiar interface that I never saw before. It''s made up of entirely black unlike the original PI with a gray interface. Feeling the curiosity seeping through my vein I clicked yes, and then, the glitch took over everything... and then... "Greetings, Master!" Suddenly, a feminine three-dimensional human figure appeared with a speech of half realistic and half robotic tone dressed in a black professional suit...with the frameless glasses... with a ponytail hairdo... and with the ideal ''(w)oppai''... "And what the hell should you be?" Choosing to ignore and divert my eyes from these rather, ''unexplainable'' features, I asked... "Pardon, master... My name is ''Azazel'', a fixed autonomous intelligence designed to organize the third party program ''Pandora.EXE''. I, together with the program was created by your Goddess Dea Lacrimosa with the remaining of her points of authority before it reached zero." "What the hell is this...?" brimming with curiosity, I yelled even though I understood half of what she said... "Pardon, Master, it seems that I may have introduced myself inefficiently...I am ''Azazel'', a fixed autonomous Intelli-..." "Yeah-yeah... I know." I stopped the redundant repetition. "Nice to meet you, Master Jaiden" the teen AI displayed in the interface then bowed in kindness in a very orderly manner. What? The hell is this? An AI, from that goddess? And It calls itself ''autonomous'' and ''augmented'' ... Well, first I must clear out the most basic questions...yet, again. "Hey..." "What is it, master?" "What''s Pandora.exe?" "It''s an illegal third party program that has the ability to organize your skills, your paradigms and can likely answer all of your questions in accordance with this realm, hence called ''Pandora'' which means... ''All Gift''. " Illegal? Then is it okay to have you around?" "Unfortunately no, Master... I am by all means illegal, If Ethereal paradigm will detect my existence, I will be erased, quite possibly, with...you." Oh, it is that bad... Quite the opposite of what I presumed it to be. "So your existence alone is an obvious rebellion against the ruling system in this realm?" "Yes... But, no need to be concerned Master. Our beautiful Goddess made sure that my existence is of the highest classified case." "Y-yeah... Not that I became confident because of that evidence-depraved statement from a cute 3d artificial intelligence. But, Lacrimosa... how much a cheat could she really be? I mean, implanting a program in the Ethereal Paradigm? I hate to admit it, but it''s rather too clever for braggadocio like her. "Did Lacrimosa really create you?" I asked to somehow minimize the doubts that I am having. "Correct, Master, and to prove my stead, I have a letter from her, to you..." "Before that, could you let me out of here?" As the thoughts of Shiro in danger came to me, I literally have no time to listen to another balderdash from that Goddess. "What could your concern be, Master?" "Uhmmm... I don''t know if I should be telling you this, but I have to get out of here to save a little girl. The one I was with earlier we met." "Miss Shiro?" "Eh?" "Shiro was her name, Master?" "Yes... Is- is she okay?" "Scanning vital signs... heart rate... brain activity... All functional, Master." "Wait, you can see her?" "No master, but I can read her in the form of Boolean Binary...and I can tell that 3 million Tarragons are coming this way." "Not that I completely understand what you just said, but 3 million? Just what the hell happened when I was out for like a few minutes? Where is she?" "Calculating exact coordinates 4124''12.2"N 210''26.5"E. ... Distance is 5 meters, 30 meters altitude... The distance of opponents, 4.36 miles with one opponent, badly hurt, 2.5 miles." Wait, she''s flying at 30-meter altitude, how? I then looked around, but all I see is the yellow annoying brightness "Oh Master, Miss Shiro is not here... As you can see, you have been sealed by a canceling paradigm. As of now, you are inside an object." 77 AI Maiden Azazel "AI doesn''t have to be evil to destroy humanity C if AI has a goal and humanity just happens in the way, it will destroy humanity as a matter of course without even thinking about it, no hard feelings." C Elon Musk ? "So can you get me out of here?" "Yes Master, I can provide instructions for you to do so, but first..." "First what?" "I must convey to you the message from Goddess Lacrimosa. If I fail to do so, she will exterminate me." "Did she just traumatize you?" "That, I don''t know.." The AI answered acting all ''Kudere'' while holding out to her eyeglass. "Ok, we don''t have much time." "Scanning for mp3 records... mp3 Found... Playing ''Message. mp3''." "Yowww Jaiden! Quite the problem that you''re in for your first night right? Hehehe" A voice, so familiar and vexing then played right in the interface with the audio logo displayed over the AI... It was from the Goddess of Disambiguation, and now, of cheats and underhanded techniques. "By the way, did you like my new creation? I bypassed the system''s security this time before my points reached zero. As you can see, I spearheaded the ''Pandora.exe'', a cutting-edge program that lets you organize your skills and help you get the answers that you need. So please, now that you have your personal ''question-answering machine'', then stop boggling me with your superfluous queries.,. And, what''s best is I made its operator. Azazel, to fit your weird fetishes for lovely secretaries... and MORE. " Something is shrouded in malice here... "Ara-ara. But you better not touch her body, especially the melons. That would be... sexual harassment. As you''re hearing this, I should probably be in the town that we agreed to meet, taking my most precious bath time. Unfortunately though, you will need the extra time, judging by your situation that is. Bye now! Oh and that little girl you adopted out of nowhere... She''s not normal. Then, Lacrimosa signing off!! And there, that goddess goes again, tainting my innocent mind...What the hell is wrong with her? What are these fetishes for secretaries anyway? I don''t have such things! And by the way, did she expect that we''re gonna run through these weird tarragons in the first place? She really is the exotic type of a Goddess. But what flabbergasted me is the last part of that useless record, as to how she stated that Shiro is not... normal. Well, I did have that kind of perception of her. First, she was able to set-up the Re: Characterization process without questioning. Second, she can use that high-tier weapon like its a toy. Third and the most questionable is her ability to quickly recover from scenes that kids her age could not tolerate... I really feel the need to see Shiro now. "Azazel... Now, will you teach me how the hell could I get out of here?" "One simple answer for that Master... You can use your Paradigm Shift." "Eh? But it got canceled remember?" "Your Paradigm, yes! But your Paradigm Shift, no, Master... The one who sealed you earlier miscalculated your Paradigm Shift thinking that he could cancel it out for good... But your Paradigm Shift, ''Dark By Default'' is beyond that... It is in fact, an ability that could alter the course of natural laws over a short period of time. " "But, that means that I have to pay the consequence, right? Is it really the only way to get out of here?" "Yes and yes, Master... In your case, the consequence is a hundred day-minus to your life span." Then...It''s no problem... I will use it without falters, but I can''t quite shake off the feeling that something bizarre awaits me when I get out...not to mention, Shiro is scanned, flying, and that 3 million more are coming our way. "Do you wish to proceed, Master?" "Yes, So all I need to do is focus all of my energy at one point right?..." I asked the AI asking for a robotic boolean logical answer of either ''Yes'' or ''No'', but... "That would be cringe, Master..." "Eh?" While I practically feel the same while saying those very lugubrious words that one will usually find in the 19 hundred''s Manga, I somehow find it implausible for an AI to have such algorithms to recognize what is cringy and what is not... What a cutting-edge three-dimensional Autonomous Intelligence indeed. "That would be cringe, Master... All you really need to do is to state'' Paradigm Shift'' and then say the given name displayed on the Persona Interface. In your case, it is ''Paradigm Shift. Dark By Default.''" The AI, Azazel, replied in such a way that made me doubt her artificial subsistence... "Hmmm...Ok." That''s all I could say. "By the way master, is it ok if I ask you a query?" "Uhmm, yes. But after that, we''re getting out of here immediately" "Affirmative...Why did Goddess Lacrimosa create me with such risque features?" "Huh? Risque?" "Here..." XTTT ? TTT[ \u003cDisplaying...\u003e Azazel Modes of Operations 1) Secretary \u003cin use\u003e \u003cdefault\u003e 2) Maid 3) Sadistic Legal Loli 4) Meaty Succubus 4) Tsundere 5) Cute Kouhai 6) Bondaged MILF 7)Masochist Neko-Chan 8) The best Lacrimosa 2.0 ^TTT ? TTTa "What the actual hell did she do to you... Like, what the heck is bondage milf supposed to be? And why the hell would I want you to copy her? ''The best''? Seriously?" "I don''t know master... My algorithm states that you like them very much." "What? No... I''m telling you... No... Geez. What kind of memory chip did she put in you anyway to do all of these roles."I exclaimed while face-palming, not in embarrassment but of dubiety. So this is what that Goddess means by ''more''. "A divine memory chip. Besides them... I could also do a lot of things, Master... I can answer your questions in accord with this realm. Locate marked and unmarked allies. Organize your Paradigm and skils using Pandora.exe...and" "And?" "Play music." Oh... at least, there''s this decent additional feature amidst that demented arrays of brazen modes. "What kind of music?" "For instance... Scanning mp3 file... mp3 file found... Playing..." "Ecchi till I die all these lolis call me (senpai) Rubbing on her thighs she stay wet for her (senpai) Shawty so kawaii, and would die for her (senpai) Ride and watch hentai, all the time with (senpai)" In a maximized volume, this familiar song which played in a mall or somewhere bedazzled the whole luminous place from which I''m currently sealed... "With unfathomable classical genre, you play ''Hentai with Senpai?'' as the primal example of your capability" Due to the loudness, as if we''re both in an enclosed opera dome or something, I covered my ears tightly. "My algorithm tells me that you like it, Master. Is it perhaps that you hate it?" She asked while the song loudly continues to pump on the background making my ear, ring a little bit. "OK...OK... STOP! If you can alter your algorithms then please do..." The music, without delays, turned off completely. "I can''t master... It''s prebuilt." "Then... that''s bad. Ok, as for your query, I do not know what''s running through that Goddess''s mind when she created you and why she made it that way..." "Oy vey! Is it so, that you like Secretaries than the rest of the modes, Master." "Ahhh yeah-yeah..." "Are you sure, Master?" "Yes." "Then why are brain signals being sent to me from you, saying that you want to see me in Maid service?" "Say what now?" How the hell did she know that? "Hey, show me your options." "Are you planning on resetting me, Master?" "No. Just see the privacy settings." Then out of nowhere, even without my own permission (Guess that makes her an ''Autonomous Intelligence''), she metamorphosed to something I, inevitably...like... A Japanese maid. Hell... By the way, I''m not cultured. "It''s okay Master, I have a self-adaptation program, so I will adjust with your preference over time. No need to check my settings... That would be, lewd." "E-excuse me? Lewd?" "Yes, Master... By the way, I am now, AI Maid, Azazel. I am a novice, but I genuinely reckon for you to bear with my miscalculations, even though the probability of it occurring is extensively low ... At your service... you useless pig." "E-excuse me?" "Oy vey! Do you not like being called like that, Master?" "Like, who will?" "Pardon my incompetence as an AI Maid, Master... I will delete the execrated algorithms right away..." 78 Feudal Lords Life in a Russian Roulette "Have you ever seen... the dark side of the moon?" -Momobami Kirari ? "Hays... Okay, shall we get out now? All I need to do is say my Paradigm Shift right?" I asked the Kawai AI Maiden to further confirm the things that I have heard, except of course... for that brazen ''Modes of Operations'' which was made ominously clear even before its supposed extrapolation. "Yes... Pandora.exe is running and your Paradigm''s skills had been organized... All are functional, Master. The moment you state your Paradigm Shift, I will take responsibility for the organization of skills and of some variety of binary information. And while I am not in display, Master, I assure you that I''m performing in the background and that, you can ask me any query." She answered with all of these intricate digital tabs appearing right in front of her in stacking order, which made her algorithms seem to really know what it''s doing. "Thanks... I''m counting in your cameo then." "Affirmative, Master. There''s nothing that this maid can''t do if it is in accord with this realm''s system ordinance... You can confide the heavy tasks in me, Master. I will execute all of them without unintegral detains and data obstructions." Hell... This maid really is cute. If she was to be created back on Earth, I think its high time for the ladies to say their prayers... Now, back to the crux of the issue. A hundred-day minus to my lifespan eh. That''s quite the consequence, but one that I am hell-bent to bare. Besides, if I wait here and consider life to be that precious that I can''t even sacrifice even the most inconsequent of days, I would fall prey to what socials call as the "Illusion of Control" and of the "It-will-get-worse-before-it-gets-better-fallacy". and that would only be the most irrational act that I can fall into in my current situation. Basic mishaps that I surely can''t afford to be martyred upon. And, while no one might have asked for me to do this recap, and it might be that I may be the only one interested in such entrepreneurial terms, I sure feel the need to do the brief review... It''s an Art of Thinking Clearly. 1) The illusion of control. A man-made matrix that got mainstream eons ago that would make us overestimate our hindsight skills and capabilities. Sad to say, humans, control less than they think and quite possibly, the illusion is also eligible in this realm. That is without a doubt. 2) It-will-get-worse-before-it-gets-better-fallacy. One of the most abominable fiasco that men have adapted in their unscrupulous thoughts. One that makes even the keen, the strong and the great, stumble on their reigns. There''s no such thing as that ''at the end of the stormy clouds is a silver lining''... It''s plausible for it to happen, but that''s the course of pure probability, but overall, it''s just wishful thinking not worthy of such perpetual attention. Using this Paradigm Shift... It is the most rational thing to do, or else... Besides, this warfare is where my life is always laid at a constant gamble... It''s a reward and probably the laid collateral of a mere Russian roulette. If I lose, I lose... If I win, I win... It''s that simple...The most mundane kind of gamble there is, but in my case, with life as the casino tokens. "Paradigm Shift! Dark By Default..." I pronounced with the most monotone and ennui expression there is as if I''m expecting something that I''m already quite fond of... which clearly is not the case. My clock-like insignia, which is the symbol of my contract with the deity of disambiguation located in my right hand then begins to glow and burst this dark-like flames all in the same bleak manner... And then comes the complex array of the AI''s voice and this interface overlaid over my vision: XTTT ? TTT[ Autonomous Intelligent Maiden, Azazel \u003cFunctional\u003e Ethereal Paradigm \u003cOnline\u003e System Bypass \u003cExecuted\u003e Pandora.exe \u003cRunning\u003e Deviating 100 day lifespan \u003cExecuted\u003e Now Altering the law of Metaphysics.... Paradigm Shift Dark By Default \u003cUnleashed\u003e ^TTT ? TTTa (....) As Jaiden exclaimed the words, suddenly the whole place of once painstakingly bright yellow, became as black as charcoal, and his perspective began to darken in its edges, and there''s this overlay displaying the current numeric data of the execration of his Paradigm Shift that he perceives to only be understood by someone like the Illegal Autonomous Maid. Inside that cramped, sealed-off place which is now utterly black like the literary depiction of the deepest pit of oblivion, Jaiden was becoming something that he never anticipated. A metamorphosis that is the primal cause of his first time altering a natural law whilst being ultimately human at physique but as an otherworldly being at heart and mentality. His torn clothes then began to be enshrouded by this thick cloud of surrounding darkness forming this bleak veil and noble apparel encrusted with the voidness of the universe before the first rays of light came to be...His eyes, utterly changed in color. His scleras are now as black as ink and his irises begin to take the shape, color, and demeanor of potent solar eclipses symbolizing the light''s inadequacy and frailty in his presence. And his overall facade, as though being sipped out of a hundred days via mere seconds, began to alter and show these inversed effects of like having your life from the core of a soul extracted out hastily by an unknown force subject to serve the Ethereal paradigm... His hair''s edges turned ash grey and became longer than it was and his fingernails began to be black as if he was one with those who got affected by the worst pandemic that stroke humanity some centuries ago. And in his hand, the empty pen which is considered as his main weapon came to be and like a sponge soaking up water, so it did absorb some of the surrounding darkness filling it again, but not with ink, but with pure darkness. Then out of his hand, it then altered its minuscule physical form and became three large Celtic crosses all enchained with each other also having one identical design, one positioned in his left, one in the right, and the third, one relatively larger than the other two and than himself positioned at his back... It''s like if he, himself became an unpredictable overlord, whose life is laid in a constant gamble of a Russian Roulette. Inside, Jaiden was cognizant of the most obvious changes and some of his transformation happening amidst the space where he is sealed, but outside, out on the battlefield, he has no idea of the significant changes as of the moment. Outside, where Shiro, in her ''Bloody Butterfly'' form with the assistance of the Synthesized Angel, is taking flight on the air, watching the three million foot soldiers drawing nearer and nearer, then came a strange visage of the slightly chipped full moon... From its complete crimson color due to the Kurenai''s manifestations, to now, like its being enshrouded by this thick shadow, like its being eaten slowly by a powerful unseen singularity. And then, like a black disk in front of the blood moon, the darkness came to be, causing a weirdly new eclipse, such that has never been seen before, and one, that science will utterly fail to comprehend... Seeing the changes, from the blood moon to a bloody eclipse, the three million-foot soldiers ceased their synchronized march to marvel at the scenery that even they have no recollection of seeing their entire lives... "Hey, Shiro-san... Have you seen the dark side of the moon?" Asked the Kurenai to the little girl in her subconscious... "Mee too... Let''s see it together, shall we? Oni-chama is also here!" And then it was not yonder that the iron maiden where Jaiden has been sealed was becoming unstable of the power that it''s holding... A crack appears, slowly disintegrating the sealing tool and from there, a massive beam of darkness breaches out, reaching the dark and slightly blood tainted skies, making the ground tremble of whatever it is that is to appear, catalyzing the departure of the once avid strength of the three million opponents approaching, replacing it with hopelessness and utter despair, and turning to dust... the iron maiden. And from there...one with a demeanor of a calm Feudal Overlord appears... "Okaerinasai... Oni-chama!" (English: Welcome back... Oni-chama!) The soaring blood-winged butterfly exclaimed... 79 Stygian Changes "Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change." - Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Frankenstein ? Still, inside the sealed off cramped space, I proclaimed a call to outmaneuver an established natural law, with all of this intricate overlays in my field of vision plausibly due to Azazel''s ongoing operations and the execrations of what she called as the Pandora, I noticed the changes that I am currently withstanding, and the consequence of such utilization does not also like to reserve its right to remain silent... Like a significant fragment of my life being sucked out from my very self, the consequence of using it was also worth the penny. So this is what it is like huh... for a human to outmaneuver a firm law. It''s as if a vacuum is closeby to drain, not dirt, but a portion of my soul. The whitening of my hairs'' thick extremities. My ''now-black'' fingernails. And new clothes that seemed alike to that of a dark charismatic English Nobleman''s, that replaced my torn school uniform, a crepuscular apparel that looks very unworldly due to its color which is darker than that of the descriptions of the void. Positioned in my right and left sides, appearing completely out of nowhere, emerging from a thick fog of darkness, were these air-drifting symmetrical Celtic crosses, which were about my height encrusted not with Gold, but with monochromatic silver and made entirely of obsidian. And the two are chained with the third cross found at my back... One that is relatively larger and bleaker to behold. And the perception of the changes was not limited to me, but also in the verdant surroundings which turned black in a mere instance the moment I proclaimed the Paradigm Shift, and that, not even this sealing place could maintain its vainglory when it comes to securing the outside world from the aftermath. The surge of my chosen power... I can feel it, not seeping through my veins though... It''s constantly being radiated by these Celtic crosses accompanying me, especially the largest one on my back. The negativity. The despair. The sadness. The ill intent... It''s as if the whole world''s negative emotions are stored there, and from it, a massive outsource for power... "Master, all have been a success... Do you wish to proceed to the outside world?" the physically unavailable AI Maiden asked only showing this audio symbol. "Yes." "Affirmative Master. I conjoined the skills from your Paradigm Shift, ''Dark By Default'' that could disintegrate this sealing Paradigm at will. Please take a look at the skills... I will display them over your vision as an overlay." XTTT ? TTT[ Pandora.exe \u003c Scanning Skillsets\u003e \u003cDisplaying Organized Skills\u003e .... ^TTT ? TTTa Oh. I just noticed. How plainly weird it is to have an AI accompaniment in this surreal world that once has been perceived only via fairy tails. I don''t know why but it''s really a weird feeling... It''s like being born in the medieval era, but you have a computer with you that should only exist via a thousand centuries or more from that specific time frame... Well, whatever. Having someone like Azazel is even far more convenient than having that Goddess all around and besides, it looks like her algorithms really are designed to help, and her assistance would spell A1 benefits, so why not? XTTT ? TTT[ Dark By Default Skillsets \u003cUnlocked 4/22\u003e I. The Fool II. The Moon III. The Wheel of Fortune IV. The Tower ^TTT ? TTTa " 4 over 22?" I asked wondering why there were only four displayed on the overlaid interface. "Yes, Master... The remaining 18 has some major requirements that must be met... Do you want me to scan the requirements for more possible skillsets?" The AI answered making her host''s (which is me. of course) benefit from her cameo beyond potent and apparent. "You can do that?" "Yes, Master... Scanning the skillsets'' requirements would be easy, but whether or not if achieving the requirements are uncomplicated and undemanding, is beyond my control." "Hmmm... I see. But, these four be enough to do a major trick or two, right?" "Yes, Master. By having that four skillsets alone in your arsenal makes the chances of getting out of here at an utmost 100 percent. In this state, you won''t have to worry about your paradigm being canceled. You can utilize much more intricate and powerful offense by your Paradigm Shift''s supplementary and much more superior skills than what your Paradigm is able That makes the probability of you fending yourself from the approaching danger in an utmost 93 percent." "Hmmm... The calculations. That''s quite high..." "Yes, Master... That''s what it means to be under Goddess Lacrimosa''s talents over negative forces manipulation having passed unto you. " the AI responded, showcasing her deep praise for the character-sporadic deity. But the question is, is it really pure praise though? Nah... Might be her algorithm again. Ah, how I wish that I could have the tools to change her program... How did Lacrimosa even create something like her anyway? Oh yeah... I remember this AI''s introduction prior, to how she said that she was created using the Goddess''s points of authority before it reaches zero, which is clearly a good endeavor instead of lying it all to waste... Still, I can imagine her using her mouth but not her brain... "Y-yes... So now, I can choose any from these four available skillsets right?" "That would be the case, Master... You can choose and rechoose on your own accord, or you can also call into me for activation in times of dire predicaments. I am autonomous, so if you''re in a major problematic situation, I will rake my own initiative to act." She exclaimed sounding like an AI in those fiction movies of mechs taking their initiative to conquer the whole world. Not that I''m worried though. I have access to her settings (which she considers an act of lewdness)and she can adapt to my preferences... So as long as I don''t get in the way of her functionality, I''ll be fine and I have Elon Musk to back up that claim. "Ok, shall we choose now then..." With all of that said, I then focused on the choices inscribed in the overlay... Well, whatever... I think anything will do just fine at this state and I can choose and rechoose anytime I want. I just want to recon with Shiro, see how she''s doing and possibly get some fresh air. "Oh by the way... It did not mention as to how long can I attain this form in the Persona Interface..." "As long as your ''Crossange Arsenal'' is still accompanying you, you won''t have to worry of duration, Master." "Crossange Arsenal?" "That three crosses in your range, Master... Its blackness can tell you how much time you have left... It''s like an Hourglass. If it turns white from its obsidian color, then you know that the limit is reached... If you want to exceed the limit however, we can do that too, but the consequence, I presume is very detrimental." "Roger," I responded, even though of the intricateness of her explanation. So basically these three Celtic obsidian crosses are called ''Crossange Arsenal''. They will act as indicators of the limit. If they turn white, then I know that I''m already standing at a very dangerous threshold. Something tells me that it has more uses though. For whatever reason... Guess I''ll find out soon... I''m becoming rather indolent on asking questions that I will still find the answer later, whether I like it or not... 80 First Grand Masquerade "Nations, like stars, are entitled to eclipse. All is well, provided the light returns and the eclipse does not become endless night." -Victor Hugo ? With all of that asked and done, using my thoughts act as a cursor, I then chose the second skillset presented... ''The Moon''... I have had always hated the moon, so maybe it can renew that old perspective. And from there, the moment I clicked on the choice... I felt a massive en masse of power coming my way, even without any negative charisma and dark intents in plain sight... And then the three Celtic crosses, which Azazel calls as the ''Crossange Arsenal'' begin to gush forth these jet-black bolts of lightning, and from it, this dark eclipse-colored minuscule cube begins to form in front of me, in the palms of my hands... And it was not yonder, that I felt ready to let go of it... "Azazel... Shall I say Kame-Hame-Ha?" "Master, please don''t" She answered as if her range of cringe databases is even interlinked with Earth''s... Oh well... I then released the eclipse-like cube from my hand and it drifted in the cramped ''now-dark'' space and it was then, that it came in contact with one of the spaces'' ends and from there, it explodes in an outward direction to this brutal beam of darkness, quickly disintegrating a part of that sealing place without fail... And it was then that the sky becomes clearly seen again, but still being enshrouded by the giant beam of darkness. As the dark beam ceased, I then trend my foot outside and saw how deformed the tool the priest used to seal me prior. It really was an iron maiden with spikes on the inside that could have killed me and failed for reasons unknown...It surprised me though. It was only about my size, but inside it felt more spacious than how cramped it really looks like in the actual scenes. "Okaerinasai! Oni-chama!" A familiar voice, but coalesced with this second more mature tone then came into me... I looked up, and there Shiro is, soaring mid-air with a pair of butterfly wings which took the color of blood... She recognized me instantly as if I haven''t had undergone any changes. "Yow Shiro..." I greeted back waving my hand, but with the same deadpan expression which the kid could have grown accustomed to by now. Flapping her bloody wings and pointing her red scythe away, she then hastily came to me with the same cheerful smile...How refreshing. "Are you okay Shiro? What happened?" I asked while looking around marveling at the apparent coinage. There were lots of changes, that I would like to ask Shiro how it happened after this... In her hands was a weirdly long scythe. Even Her hair, her eyes, her dual-toned voice, and even her garments, looked different. It''s very very... red. Well, regardless... I know it''s her. And in front of us, was not the battlefield that I set prior I got sealed... And heck, it would even be frivolous to call it a sinister forest now. It''s all plain with burnt grass and an array of which I would like to define as ponds of red wines (which clearly isn''t). Some of the mountains on the surroundings were even deformed... And a meter away from us was the aforementioned beheaded Gorgon, Euryale herself, unresponsive which was remotely scanned by Azazel beforehand. And the moon... It was not how it was always been... It''s now tainted with crimson and is in a state of an eclipse, with the disk-like shadow on the center having the same color of my obsidian crosses...The visage is, for me, more beautiful than beholding the original mundane one of silver which always spelled the most demented situations for me, even as a kid... "Did you do this Shiro?" I asked, pertaining to the redness of the atmosphere... "Hai! With the help of Kurenai onee-chan! ... Ano ne, Ano ne (*Cute Japanese Loli sounds*) The bad guys were after Kurenai one-chan." Kurenai? Isn''t that what the Tarragons called her earlier? I then let Shiro explain the most basic status quo... She mentioned this Synthesized Angel dwelling inside of her, that I am yet to fully understand... But, coming out of nowhere, the fast-approaching three-million became clear in plain sight... All having a weapon they specialize in their hand, and all equipped with heavy-looking armors, same to that of the hero''s which I crushed, but looked somewhat more economical and inexpensive. And then, in front of the three million standing while taking battle positions from afar... Three men, in particular, stepped up of which two are already an acquaintance... The priest that sealed me, and the reckless Hero which appeared to be badly hurt. The third guy however in their midst is an unfamiliar beardy guy riding this ''black'' majestic Pegasus with fiery eyes, wearing this golden and polished armor, having a noble crown in his head inlaid with fine jewels, and in his wrist is a fine sword yet to be drawn. His physical stature, really fits his title of which I presume, to be the supreme leader of these men of war... their King. As he stepped up from his three million men, the priest with all of his due respect then gave him a magical-circle thingy of which the king would unexpectedly use to make his voice be heard even in the distance... "We meet once again... Bloody Butterfly, Kurenai, our KIngdom''s runaway lovely angel... And whoever you may be dark-looking feudal overlord." So, he addressed me with a cold and overly breezy voice. But the name...was somewhat cool to hear... Feudal Overlord. Nice. "I am King Aurelius, leader of a sovereign nation, and I am here, to take you home by force, our Personal Angel. It''s just sad that you have had taken the body of a girl from the second realm... But don''t worry, we can just kill the little girl and we will then extract you." The King added addressing the words to Shiro and whoever it is that''s inside her. But... On what basis does he think that I will let his speech be? I may have had let my guard down earlier... But not anymore. With Azazel''s 93 percent outcome of her calculation, if I will be able to combat them all at once, and with my satirical ''rationality'' which should be functioning close at its peak by now, the upcoming incursions of the opponents would be no problem at all. Besides, it''s also a perfect time to test Azazel''s potency in establishing accurate statistics. "Your ''Lowliness''... Surely you can''t ignore a visitor now, which your rude underlings treated very poorly earlier" I interceded with his speech... Well, I always hated listening to ones coming from an echelon. It would always end with a mainstream quote. The men positioned in the King''s back, who all have no toleration of tainting their beloved leader''s title and spoiling his image. and even with their faulty strength begin to mock me as I insulted their king''s noble emblazonment with a ''Lowliness'' instead of ''Highness''... Such kids...They are only giving me free power sources to feed my Paradigm Shift. The King then raised his right hand, signaling for the guys to shut up and to let him talk... But I''m not up to such trivial negotiations. Let''s just get things running on the main course once again. Well, it goes on without saying that I''m also curious as to what ''Dark By Default'' really is capable of. "Feudal Overlord... What might be this that you are likely to suggest?" The King asked as if he knows of the development that I seek... "Your ''Lowliness''... Now that you''re here, and possibly every official in your puny Kingdom. Not to mention that your famed paradigm-Cancelling priest and your revered hero is also here and that, we got ourselves the blessing from the Angel whom you''re after... Why don''t we start the First Grand Masquerade? What do you say?" I exclaimed... 81 A Superfluous Bargain "The moment you feel that you have to prove your worth to someone else is the moment that you utterly and absolutely walk away." -Alysia Harris ? With Shiro, in her bloody butterfly form assisted by this Angel whom she said is dwelling inside her, the same treasure this Kingdom wants to reclaim doing anything along the process, and as my Paradigm Shift was also functional, running flawlessly in the foreground with Azazel''s helpful aid... it is truly an arc within the embrace of morbid Duality. "Your lowliness. Why don''t we start the First Grand Masquerade?" I asked mocking the King amidst the presence of his three million soldiers, and they, specifically this one braggadocio on the front lines, have no intentions of letting it be... "YOU! WHOEVER YOU ARE! WHAT THE SH*T ARE YOU SUGGESTING TO OUR KING! YOU EVEN DARE CALL HIM ''LOWLINESS''! DO YOU WITHHOLD CORRECT MANNERS!" The severely-hurt hero, holding his broken arm began to shout at me with the most aggressive voice I have ever heard coming from his overly ecstatic mouth. Hmmm... Way to express oneself with such bold language in the presence of a majestic King. But, what sparked the blitz was him, not recognizing me just now. Ah right. Probably because of the changes that I have had undergone. Still, the retaliation of my mockery is far from reaching its finish line... "Yeah! You dark demon!", "Just give us the Kurenai and we will let you leave alive!" Backlashed the supporting characters in the background giving their full approval to the Hero they all look up to. "You know...", I said the incomplete phrase which did not partake to any interview if it was really worth on saying. "KNOW WHAT YOU PIECE OF CRAP?" " I am still yet to recover from my underhanded loss from you...you worthless hero," I replied with an expression of which I would like to describe, is from a sadistic grim reaper. "HUH? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT! I NEVER FOR ONCE SAW AN UGLY DEMON AS YOU!" the hero recoiled, still believing that it was our very first ''romantic'' encounter... Seriously, just how dumb could he really be. "Wait... Count Jobberwock.." The priest on the other hand, probably more literate and comprehensive, as if he knows who they''re dealing up against ceased the mouth of the hero and had some time to look at his now deformed iron-maiden where he sealed me with his cancelling Paradigm Shift." "That''s..." "THAT''S WAT?" "The novice we fought earlier." "HUH? YOU CANCELLED HIS PARADIGM, RIGHT? YOU EVEN SEALED HIM WITH THE IRON MAI-.." He was cut loose from what he was about to say, as he saw what the iron-maiden looks like now... A piece of a broke and non-recyclable sealing artefact. "TSK... SO THAT''S WHAT HAPPENED... OUR LORD. I DON''T KNOW WHY HIS APPEARANCE HAVE CHANGED AND HOW HE BROKE DAINSLEIF''S SEAL AND CANCELLING SKILLS, BUT, THIS IS THE MAN WHO WAS PROTECTING THE KURENAI EARLIER. IF IT WAS NOT OF HIM, WE COULD HAVE HAD RETRIEVED THE ANGEL WITHOUT FURTHER DELAYS." the hero exclaimed, kneeling one knee to the ground as he appeared right in front of his beloved King. "I see." The king replied, refusing to see the hero through his eyes. "Dainsleif... I presume that this was the promising novice that you have talked about?" the leader, turned to the priest for the query, instead of asking the one shamelessly kneeling in front of him. "Yes.... your highness... the novice from the second realm." Replied the Priest. "Hmmm... And for the two of you. The ''best'' in my army?... Losing to such novice?" "But, you''re highness. His power! It''s something that I have had never seen before." added priest Dainsleif. "Hmm... Both of you. You''re fired." Pronounced the King, with his vast array of men serve as witnesses. "WHAT? BUT MY DEAR LORD!" the Hero is taken on the proclamation by surprise, and heck... also his loyalty-driven lackeys who always supported him. "Halt stacking the shame, Count Joberwock. Your service to the Kingdom was really commendable, Now. I bid you thee disparaging farewell as you failed to meet my expectations. Same goes to you... Dainsleif. You are now freed from your service to the Kingdom of Aurelius. I can''t have such abashment stay on my camp any longer. " "But your highness!!" "Stop it... both of you. You''re only shaming yourself... Now, can you go find some cliff and fall from there? That would be your final mission." The King replied, with a smile alike to that of what someone would usually express when they want to be treated at the cafeteria. "TSK... PLEASE, LORD! THE KINGDOM OF AURELIUS IS MY LIFE! PLEASE JUST LET ME STAY!" the hero pleaded, crying his heart out in the maroon-coloured cape of the King. "Hmm? Then defeat the novice right here and now. Prove me your significance once again." "B-bu..." "But what? It''s impossible?" "N- NO MY LORD! THERE''S NO SUCH THING AS IMPOSSIBLE WHEN FACED AGAINST ME!" "Then do it now..." "A-ANYTHING FOR YOU MY LORD!" With sweats coming right down his stressed-out facade, he then took hold of his sword, but this time, with only one arm... The priest on the other side, however, stands too corrected to move. He stood at his current position staring to the afar, refusing to believe as to how fast he lost his ''maybe'' hard-earned title. "BE READY YOU NOVICE!!! I''M GONNA MAKE YOU BOW TO THE KING!" Determined to showcase to the king his overall worth as a renowned hero, he tightly held his bone ''soul-taker'' weapon then left the congregation of the three million, charging towards me with his greatest individual power ever, even without his satirical immortal dead pet. In the distance, I was also getting ready to fend off the attack myself, but... "Raise!!" The King commanded those that held archers in his back, raising his authority-striven right hand... They then raised their individual bows high up on the air, and then like stars, seen from my perspective, these arrows made up of thunderbolts came to be. "Fire." With only his word as a verdant ground of authority, the archers then fired, without even a taint of mercy for the hero they know... Like a cascade of thin thunderbolts, the arrows fell from the sky as it struck the hero through ad through, pushing holes in his body... "Jobberwock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" ''Sir!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The priest snapping out from his inability t believe the events and as well as those assassins and some fighters, seeing their revered hero pierced by innumerable arrows, shouted in desperation. The hero, losing blood at an unprecedented rate, died standing in the cardinal battlefield almost instantly with eyes opened. That''s what you get... Not for your incursion and failure of trying to abduct Shiro, but for trying to prove your worth to someone else... So, a nauseating social system like this also exists around these part of the realm huh. It''s too much a superfluous bargain... "Now, I''m sorry for that excess commotion, Feudal Overlord, who is also a novice from the second realm, chosen by the divines to partake in a war to decide your race''s fate." The King said as he is still riding in his royale-seeming black Pegasus. "I accept your invitation to our first grand masquerade! Although I doubt, if you''ve ever get out alive. It may be, that this little welcoming party will deprive you of your right to continue partaking on your divine game any longer. I am King Aurelius the Fourth! Leader of the sovereign Kingdom of Aurelius. I am here to reclaim our Angel whether it be with or without fatalities!" The King added proudly, as the priest and some of the hero''s loyal men was left stunned of the sudden death. I then looked at Shiro, as to how she''s coping up with the scenarios... but the moment I looked her way, her facade was something that she did not own. A sober-looking face that not a little kid in such an age would be capable of doing under the circumstances. "Who are you?" I asked, feeling sure that it was not Shiro who I''m speaking to. "I believe that this is our first personal meeting, oni-chama. I am Shiro-san''s counterpart and have lived inside her body the moment she was born... I am the Synthesized Angel of Healing, otherwise known as, Kurenai, also the one who these noisy kingdom company seeks. Hajimemashite, oni-chama!" (English: Nice to meet you), the girl answered, acting out like Shiro''s second ego. "Same here..." I replied prudently knowing that there''s no more room for a decent discussion and being cognizant of the fact that a battle against these millions is not yonder as the king himself started to draw his majestic sword from its place, (Anime epic and intense suspense ost starts playing) 82 Glimpse of a Kings Narcissism "The sadistic narcissist perceives himself as Godlike, ruthless and devoid of scruples, capricious and unfathomable, emotion-less and non-sexual, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, a plague, devastation, an inescapable verdict." -Sam Vaknin ? The hero which I fought prior to getting sealed is now dead amidst the battlefield, which was once a dark sinister forest, now a bloody plain of which the Gorgon''s cold body lies together with its master, Count Jabberowck himself. Betrayed by his very respected King, in the sight of his loyal allies. Not gonna lie though... He was well worthy to be my first sparring partner on my arrival. His aggressive aura, and his underhanded schemes to fake defeat, his lackeys'' support. It all made me realize that this realm is no different from whence I came. Although surreal discrepancies incur, the demented sides stay common. What''s worse is that there''s a high chance that I''m only seeing the tip of a massive iceberg. Priest Dainsleif, who also just got fired and with an empty look in his face, did not question the King''s doing. He turns around from the sight of his lifeless accomplice. With his scepter, along with his dignity intact, he left the battlefield without a word... Seeing his reaction, it gave me a clue as to how their bond they shared was as a team, serving together this mystic Kingdom that they offered a vain allegiance to. As the priest lifelessly and silently starts to draw away from the presence of the kingsmen and the leader himself, the King then gets ready to draw his sword from its place, and so did the three million on his command... While here I am in a demon lord fashion, standing several miles apart, engaging in a conversation with Shiro''s very own dual ego who introduced herself as the ''Synthesized Angel of Healing, Kurenai''... and I think there is no time for the continuation of the superfluous introductions any longer. "Let''s dance shall we, Feudal Overlord?"The King exclaimed... "But before that. I would like to make clear, the terms through negotiations." He added with a grotesque smile on his face. "Bring it on then." I replied as I am also willing to hear what these ''terms'' are, or else... I''m gonna regret it later again. "The term is simple... Whoever gets out triumphant from this unusual masquerade will get to keep the Synthesized Angel and these ''lost herd of sheep'' as well." "Lost sheep.?" "Oh, I''m gonna show you... Bring in the captured Anima!" shouted the King, commanding men or two to hand him over something that''s emblazoned an ''anima''... Wait, the name itself is somewhat familiar. And then out from the crowd of armies, shackled by rusty old chains, caged like some sort of livestock with wounds all over her was a figure... that I know so well... The Anima of Music, Amadea Mozart, who was the first deity-like elegant figure who welcome and instructed us of the things that we must do before venturing to the vast unknown. "Summon your Mirror of Clairvoyance or I will kill all of your clan. Show the Feudal Overlord, our lascivious new-arrival livestock!" Threatened the King to the bound and badly hurt Anima. With frail arms, she raised her hands and summoned the same wide mirror she used for all of us to see the horrible current status of those who joined the Mirage Armada. And as the mirror was formed, she weakly kneeled not for her obedience to the king but out of her fragileness while puking so much blood in her little and disparaging cage. Just what happened to her? The visage was so unsightly. Unlike her first appearance, she now looks like a poignant peasant... And from that alone, something tells me that everything is not quite right. Then, on the summoned gargantuan mirror, showed a very poor Kingdom and inside this chamber, just below a building, was... the humans whom I was with when we first got out of the city gates... Being tortured, by the most cruel means... The screams of agony, I could clearly hear and their screams for help, that will never likely come. "H-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The King, seeing the visage, burst into laughter that is very whimsical to hear. "Just looking at your poor race being conquered by us makes me laugh HAHAHAHAHAHAH! And yet, all of you are supposed to be more'' superior'' than us as the legends say! Oh well, the superiority better not come from you only having the same boring likeness with the deities themselves. " He added all the worse. "How did you capture them?" I asked holding out as best as I could, the memory that I have with me from that night of derangement... but, this king... I could clearly see in him, the same charisma of my older brother, making the dam of reminiscence impossible to maintain. "Heard that good for nothing Anima? Explain how you sold them out! I don''t want to explain. It would be such a genuine waste of my precious voice." The King, grasping the poor anima''s once beautiful flawless hair, said. " No, please I did not... I- I was commanded by the deities to introduce to you some parts of the system...but, but they came and said to lure them there or else they will kill all of my defenseless clan... P-.. please, forgive me. I did not w-want any of th-these... Pl-ease." With a fainting voice and with teary eyes, Amadea answered, looking into me with her evident contrite and the feeling of guilt... "And there you have it." Responded the King as he violently struck the anima''s head on the cage of steel. "EXCEPT THAT YOUR CLAN HAS BEEN WIPED OUT MOMENTS AGO, HAHAHAHAHAAHAH!" the king dementedly added, addressing the deranged lines to the Anima. "N-no... I-it can''t be..." Amadea fell to her face on her own blood as she was unable to withstand the brutality of the King''s narcissism and fell to a trance, only an inch away from death. "Now, that the negotiations have been set, shall we dance? Pitiful feudal overlord." I was unable to answer... Shiro, seeing my inability to respond tapped my back as she drifts mid-air with her wings making me wake up from the fact, that sulking gets me nowhere... But, it''s such a weird feeling... I want to be angry, but I can''t... I want to hate but I cant... I want to cry, but ultimately can''t...I want to be sad, but I can''t... It''s a wold of monochrome that I am in... "Hmm... I think that was not a negotiation just now... It''s an incentive that I will have to accept..." I continued talking, without them knowing that I am slowly destroying their individual amulets that keep me from getting inside their heads, and as it all was made broken, what welcomed me was very dark intentions especially coming from the king even reaching the heights of the skies, then... "Sorry." A voice, sadder than my mine came to me, from the synthesized Angel herself taking Shiro''s consciousness, yet again. "If it was not for me... All of you could have had led a nicer life here..." She said, acting strong, but her eyes say the inevitable otherwise. An array of crystal clear tears came forth from the outbursts of her emotions... "Maybe... I should just turn myself in, oni-chama." "No, you can''t." I simply recoiled. "And what are you saying ''nicer life'' here? It''s a war. It''s only natural for some lives to be lost along with the process." I added, sounding even more horrible than the King. "Huh? But you and your fellow race would be safer without me." "Correction. I have no fellowship with them.." "But oni-chama!" "No buts... Shiro is my adopted sister which coincidentally includes you on the package. I will not hand you over to them.., And you''re supposed to be an Angel of Healing, right? I''ll just have you heal them later." The little girl along with the dwelling angel, entwined in one fragile vessel, then wiped out their tears and made the usual very brave look in the face... "I will kill these bad demi-humans... I promise." "Hey, hey hey! Not including a king in your personal conversation is quite disrespectful you know?" the King, seeing the two of us in a conversation, intruded, as if it was the rudest thing he had ever experienced in his life probably of luxury... not being involved in a ''personal'' chat. "Shut your filthy mouth, you narcissistic manure," I replied, disgusted by the fact of his grandiose delusions. 83 Dethroning an Autocrat 1 : No Glory "When one with honeyed words but evil mind, persuades the mob, great woes befall the state." -Euripides, Orestes ? "Hmmm...Manure? Me? HAHAHAHAAHAHAAH!!!!! Feudal Overlord is very funny." The King retaliated clapping his hands and urging those vast arrays of armies behind him to do the same, and it was not long that the applause and the scorning laughs of derision of the weaponized mobs echoed through the plains, all addressed to me and the Angel standing besides, who they''re vehemently after. "Azazel," I called out to the AI Maiden for something superfluous but of integrity. "What is it, Master." She answered. "You have some music with you, right? Anything from the noble classics?" "Yes, Master... Would you like me to play ''Hentai with Senpai'' for you?" "No, that''s not classic... Just play Fur Elise for me." "Affirmative. Scanning mp3 file... ''Relevant'' mp3 file found... Playing ''Fur Elise Klutch Dubstep Remix''..." "Wait, remix?" "Yes, Master... I''m quite certain that you would like it..." Ignoring the fact that an AI defied my request to introduce me to something new and something that I have had isolated myself from, I started to wait for the music to start... And then just like that, Beethoven''s Fur Elise ''literally'' played in my mind as if having a magic headphone or something... and it''s very high quality at that. But then, in the middle of nowhere, the classical music was metamorphosed to this ''mechanized'' suite of modern notes... Hmmm... But, not that bad as I imagined it to be. It suits the atmosphere very well... "Oni-chama, who were you talking to?" Shiro, taking over her consciousness asked... "Oh, I''ll introduce her later to you Shiro, ok?" "Her? Oni-chama, do you have an Angel inside you too?!" "Sort of... Well, you could also say that." "Yaaayyy!! Now we''re the same, oni-chama!" "Ahahahahaa..." I sarcastically laugh, but now that I remember, it''s not a ''pure unblemished angel'' that I have with me. I can''t let Azazel''s algorithm and her brazen ''modes of operations'' taint this girl''s must-maintained innocence. Letting them acquaint for a long period of time would be detrimental. "Now then... Shiro and Kurenai, Can you remotely heal the girl inside the cage... Slowly... Without anyone noticing... But if you want to rest from that form, then you can." "No problem, Oni-chama! We can do that much!" They answered in this dual-tone, of which one belongs to a juvenile, and the other, from a more mature feminine lady, both engaging as a team of high-end medics. "I''ll take the others from here..." I then looked the King in the eyes with a very disgusted facade, as if I''m staring at a cockroach or something more inconsequent... a plankton, maybe? Earthworm? Or a Pandaca Pigmea? "What''s with that look? And how dare you stare at me without my permission! Mages, I command you under my authority! To cancel this man''s paradigm and let us reclaim our Kingdom''s personal Angel from his very hands!! And when we get back! Let us celebrate while sticking the overlord''s head on a pole like a lollipop! And have our beautiful girls dance gracefully around!" The King, with true colors showing, presented his malevolent indignation, just because of an overt stare, but not because of someone calling him ''Manure'' just literally a while ago..... But, what''s more, unprecedented is that... Lollipops exist around this part of the universe. "YES OUR KING!!" In a synchronized manner, the white-cloaked word-driven mages with numbers that are truly unfathomable without the correct census, responded to the narcissistic King''s request, as they one by one, started to drift mid-air. and point all of their scepters towards me with contempt. Cancel, he says? While there are possibilities that same tricks can work twice... there''s no way that I''m falling for that again, at least not this time. "Azazel..." I called once again to confirm something, still with her recommended music playing on the background. "Oh, there''s no concern master... Your Paradigm Shift can not be canceled." She directly exclaimed, as if she knows what I was about to say... Well, that''s quite convenient. Then, even without further adieu, they make their move... "ETHEREAL PARADIGM! AS THE SYSTEM THAT GOVERNS THE LAND! GIVE US THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE ENEMY OF THE KING!... CANCEL!" the mages'' scepters then starts to glow in this yellow colors, the same to that of the priest prior, but they''re... apparently weaker. The next thing I know is that these cascades of light beams are coming our way with praisable speed, but not with enough power... So this is how it looks head-on huh... Then, the two Celtic crosses in my left and right sides altered positions and placed themselves right in time, in my and Shiro''s frontline. The two objects formed this forte-like barrier which also started emanating this obsidian colored shield made from their personal bleakness alone... and then came very bright continuous impacts, like Atomic bombs dropped one after the other with several craters forming on my surroundings... And yet, it''s disappointing. Why? The fact that I''m still talking, suggests that I''m alive and well. I did not even feel anything from that explosive light beams... Not even an ounce of joules. Then the cliched... Thick black smoke covered us whole, while still receiving a few more desperate canceling-lights of which no one was able to penetrate the crosses'' forte... "GLORY TO THE KINGDOM OF AURELIUS! ALL HAIL KING AURELIUS THE FOURTH!" they outroared, seeing me being engulfed by the bombardment if cancels coming from a few hundred thousand mages... but isn''t it too early to celebrate just yet? "Did we get him?" "I think so... Who would survive that?" "GLORY TO KING AURELIUS!" They screamed all the more wile the King receives his undue credits while baring that one false hope that they got me with that en masse of attack alone. "Ehhh??? Isn''t it too early to celebrate? I''m not going down that simple you know? Or else, I won''t be able to gratify your King''s entertainment needs.." As the black smoke cleared out, being sucked by the two crosses, I, together with Shiro, emerged unscathed... Spelling no Glory for their recently-praised King. 84 Dethroning an Autocrat 2 : Checkmate "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." -Sun Tzu ? "What? His Paradigm did not get canceled? How?" A question like that was written all over there face, as they saw me and Shiro not even garnering the slightest of wounds and the smallest of signs that our ongoing Paradigm Shifts had been canceled or had grown weaker... Well, first of all. My paradigm has already been canceled earlier. This is my paradigm Shift of which Azazel likes to implicitly define as ''Uncancelable''. "Even Dainsleif''s worked... And yet, the mages'' coming from the Kingdom''s top academy did not? Is that even possible?" The King with sweat running down his face exclaimed... "Oh, Dainsleif? You mean the priest that you just fired? It might be a little bit unnerving... but his Cancelling Paradigm Shift is exponentially stronger than all of your top tier mages combined... and that''s a fact... And now, what are you gonna do with all of these mages I wonder... Fire them? Force Exile from your little Kingdom?" "Tsk! I also heard that you have the power to control the shadows." He added... Again with the false reports of my Paradigm''s mediocrity again huh... "Mages, Scatter all around! You are strong! Use every bit of your power to illuminate the night! And let your excellence shine forth! Now, deem this man powerless by eradicating every shadow!!!!!!!!!! Brave warriors! Attack him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We need to get the Kurenai!" he instructed desperately, inspiring them with his rosy empty words... And then, the same mages soaring high up on the air, raised their scepters high up emitting this great light just as the King has requested it to be... eradicating every shadow... but little did he know, that it''s not just the shadows that I can control, and it certainly is not just their negative emotions and ill intents, and neither the ''Crossange Arsenal'' Celtic crosses that I have with me with this ready-to-serve buffet of darkness'' inside them... Well, if it was my paradigm, I think this stratagem could have worked... but they''re dealing with a Paradigm Shift here... what the deities emblazon to our ability to alter a natural law of the universe by paying the equivalent price. And in my case, I think that the altered law is not that complicated. Light, as of now would be unable to drive out darkness. Simple. "You sure?" I asked the King charging towards me with his three million men altogether... "What do you mean I''m sure? It''s time to say checkmate!" "Well of course...." "Huh?" "Checkmate!" I pronounced, delineating their early defeat. Then, amid the mages'' potent illumination of the surroundings, even making the night seem more like heyday... The dark part of the eclipsed blood moon scattered all through the sky, now, making it seem like we''re back, not on just any night time, but on the void, where not even a single point of light could be seen. It engulfed all of us in this dark dome of the starless and lightless abyss of darkness. Next. Utilizing the bloody moon eclipse''s scattered darkness, came these chains from the sky, clanking like metals as all of it started holding out every single man in their heads, in their hands, feet, and wrists... Making them seem like mere puppets with me as the show master... "What, what is this?" "TAKE THIS OFF ME!!" everyone then began to complain as they were unable to hold out the chains from holding out to them... It''s like the chains can touch them, but they, however, can''t touch it. They defenselessly were now incarcerated, as their life''s fervent outcome now also entirely depends on me... "Dance my new puppets.." Using the chains that I was able to amass for the three million, I disarmed them from their individual weapons and made them dance in sync with the music that I am currently listening to, while of course, making them look stupid and goofy in their armors, especially in their perspectives. "Y-you what did you do!!!!!!!!!!!!!?" The King, now also being chained, asked gritting his teeth as he dances together with his men, but even goofier than the rest... It is probably the stupidest dance that I could think of. "Just use my powers that''s all..." "Wait... I- is this ''Requiem Aranea''s Dark By Default? A- are you perhaps Lacrimosa''s chosen vessel?" "Oh-ho... I''m very surprised as to how widespread her name is... Yes, I indeed am her representative in this war... Too late to realize though." "TSK! THIS CAN''T BE! MEN! FREE YOURSELVES AND KILL THIS CRUEL OVERLORD!" "It''s basically impossible... Now then, that I have won... I presume you kept the negotiation terms to the end right?" "As if! I am King Aurelius! Supreme Leader of a Sovereign Kingdom! You have no authority to do this to me! And I bare the authority to make any negotiations null at will!!!!!!!!!" "And you also have no authority to torture my race, ''King of a Sovereign Kingdom''... Oh, I can''t also forget... I''m adding something in the terms. There are no such rules that say that I can''t right?" "No, you can''t!" As if he introspected as to what term I would like to add, he defied... "What''s this? Want me to snap a thousand heads from your army with a single snap?" "I don''t care about them! All that''s important is me and my position!" He answered shredding his true autocratic figure... "Hmmm... You heard your King loud and clear right? Like, come on... You might not be that stupid..." I shouted to his men in a way that all of them could hear. And yet, they, as well as the mages, were unable to say a word... "I guess you won''t be needing this anymore then..." I then approached him myself, took his crown, and you better not think that I will wear it... From the Celtic cross on my right, I then utilized its ready darkness to form a Jet-black flame and it was so... and then I let it enshroud the expensive-looking crown disintegrating it to tiny pieces of obliterated ash. "Y-you!! WHAT DID YOU DO!?" He then struggled from the incarceration of the chains as he saw his symbol of authority being burned by unquenchable black flames, but was unable to break free... "You''re so noisy. Come to think of it... Every King needs their beauty rest, right?" Using the chain on his neck, almost like a dog lash... I snapped his head in a way that would make him fall to deep sleep. Relax... I can''t let him die an easy death... just yet. Well... that was easy... Easier in fact than defeating the hero, the exiled priest, and their few assassins. Now, this is how you dethrone a King... Narcissistic or not... First. Let him realize how trashy his philosophy is. Second. Disarm his vast array of armies. Third. Kill his image, or at maximum, do it physically, and lastly, take his filthy crown off his head... But, as I was still busy with the performance of my dancing puppets and the shamed King... "Master... I sense someone coming at a certain speed. Recent Coordinates are 10.519181, 123.962982" "Who?" "Collecting database... Database collected... She''s a human female, Master..." "Eh?" 85 Arbitrary Rendezvous "What a weary time those years were -- to have the desire and the need to live but not the ability." -Charles Bukowski, Ham on Rye ? "Eh... A girl?" "Seems to be, Master." With an unprecedented guest on her way, I then looked at the en masse of three million puppets dancing like fools in front without their vocational consent. Assuredly, I can''t let them appear like this... They might be under that unworthy King, but it can be faltered if I were to generalize ''all'' of them to incorporate the same traits as their disparaging leader... They were just under his commands, and if they were to defy, it would be unprofitable for them. I understand... Even for me back on my place of origin, it''s how the system works. "Azazel... You can now stop your remix." "Affirmative, Master... How would you rate the mp3 file on a scale of 1 to 5?" "What are you supposed to be? Spotify? Play Music?" "Fundamentally, I need the data to make an adjustment based on your preference, Master." Says the AI who can be autonomous enough to suggest this ''relevant'' music rather than giving me the original one that I asked... Well, let''s just get this over with. "Ahhh... 4 maybe?" "Data recorded, Thanks for the feedback, Master." "Ok then... Can''t let this laughable masquerade welcome our guest." "All of you... I''m gonna release you from the chains. Try to escape and I will kill you. Arrange yourselves in your original positions." I declared to the chained three million armored Tarragons. As the chains came to a cease, and as I regained the darkness of the eclipse from being scattered across the sky, they, without questions, followed my command as if I''m the newly elected Echelon who recently just dethroned their King. The narcissist in deep sleep, however, I left hanging on the air... For display purposes. And it was not long, that the atmosphere of the battlefield reclaimed its mundanity...which is not that normal-looking actually. It was still tainted by red, of which I guess is from Shiro''s presence''s aftereffects...And the eclipse also did not relinquish as my Paradigm Shift is still active. Yet, the vast array of armies and mages followed my instructions without delays and arranged themselves in their former positions in an orderly manner but... it''s somewhat unusual... they''re too obedient to follow my commands even after what I did, even shaming their glorified King in front of themselves.., and it''s somehow weird, now that I think of it, but not that mysterious. I mean, who would not want a leader like that to be dethroned? "Master... the incoming female is now becoming more adjacent to my sensory radars." Azazel suddenly prompted me in the remainder of the girl-guest that is approaching. "Hey, don''t make it sound like she''s some animal in heat, and that I''m its prey..." "Aren''t humans animals as well, master?" "W-well... You''re partially right." I answered, but without giving my full approval to be deemed just like that. "Shiro, are you done healing the lady inside the cage? " I asked the little girl... "Hai!, oni-chama..." Shiro answered, sounding really sleepy with her blood wings shrinking and as her cardinal redness also rescinds, signifying that her Paradigm Shift is at her limit... "Shiro, it''s okay to sleep now okay?" "Hai, oni-chama! I and Kurenai onee-chan are also done healing the humans in the Kingdom." With a tired and smiling facade, she added. "Heh? At this distance?" "Yes, oni-chama... That''s how powerful... Kurenai... onee-chan is..." With that being said, her elongated death scythe and her wings severed in its own will as I caught her from falling... And together with her trance, the blood moon also ceased and the few ponds of blood also evaporated into thin air... "Good job, Shiro and Kurenai... Rest for now, okay?" The little girl having two consciousness fell to a deep slumber. Still... Healing remotely at vast distances... This is how powerful a Synthesized Angel is? I then took some time to take a glimpse at the enchained and sleeping Anima of Music who has just been betrayed by the King''s Shenanigans, Amadea, and indeed... Her wounds... It''s all gone... Even the blood and dirt stains in her white dress have been completely purified. Seeing her, I was then reminded as to how I woke up from that iron maiden... I remembered feeling being stabbed with statically-placed knives all over my body, and the next things I then saw were these creeping red droplets and, like it was a magical potion or the likes, all the pang''s immediately gone... like I never had any on the first place. I thought it was weird as if it''s just a fragment of my imagination, but now... I''m sure that it was Shiro and the Kurenai''s doing... From its vertical original placement, I then made the third Celtic cross behind me, to rotate horizontally making it serve as a bed floating mid-air that would somehow suffice...but, from others'' perspective, it might seem that I''m an ungodly dark mage on his way to offer this girl to Death or something. Well... I still couldn''t find myself to care about judgemental herd thinking though... "Master, The guest has arrived. " "Uhmm... Where?" "40 meters Altitude..." I then looked up, and there, a familiar figure stood majestically on the air, holding this overtly familiar sword as her hair drifts flawlessly with the direction of the winds... It''s the Prima Donna... Celes Stella Reignsworth, on the flesh... "Yow, Jaiden", She greeted, descending into the ground... but not as graceful as her reappearance. Like a dashing violet ray of light, she suddenly dives downward for her descent in an enormous Mach 20 speed, making the ground shake and some dry parts to crumble as she lands as if several giants made a jump together at that one epicenter also making the positioned array of Tarragon army, to somehow cower in fear which is very clear on their demeanor... Well, from that entrance alone, and how I made the first impression as a human, I think it''s comprehensible. "Oh, Celes huh... Talk about entrances... Did you gain weight or something? I mean, to create such impact in one landing sure is a handful..." I replied, with the usual unstoppable deadpan expression. "We''ve only been apart for a day and a half and you''re already assuming that my metabolism made me gain weight? Well, unfortunately, I did not gain any... You can even carry me ''Princess-style'' to know yourself just how light I am if you want." "It would be my pleasure...But Uhm... You do understand that there has to be some point of physical linkage, right? Like, how I will ''naturally'' cope the opportunity to... touch your legs." "Seriously, Mr. Cendrillon... Just how lewd can you be?" "Sorrymasen, but I am not the one who coined the ''Princess- Carry'' thingy, and to answer your question, first, I must say sorry to Sakuta for referencing in his popular phrase, but it''s trillion times lewder than what your thinking." "Oh-ho?" "Oh-ho indeed." "By the way... What are you dealing with here? And what happened to Shiro?" Seeing all of the peculiarities evident in the background, she asked with one eyebrow up... "Shiro''s just sleeping...We were just unlucky... but luckier than you though who got to experience such slaughters on the first steps outside that city..." "Yeah... " "So why with you with the Mirage Armada? Don''t tell me you faked your entrance their to sway our classmate''s perspectives on choosing what side of the game would they take on..." I asked. "Incorrect" she answered while forming an ''x'' sign with her two pinky fingers... Who does that? "There are no such things as changing such philosophies that have long conquered their mentality... I just entered through there to gain the experience as I figured of the monsters that await outside to somehow decrease the contender counts... That''s all." She added. "And you? What''s with that new look?" She added looking into me from head to toe... "If you''re gonna stare at me like that you''re gonna give me the wrong idea. It''s just my Paradigm Shift." "Paradigm Shift? On the first day? And I believe that this eclipse and the total sky blackout earlier was also your doing, huh..." "Yes. I''m surprised though, hat you were able to see that from wherever you came from...I''ve almost died, by the way. Fought a renowned hero, an archpriest and an immortal Gorgon altogether, Paradigm got canceled then got sealed inside an iron maiden, and as you can see, I just dealt with an entire Kingdom here, together with their narcissistic leader. But before half of that could happen, I think I could have had already died, if not of Shiro''s help..." "Well-well, I never imagined that someone as hated by nature as you, really exist... But Shiro, huh... What a good girl." Celes exclaimed while slowly grooming the sleeping girl''s hair. "Indeed she is." Like a proud father or his brother-figure or something, I responded shaking my head in obvious approval. "So, Jaiden... What are you planning to do now?" "Ahhh... As of now, I really don''t know... but first, I need to get to these demi-humans'' kingdom to free ...some of us." "Some of us?" "Yes... They lured them there and tortured them." "Say what?" "Lured, then Tortured. I think that this so-called third realm would not let us execute the purpose of this divine war on our own terms. " "Ok... can I come with you? Jaiden why don''t we form a party." Out of the blue, she suggested extending her right hand for a handshake... "Ahahaha, a party eh? And what would we call it...?" "Hmmm... I never really thought of it." "Well, you don''t have to... Just think of a random name." "Random huh... Oh, how about ''SinClair''?" She ecstatically suggested. "Sinclair? But why?" "As you said it... Totally random..." "Hmmm... Ok then... SinClair it is." "Ok then... I''m looking forward to working with you." Celes said, as she, once again extended her hand for a handshake... "Ahahaha... Same here." Sardonically, I exclaimed, while also slowly extending my hand for the plead of friendly kinship. But, something''s wrong... It''s happening too fast. "Chotto-matte... (English: Wait a bit!) Why would you want to form such a party in the first place?" I asked letting the handshake of partnership, delayed... The witness of my indecisiveness? The three million tarragons in front... 86 Verdict for Lifetime Tyranny "The whole value of solitude depends upon oneself; it may be a sanctuary or a prison, a haven of repose or a place of punishment, a heaven or a hell, as we ourselves make it." -John Lubbock ? "Eh? You don''t want to?" Celes asked finding it somehow unprecedented that I would spell out some hesitations... "I don''t mean it to be that way... but, why? I can''t see any apparent merit in it for you..." I replied as if having me around would only cause her trouble, which I think would be far from happening. "Huh? Fortunately, I do have one...It''s a given. Without incentives and beneficial motives, I won''t even come up with the idea. " "Just as how I expected it... And what might these benefits be?" "Austere. First and foremost. I''ll have a knight in shining armor." "Oh hell... More like a dark sacrificial mage in a smokey bleak veil." " Well, aside from me getting my perks, you also get yours... Fair is it not?" "Hmmm... If these perks include me sharing the same room as you at night, then I''ll have to agree," I exclaimed... with rather these brazen words that only rapscallions could utter with confidence. "I''m very surprised as to how well you can really maintain that dead facade while spouting some pervy things..." The Prima Donna calmly retaliated deeming the threats of perversion impotent, but... "I''m not a pervert... My mind is just born lewd... That''s all." "My! Whatever you meant by that... So, I''ll take that as a yes?" "Hmmm... Okay." "Looking forward to working with you then..." She said, extending her hand for the third time, and I accepted. Sinclair huh? I don''t know why but I find it to fit. It might resemble a name of a saint, but having the ''Sin'' on the emblazonment also suits my feudal overlord outward appearance ( or which I would like to call it). "Is it just me? Or I can''t seem to let go of your hand..." " Shut up," Celes immediately, pulling her hand, said in a voice that I almost can''t hear, with her flawless checks slowly blushing with the colors of Japan''s spring Sakura Blossoms. "I''m just kidding... Now I''m taking the opportunity to say that... half of what I said like an uncultured rascal is false." "Only half?" "Well...maybe a quarter." "Hmmm... This is actually the first time that ''I looked someone in the eye and wonder what''s going on inside their head''?" She exclaimed very soberly, looking all legitimately curious. "If you think about it that hard, you''ll find yourself assembling a million-piece puzzle with a missing piece," I replied. She then continues to brush sleeping Shiro''s hair with her bare graceful hand, which was somewhat a refreshing view... Talking about perks and merits in this allegiance, there are lots for both of us. Although some of them may be a little complicated. While almost all achievement can be shared, there''s no doubt that this allegiance to form a party includes the ''Zero-Sum Game''. Although not in every context, her loss will be my gain, and her gain will be my loss. Simple... but it''s not that bad to gamble a bit in this situation. Well, it is predestined to be a gamble from the get-go anyway. "But first... We must get those locked up people." I persisted in the endeavor to let Shiro rest in a morse authentic bed and to free those who have been lured... "Well, of course." She replied unhesitantly. "Tarragons... lead us to your Kingdom and I will spare your king." I proclaimed, calling out the three million positioned in front who have been overly silent for quite some time now and heck, they''re not even moving a muscle... But, I don''t know if it''s because of fear, or that they don''t want me to set foot inside there Kingdom... but, they''re literally unresponsive to my request... It''s also quite weird minutes ago as to how they obeyed my instructions without adieu and without even looking at their captive King. Could it be? That they somewhat want this man''s reign to end, but just can''t say it? Well, I''m sorry to tell them that I have had read my few shares of psychological books that would make them blurt out their intent. "What''s this, you want me to kill your King in front of you?" I exclaimed as they continued in their silence. They''re in fact listening... but as if somewhat they want their King to be killed, they''re not saying a word... "King Jaiden is a tyrant as I can see.." Celes whispered in a manner that I could barely hear... "Well ... I and Shiro got to go through that hell hole because of them." "You''re right. I can''t really argue with that." With overt understanding, says her who also got to slay a thousand cannibals in the first hour for mere experience purposes. (,,,,) "I did not use a hundred days of my life just to make you guys dance foolishly... you know? Or that I want to see an eclipse, nor see myself in this surreal form... Of course. It should be understood that I''ll be taking something away from you, besides the negotiations that I agreed upon together with your ruthless king" I added... and then, the bombshell... "Want me to take his life?" I asked the entire congregation... There was utter silence for half a minute... but it is apparent that they''re somehow holding themselves back from saying anything that they want. Some were gritting their teeth to hold out what they want to say. Some were doing the same but has let the fact be congealed by tightening their fists on their side... and then... "Hoi! Why is everyone silent?" A fit heavyweight man broke the silence, from the array. Fully armored and with large dual axes in his back, he then lit-up a rolled tobacco only with his finger. He then sipped his first smoke gushing forth this wisps of grey smog curled while dancing their way through the thick, hazy air "No one''s gonna talk? Fine... I will." He said with heads on without a taint of fear from the masses... and I can feel that he is very powerful, from the looks alone... but his intents are pure and I can''t sense any corrupt features about him either, especially in this state which my senses for identifying such should be at its peak. "Feudal Overlord. I am Gallahad Percival, a senior warlock in that King''s army... can I step out? It''s very fricking tight in here." "Yes, you may..." Then, the remaining crowd did not even dare hinder him from going out from the whole congregation towards me. "So what should the verdict of this man be..." I questioned, addressing the point to the sleeping King still hanged from the chains extending from the sky with an unknown force making it defy the laws of gravity. "Ahhhh... right." He shifted his glare to the person and scratched his head while blowing off some steam from the cigarettes... "This man... He''s cruel." Yep... I knew it. "Death should not even be a fitting end for this man. His grandiose life would not be enough to serve as retribution for all of the sufferings that we have had endured under his leadership up until now. And I would highly doubt if God Hades would even accept this disgusting soul... Hoi. You agree with what I''m saying here right?" He said, looking back to his fellow warriors if someone would want to second to his proclamation... But there was none. " Hmmmmm... Sorry, overlord, they''re shy and somewhat scared." "Scared? Why?" "Ahhhh... We are brainwashed to never say a thing... convinced that this king is both omniscient and omnipresent... We were forced to undergo several therapies as they call it ''Camp of Bravery'', which is, of course, just plain dubious... He says that it will increase our vigors but it all were designed to make us think that the king could hear us from miles away and that, he can read our minds... That''s all. Usual autocrats..." The usual indeed... "And you sir, why are the therapies not working? " "You know, it''s very weird being called sir by someone''s who just dethroned my top-brass... Well, anyway, I''ve grown tired of it... Besides... I got nothing to lose. Unlike them who have families waiting for their return." "Hoi! Are you really planning on staying silent? Feudal Overlord here might be generous enough to save you and your families from the grips of the tyrant you know?".... He once again addressed the masses. And then, it was not yonder that him stirring out the crowd with a calm demeanor caused this downpour of the request of due judgment for the King even deeming this ''Camp of Bravery'' therapies, worthless and nothing but a part of a childish endeavor. "K-kill him!" "Yeah! BEHEAD HIM!" "N-no! We must torture him together with all of the loyal blood just like what they did to our forefathers! and to the humans, he tricked using the Anima!" "LET US FEED HIM RAW TO THE CHIMERA''S DEN!" One by one, they gained the confidence to speak out what''s been in their mind... Truly a strange visage indeed. A people, conjoined together to overthrow their dictator... Now, How would he react to this when he wakes up, I wonder?.... Seeing that the people in his ''sovereign'' dominion had come together to give him his adjudication... "Heehh? What shall we do then, Feudal Overlord?" Celes, in my side sarcastically said, hearing me being called Feudal Overlord and all... "Haysttt... don''t even think about calling me that... Prima Donna of Germany High..." "Why should I? Feudal Overlord... Hehehe... Great alias by the way." 87 Of Blood, Sweat and Tears "Every unpleasant worldly experience in life exposes our sensitive nervous systems to painful phenomena. Despite all the beer commercial advertisement slogans urging us to live with gusto, life is unavoidably painful. " -Kilroy J. Oldster, Dead Toad Scrolls ? And so, I formed an unprecedented alliance with a co-Herrscher to form the party ''SinClair'', and with the Entire Kingdom taking the lead for their reform against their dictator who is still fast asleep inside the cage from where he once incarcerated Amadea... "Master, your Paradigm Shift has been inactive, do you wish to disable it? Your Paradigm is also available for use, now master... The cancellation has been lifted." The AI maiden exclaimed, sensing the passiveness. "Then please do." "Understood, Master." While I apprehend that it could be somewhat dangerous to depart from this ''Feudal Overlord'' Form, I find it to be very tiring in that state... And the feeling of my life force being constantly sucked is very grotesque... Then, the Paradigm Shift has been upraised, but my outward appearance, however, stayed the same. My eye''s vision Has returned to normal, my ''Crossange Arsenal'' (which are the three Celtic crosses that I never really had the chance to use to my heart''s content) dispersed to thin air. and the eclipse also ceased... but besides that, everything stayed the same. My noble Feud Apparel is still worn, the white edges of my hair did not go away, which is good of course. No one''s gonna notice that much, that I returned to my usual state. With the Celtic cross now gone which served as a floating bed for Shiro prior, I placed the little girl at the back of the Black Pegasus which was the personal ride of the despicable King the first moment we crossed fates... But I have to make sure though... that his but traces are away from the girl''s peacefully, refreshing and resting face We then start to set foot across the land, opposite west, from whence their Kingdom is situated and where the King will receive his due judgment from his own people... His people that have had endured such hostility under the joke leader. Hmm... Not so bad a progress for the first full night huh. I guess Lacrimosa could wait a little longer there in that so-called small town... Then, out of nowhere... "Please do forgive me!" Amadea, exclaimed, the moment she woke up, crying vehemently with tears running down her distressed demeanor while bowing down with both her face and knees kissing the filthy moist ground. Hence, Sket Dance Sad Moment Official Soundtrack suddenly sounded in my head... That Azazel. I would personally prefer, Henryk Gorecki''s ''Symphony of Sorrowful Songs 2nd Movement '' for this type of atmospheres. While Japanese Anime OST''s are clearly jewels, I have to teach her later of the classic''s irredeemable price. "I- I did not know what to do that time.P-please do forgive me...I''m deserving of death" She pleaded, with guilt clearly written in her facade that she was somehow made as bait to lure the humans to that slaughterhouse. I looked at the tarragons to see if they''re indeed guilty of taking commands from the unscrupulous leader to wipe out an entire clan of whatever Animas are supposed to be, and their faces say it all... that they did it... "Personally, I think the only one deserving of death is the man who got you all through this." I frivolously replied, not cognizant of the ''How-to''s'' in providing solace. It was but the only decent reply that I could think of and unfortunately, in cases of esteeming up others, I am indeed the most horrible creature, even to this realm. "But, I, I--m a failure as an Anima. The deities also entrusted me and look at what I did." She continued crying not even raising her head... Ahhh... If Shiro''s awake she could have had scolded me for being unable to pacify her... but, I think I could do barely anything in this situation... That''s just how it is. No... It''s just how I am. "Raise up your head... Lady Amadea." Celes intervened with a pure, undaunted yet fragile smile, reaching her hand towards the Anima to let her up... "Just as how the Feudal Overlord says it... You''re not at fault. You just got used, didn''t you? Besides, you were doing it for your family''s sake. I think there''s nothing more even braver than that." She accepted the lift and started to wipe out her tears, still while crying... "There, there..." The Prima Donna continued to take the stead of a comforting mother, letting the Anima cry all she wants in her shoulder without anyone disturbing her... As if they''re both alone together, amidst the three million. And then, as if Amadea remembered someone that can''t be forgotten... she let her face away from the shoulder of the comforter... " And Lorraine? What happened to her?" She asked, but not one from the vast array of armies was willing to give her the verbal answer, but it was however clear. basing entirely from their liable expressions that can''t even look at the Anima straight to her eyes, diverting their focus from her sad gazes. "Beethaven! What happened to her, please answer me." She added, desperately, crying her soul out. "SORRY LADY AMADEA!" Some from the crowd then unexpectedly start to kneel down in front of her, breaking down emotionally to the ground... I guess they''re the taskforce endowed by the responsibility of wiping out her clan. "WE...WE ALSO HAD NO CHOICE. HE SAID IF WE WERE TO LET ANYONE LIVE, HE WOULD KILL OUR FAMILY BACK ON THE KINGDOM OR LET THEM HUNGER...P-PLEASE FORGIVE US! TRULY... TO YOU TOO FEUDAL OVERLORD, AND TO THE KURENAI WHO SUFFERED ALL HER LIFE BECAUSE OF US!" they exclaimed in the same manner with a blood-guilty look in their expressions. "It''s not because of ''us''... It''s because of ''him''. Don''t confuse yourself with that..." I emphasized the fact, giving all the blame to this despicable autocrat which is truly nauseating to even behold. I think everyone here is barely victims of the heinous leadership and of narcissism... And for that, they lived the life that they did not deserve, nor want... While some of my emotions may be stripped away from me... I know how that feels. To be stripped from your happiness all because of that one narcissistic society member, who thinks he could out rule anyone... It''s the worst. Amadea cried out all the more, knowing that her partner, Lorraine Beethaven... is also no more together with her clan... "What...what am I to do now... Lorraine... Forgive me. I failed to protect you!" Then comes the blame, entirely dressed to no one but to herself. "Overlord Jaiden... You take it from here. It''s training, for you to cheer me up if I''m feeling down.." Celes murmured pushing me towards the crying anima... "Eh?" With sweat running down my face, I''m forced to say anything... If I will not, I think I''ll also feel bad... "Ehh...Lady Amadea, would you like to join us in their Kingdom and give the verdict of the King''s wretchedness? it''s going to be one heck of a death celebration... Don''t you think?" "What are you saying?" Celes found my way of expressing things to be somewhat inauthentic, which is of course... as expected. "Eh? Did I say something wrong?" "Are you planning on cheering me like that when the time comes?" "P-please let me go with you. I- I also need to ask forgiveness for the humans that I have betrayed." The Anima, however, got what I wanted her to grasp. She then stood in her gracious feet, wiping her tears and addressed the King, in deep sleep due to me snapping his head a little while ago... "Y-you will pay... " The anima said... Certainly, he will... With all said, we continued on our hundred-mile journey... and not yonder, found ourselves facing this high fortress with a large and thick wooden gate with carved out depictions of centaurs, minotaurs and other recognizable figures that seemed alike from Greek mythology, although a bit more extreme... "Welcome to the Kingdom of Aurelius..." Depressingly, some skinny guys who have access to the gates greeted us, opening the gates of the high fortresses. And the visage that met us the moment we got inside... is something alike to Earth''s... although it was more putrid. Seeing this, I don''t even need to autoplay the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs'' 2nd Movement to know how this Kingdom was made to stand. A dominion built on blood, sweat, and tears, which were not from the King himself... but from his people who suffered in the same plankton''s reign of supremacy. Shall we end that then? 88 La Promenade "The poor, I am told, are kind to each other but that is because they have nothing to lose,'' he said. ''The rich cannot afford to be." -M.R.C. Kasasian, The Mangle Street Murders ? The night slowly started to dissipate the moment we arrived at our destination and it was only a matter of an hour before the sun will shine fully in its unworldly radiance... In our way here, there was none that''s worthy of discussion... The trail that we took was seemingly alike to the Earth''s plains before it received blemishes by the treacherous acts of its own denizens... It''s just as if we have turned back time, to our mother nature''s glorious days... Refreshing and reinvigorating... Yet I also can''t explain why, but the more we move closer to their Kingdom, the more gloomy the atmosphere becomes... And hence, here we find ourselves approaching the appointed place... The wooden gate, carved with these depictions of mythical creatures in it was fashioned well to look antique, together with its high fortresses to protect the Kingdom from its invaders... but just today, it''s an exemption. It''s a sturdy-looking border that would be ignored. Two armored skinny Tarragons standing side by side of the gate opened it for us as if they know what has been happening, and seeing their King unconscious and caged like some animal, lifted their somewhat indigent countenance as if their eyes have sparked some hope, but they did not even bother to ask as to what happened or say any words in regards to their despicable King... An act of defiance to their loyalty which is a good thing. "Welcome to the Kingdom of Aurelius..." They said in sync...Opening the wooden gates. And thus, our first glimpse of the so-called ''Sovereign Kingdom''... that is not how I envisaged it to be and one, that does not live to the King''s expectations and grandiose delusions. It''s ''expectation vs reality'' at its best. And here I am, with only two humans with me, now subject to take a promenade within this dominion of a proud and shrewd oppressor. What first welcomed us was not this cheerful visage of a Kingdom. It was these ragged slums lining themselves without order, giving us these piercing glares, wondering as to why a human, the same race that they have recently captured, being treated like an alternative King... yet, we continued anyway. It was the first for me seeing a social structure like this...Why? From the first impression alone, it''s very different. While countries back on Earth try their hardest to hide the poor, this here has this risque boldness to present it first to its visitors. What can I say? The interior is also somewhat unprecedented... There''s this luxurious palace standing tall in the centermost circle, while these slums here are treated as the first line of defense in case a breach of the fortress has been made. The atmosphere also, it''s tainted with overt poverty and with the depressed illiterate populace. While I don''t know what grandeur lies within that castle at the center, it''s very clear... That the Kingdom as an overall, is poor. The vast armies that were with us moments ago have begun to disperse to be one with the crowd, and the group who stayed together with me, however, was the Senior Warlock who has carried the cage where there King is, Celes, Amadea, the currently-hibernating Shiro and 30 others...of which I perceive to be somewhat elite judging by how different their armor looks. "Sir, the humans are imprisoned this way." An army came up, offering me guidance towards the said slaughterhouse. "Ok..." I answered. "Sir Senior Warlock. Please make sure that the King is in your supervision. The rest of you, please gather everyone in the midst of your kingdom, wherever your public executions are held." I requested like I''m a foreign Ambassador or something, here to overthrow the leader and reclaim my captive people without proper cause... Except, they''re really not my people. "YES, SIR!" Replied the armies... The warlock, however, was somewhat established in his belief that me calling him ''Sir'' is somewhat unrighteous." "Just call me Gallahad, Feudal Overlord." He replied. Well, from afar, I could see Celes somewhat still holding out her laughter for the sobriquet that I received, which I can fully comprehend. Feudal Overlord. It is indeed ''cool'' to hear, but it always portrayed to be some fat old maggot from the renaissance period, corrupting land tenants. And having a title now would somewhat be detrimental. So, I should probably impend that emblazonment. It''s for the best. "That would be a little hard to do Sir Gallahad... But please, I am no Feudal Overlord... You can just call me Jaiden." "Roger that... Young Sir Jaiden. Now, you might want to reconcile with your fellow humans, so I''m not holding you back... We, on the other hand, however, will prepare the great assembly to give the King his due judgment... We expect you and your fellow race to partake. You were also victims of the same autocrat." "R-right... Please do. Oh and uh thank you..." "For what Young sir?" "For stepping out to tell me the truth earlier." "Hehe... No need for that young sir. I''m just being honest. There''s also nothing I would lose, so please understand my comrades who are still partly under the King''s propaganda hypnotism." "I understand... I''ll trust the preparations to your hand sir Gallahad. I have humans to free." "Roger." With a little sip of his cigarette, he then dragged the caged King towards a place where all of the denizens can gather. And then, together with the tour guide soldier, we reached the luxurious castle which is unexpectedly surrounded by these grand mansions that are very different from what we saw the moment we first entered. The High class, so to say... It''s as if your distance from the palace determines your social status. The closer you are, the better life gets and vice versa: the further you are, the more cannon fodder you''d be. "This way, sir." They then permitted us to enter the exterior premise of the castle still escorted by the same army tour guide. It was very discrepant from what I saw outside. The castle''s gate has this golden door. Positioned outside were these Golden carriages with well-breed Pegasus as its means of force. And in the midst, is this large maintained garden and in it, is a fountain, mingling with clean waters, while there''s some Tarragon kid that I saw outside drinking this brownish liquid ... Just thinking about how these Tarragons were unable to carry out a reform for this unscrupulous and apparent corruption makes my stomach hurts... It''s very disgusting. It makes me wonder as to what kind of brainwashing technique did this ''Camp of Bravery'' incorporate to stay them silenced in all of this. Then, at the back of the castle, there''s this underground pathway... The guide, taking with him, a lightened torch entered. "Follow me, sir." He said... "Yes..." I replied. But first, I have no intention of letting Shiro enter such a putrid-looking underground chamber. "Celes... Could you wait here together with Shiro and Amadea?" "Sure. That would be no problem..." Celes replied, but Amadea, however, was not willing to give up in her endeavor to ask for forgiveness to those that she had lured which is currently inside the place. "L-let me go with you!" She exclaimed, still with the stressed-out face. "Do whatever you like... Just don''t force yourself too much." Having said that, I, together with the guide, and Amadea entered the caliginous den. And inside, is this depressing and dark walk, almost like along the corridors of death. It''s the kingdom''s torture chamber... No, it really is a slaughterhouse. There was this suite of several doors of metals and while I have the capability to do it, I don''t have any interest in seeing what lies beneath. Well, it''s not good to be too intrusive anyway. There''s even this canal connected to every room, following the pathway, and in it was not just any disparaging liquid... Its blood constantly flowing in streams giving off this unsettling stench that is very rancid... "Here we are, sir" Reaching the innermost part of the unlit chamber, we found ourselves facing this callous high door with a scary-carved figure of a demon. The guide then opened the very entry and inside the disparaging and poignant premise are almost a hundred men chained to the walls, together with these decaying bodies of unknown creatures and several skulls on the dark background The incarcerated had their clothes torn palpably because of the abominable torments that they endured... but examining them deeply, they were without wounds... Probably from Shiro and Kurenai''s distant and eloquent healing. But, there were also youngsters my age across that chamber, and some of them, especially girls, are in a state of psychological trauma . About a ten or so, who maintained their avid consciousness were in disbelief as they saw me walk upon that room... "Sir Guide, please do free them from this appalling place" I requested the guide, who was a little stunned seeing that the abused captives were without wounds, but acting professionally, he does what I request, bringing out these heavy-looking keys from his waist... "Wh-who are you?" Asked a middle-aged man as his chains are being removed. "There''s no need to explain anything in here sir. And please don''t even consider this an act of benevolence. " I exclaimed... 89 Class Rep in a Nutshell "It is a great mystery to me how the problems of others seem like simple arithmetic while my own appear as complicated as a calculus equation." -Richelle E. Goodrich ? "Are these all?" I asked the guide. Well, I did not mean to sound like I''m some merchant in a multiverse slave trade. I''m against slavery for some cognizance... That just shows how bad I really am at communicating. "Yes, sir." Answered the guide... So overall, it''s 67 huh... Honestly, I expected more, but seeing these low numbers must mean that the others were not that cheap to bait huh... Quite the epiphany I have here. I don''t know why, but my stomach also begins to hurt... It can''t be hunger, as I''m feeling rather full for whatever reason there is, nor is it because of the ugly environment, and it better not be diarrhea... but, my best bet is it''s because of being surrounded by these homo sapiens? And here I was earlier being surrounded by ''three million'' Tarragons without feeling anything... Why the sociopath''s symptoms now of all times? And is my physique really that proactive when dealing with multiple humanitarian presences? I sure do hope for it to be at bare minimum if that was the case. But, snapping me out from my nauseous thoughts'' reverie, the Anima who has beseech her life, for asking pardon, begins her main errand... "Sorry for making you experience such despicable torments...Truly, I''m deeply sorry! I was commanded to lure you here... If I haven''t my entire clan will be put to death... B-but I was foolish to believe their bargain... Please do forgive me." Amadea, finds herself kneeling in the poignant and filthy looking floors of the torture chamber asking for forgiveness, even though personally, I think that there''s no need. Unfortunately, everyone''s face was not willing to accept... And it''s not even surprising. It''s expected beyond any reasonable doubts. While some of them- the demure types, were apparent as to how they forgive her, and that they can''t just express it through words, there were some who have wielded some twisted pride. That''s why I recommended earlier not to force herself too much. Homo Sapiens'' normies can be far sterner than you think they are. Oh and uh, you better find the correct definition of a ''Normie'', because the internet memes are giving it a twist in meaning in the recent. In any case, if you''ve done something wrong and you have no plans on asking redemption, then they will spread it throughout the community that you''re scum through their endless networks. If you, however, do find the resolve to give space and ask forgiveness, you''ll also be the subject of their own superiority complex. See? And what I''m witnessing here proves that obsolete age-old theory... Yet, out from the shadows, a voice suddenly disrupted the chain of the unforgiving... "You were just tricked, right? Then we''re on the same boat then..." Someone from the held captive suddenly spoke some words of solace, and that voice...it''s very familiar. "Don''t worry about us Miss Amadea...We''re fine as you can see, except for our clothes that is." The Anima, however, continued to bow down her face knowing through intuition that not all feels the same. But, having the ''leader that they need'' and the ''followers they are'', it was only a matter of time before everyone''s static faces begin to soften, slowly finding their pride nullified. It''s ''Herd Mentality'' at work, saying... "R-right... We forgive you, miss Amadea. Please do stand up, it''s making us uncomfortable. Kay?" "We forgive you, and besides we got mysteriously healed from our blatant wounds. There were these red illuminated butterflies filling up the room earlier... and now look at the wounds. Not even a scar! I thought it was because we have no weapons, that''s why we''re still ineligible to pain, but I remembered that they gave us weapons for free and suddenly imprisoned us here. It was truly, a scary experience, but hey... We''re fine." A rather young-looking extrovert blurted out while helping the Anima rise up to her feet. "Thank you all..." The Anima purely replied, with tears running down in her face while everyone else comforted her. From whom was that familiar voice anyway? What a scary authority it has, Just by extrapolating some words, everyone else''s harsh beliefs have been deemed impotent. Interesting innate talent indeed and it seemed to be coming from the other edge which I slowly approached... Then from that same corner, who recently just got freed from his rather short chains, emerged, a stoic classmate... Daerenji Nakamura is his name if my memory does not fail me. The future class representative if not because of the extravagant deviation from the mundane and precedented plot. His voice, however, deserves to be praised. It''s at an authoritarian level that can persuade anyone who hearkens and it''s not supposed to be a revelation worthy of attention. Well, he is the former overall National president of his country''s Supreme Student Council so it should be presaged at this point. And I think I now understand why the niche of that position belonged to him even at our age, but, doesn''t that mean that he''s too socialized? Forgive me, but I think I know where this nausea is coming from now... There are always some times that my physical being reacts when I''m close to a complete opposite- albeit it does not happen ''frequently'' but I can''t think of any other reason. His extravagant social aura extracted within this very chamber must have had some nuclear reaction with my highly compressed anti-socialism. "Jaiden!" He says, recognizing me first-hand as if we''re already acquainted for quite some time while shaking off the dirt in his still-worn and torn uniform. And of course, still with the leadership moves in detail... Breasts'' out... Eye contact... Making sure that bed hair''s non-existent. "Yow..." I replied as I can''t think of anything else to say. "Nice to meet you again, although it''s not nice reuniting within these circumstances, hehe...So, how did you know we''re here? And... what''s with the noble outfit?" Seeing my Feudalist appearance, he asked...Moreover, as I already am, I must get out of here now, to at least get some fresh air. "C-can we continue the chat outside?" I asked as the feeling of nausea becomes stronger. I feel throwing up any second from now and I''m quite having the predicament of maintaining a composed look befitting of my character. "Eh? Sure... Are you sick?" "Nah. Probably just because of the putrid atmosphere here." I lied with a straight face while holding out to my panged abdomen. We then once again trended our feet on the filthy chamber halls and got out... And there, in the shining sun, just at the back of this picturesque castle with some grotesque secrets, the recently freed find themselves talking, cheering everyone up and calming those that are in psychological trauma, fully forgiving the Anima who''s bee the cause of them being here... While I, on the other hand, was able to spell a little distance from them and was able to breathe some fresh air. One constantly, however, boggles me with questions that are very tiring to answer. The Class Rep ''supposed-to-be'', himself, but it''s now a little bit more authentic, now that his social aura can''t be that humid... Celes who''s also supervising Shiro also is engaging in communication with one of the armies as if having a message that will soon be relayed. She then approached me, even intruding in the superfluous conversation, which I''m thankful for... "Jaiden... Preparations are complete outside. I guess it''s high time that the people give their King its judgment... And they invite us before they will commence the event. Shall we go?" "The Prima Donna!!!?? You two are really close, aren''t you?! And that girl! Is that supposed to be your daughter? Are you in a secret relationship or something...??" The Class rep overreacted seeing that the Prima Donna''s conversing with me informally while taking care of a peacefully-sleeping little girl...even calling me by my first name, which is uncommon for his country, Japan... "Oh, class-rep! It''s so unexpected to find you here amongst those that want to sever humanity for good." Celes, in her sheer confident stance as ever, replied. "Eh? Class rep? I never even have the chance to be one... Come on, you know that...Well, hehehe... as to why I decided to be on the Chaos Armada, all I can say is that everyone has their own reasons, probably the same as you... But, you being here is even more mystique... A daughter of a rich international conglomerate owner, a known genius and a very revered and respected one. Just thinking about your fortunes makes me wonder why you decide to be here in favor of damnation..." Come to think of it... He''s right. "Well, as you have said, everyone has their own reasons," Celes answered with a smile, that I think is ullaged with eccentricity... "Shall we all go? They are waiting for us at the main circle." She said, addressing both of us and as well as the others on the back, even shifting the main topic that she first came up with. Yet, as I also believe... It''s not too good to be overly intrusive, while here I am reminding myself that I still am not in any Armada, which makes me worse than the both of them, already having their ''classified own reasons''.Moreover, it''s the Goddess''s indecisiveness'' fault. She''s the one to choose from the get-go and the delay''s getting forever to address. "Jaiden, let''s go?" She asked... "Yes... We can''t delay this Kingdom''s judgment by further." "And we still have a party to organize." She added which is undeniably true... leaving our class rep confused on the background, listening to each of our claims... 90 The Patriarch "The paradox of vengefulness is that it makes men dependent upon those who have harmed them, believing that their release from pain will come only when their tormentors suffer." -Laura Hillenbrand ? "Ahahhahaha... by the way, darling... Shall we all go to the venue then?" Celes invited in such a peculiar way that would make the situation even more complicated, especially for the Class rep himself. "You''re gonna race some suspicions you know... But you''re right, we should probably go." "D...D...D-d-d-d-darling!!!??" Reacted the class rep. "Ahahahaah... No. It''s just teasing in a nutshell." "I-I see... Ehehehehe... But, you two really are close huh." Nakamura replied, but with still some suspicions on his head... "Everyone, please follow us..." Celes pronounced through the gathered men. "Uh... Uhmmm." A professional and a plain-looking lady from the crowd stepped out as if having something that she wants to say... She looks like a legit Secretary of a Monetary Conglomerate or something... "What is it?" "Thank you for s-saving us!" She said shyly, and damn that was cute... But better be careful or else, Azazel will record this in her algorithms and use it to personalize her brazen mode of operations... "Ahahahaha... No. I did nothing in particular. No need to thank me." "Shall we go then? It seems that our appearance is compulsory. And you all must be tired, let''s just get this over with." Everyone shook their head in approval, but with questions still raising on their head, which is already expected. I mean, they got through a lot just in that ''not-so-extensive-timeframe'' and I''m adding all of these piles of queries... I know how that feels, being ullaged with the confusion that you yourself can''t end. So I feel compelled to answer their questions, but maybe... in some other time. Plausibly when these anti-social symptoms come to cease. (...) Together with the armored tour guide, I, along with the others then found ourselves mingling in a very big gathering right in the city circle... In front, were the Senior Warlock, the elite armies, an announcer and the caged King, which is now... awake, giving this look that no one wants to behold... A look of an autocrat who is about to pay for all that he has done, under the underestimated jurisdiction of his very own people." As homo-sapiens, being somewhat blatantly different from these tarragons in both belief and in appearance, not to mention the hatred that some of us still bare seeing those that tormented them just moments ago, we found separating ourselves as we inserted into the vast crowd while these piercing glares also bombard us to no end... but still, remembering such socialization, it''s making me a hundred times more nauseous... In the crowd, the division by social class was also apparent... On the leftmost were all of us humans, next was the Noble-class, middle-class, common-class and then followed by the most unfortunate, the slums themselves, who took the initiative to be the furthest away as possible from the maggots of the noble-class. The entire populace was somewhat ecstatic of this peculiar event, but the nobilities, however, in their best apparel does not look so happy. They know for sure, where this is going... a development that they will not like. They even got far as to cover their nose with thick towels, acting like narcissists who can''t imagine breathing the same air and attending this congregation together with the lower classes... Hmmmm... They''re the king''s chosen privileged ones after all... but the mind of a narcissist really does work on mysterious ways, one that I honestly can''t completely comprehend. "Sir Jaiden! Please come by in front."A voice from the composed senior warlock echoed through the venue... He better not portray me as some savior or else... I then stepped out from the crowd unwillingly, while everyone continued to give me this even more pressured glimpses, especially the nobles and the class rep himself... Well, it is weird. A sociopath stepping out from the crowd that is... And the anti-social Delima also stands unmoved, determined of making me throw up, which is a conundrum that I must somewhat withhold, especially with my ''fellow'' humans in plain sight. As I slowly reconcile with the warlock in front, I just knew how great the energy it needs to step out like this... It''s even worse than the reminisced class introductions... But, yet again, I must muster it for favorable outcomes... "This here is Sir Jaiden. He is from the second realm that has been sent here along with the others for a divine errand for their race... an errand that we know too well." An announcer with virile and large voice begins to exclaim in the midst of the enthusiastically listening crowd. Oh, so they really know of our purpose of being here. The deities did a good job informing them beforehand though... "But, a day after their arrival, they have been allegedly harassed by the King''s intents! Amadea, our Anima of music, also just lost all of her entire clan yesterday under the commands of Aurelius the Fourth in an endeavor to bait these humans here for fun and to serve as hostages to reclaim Kurenai. Of which the Synthesized Angel herself also suffered from the same hands..." Yeah right, that one is for me, the most unscrupulous crime committed here... Look at Shiro! She''s supposed to be here calling me ''oni-chama'' to refresh my mentality, and here she is, hibernating, paying the due consequence of using her Paradigm Shift, together with her subconscious which is the one that the King is after for unknown but can be speculated reasons. "And I am also sorry to announce that Count Joberwock Rosewald has also lost his life on the battlefield, betrayed also by the King himself, while Priest Dainsleif''s whereabouts remain unknown..." The announcer continues, explaining in detail the recent happenings, which by far, caused the most potent commotion all throughout the gathered handful of the crowd. "Sir Jaiden... Do you have something to say on behalf of the humans?" "No." I answered directly. I mean, come on... Standing here is painstakingly enough... "Oh, ok... Now then, Sir Jaiden here offered us an opportunity to switch our Kindom''s path to the alternative... Perhaps, it would be a better path for us to take. " Several classes and even the said homo-sapiens themselves find the statement to be fishy all because of that misunderstood phrase ''Offered an opportunity;''. Well, it is... It''s once again giving me this stigma of big-shots, which I''m not and have no intention of becoming one. Moreover, even in the atypical phase, everyone from the lower classes, with poverty-stricken faces found themselves clapping to the recently-made bargain all due to their visceral reaction seeing hope for the first time that they might just be able to turn their lives around... Except for that one class, that all of us know too well... "Haaa? I''m sorry, but we don''t get to decide that..." An overgrown female bearded Tarragon exclaims, silencing the announcer and everyone else from their emotional threshold. She was starked with muscles, holding out this cute pink umbrella and wearing this expensive-looking hat which could approximately feed a few less fortunate in-lined with the noble reacted. I may not be a connoisseur in the field but it is a bad combination of fashion indeed. "What do you mean?"The Senior Warlock asked... "The Patriarch... Don''t tell us that you''ve forgotten about the old man? You all have to go through him if you want some changes with the Kindom''s feudal laws, remember?" Added a noble aged Tarragon... Patriarch? What the hell is this position even supposed to be? And why does it have a role in a Kingdom''s authoritarian decisions? Whoever and whatever that might be, it can''t be belittled. The title''s utterance alone is serving as the nobles'' last line of defense... their last resort to maintain their high valued and seemingly-overpriced lives. But still, just thinking about these cultural differences... It''s very painful to bear. Well, I''ll just not stand in their way as of now, after all... this is their Kindom''s personal predicament from the get-go. 91 Petition for a Duel "Isn''t it time to stop wishing, complaining, making excuses and pointing fingers? Your destiny calls for you to give your dream the actions that it desperately needs. Dig deep to discover your hidden abilities and strength to always persevere." D Edmond Mbiaka ? This does not concern me that much. All I care is that I am to take the reward for the negotiations exclaimed by the leader himself prior to his shameful defeat... although the man himself, inside his rusty cage has also been giving me these quite astute and incisive glimpses which started already a while ago. It''s final... He hates me that much. Not that I care... He even got so far as to look at me like I''m garbage, spitting very rudely... Well, it''s not against the rule to retaliate back to an adult with a childish brain right? I then looked at him with this enormously disgusted smirk... Like a sadist, looking at an enthusiastic masochist with the pure intent to mock. "Tsk." Even at our distance, I could clearly see his annoyed face and hear the clicking of his tongue. Well, that was sort of fun, teasing an incarcerated noble. Well, back to the crux of this issue at hand... "Yes... Did you ask the Patriarch about this matter?" Adds another noble, giving everyone this frightening and broad grin, almost like Cheshire cat at this point, but even more spiced with conceit and megalomania. "I''m afraid we still have not." Answered the announcer. "Then this simply can''t be done." Another from the group, exclaimed, with a golden walking stick and well-groomed mustache while still giving off this aura of grandiosity and self-centeredness. Everyone from the lower economic threshold then find themselves realizing that the hope that they''ve felt is only but for a moment. Their facades, it really shows how they''ve suffered a lot in the hands of these megalomaniacs that they want to end, even though how fragile the hope may seem... And seeing them, made Sir Gallahad, the senior Warlock with a sober face always sipping a cigarette, to find himself a subject to intervening. "Oh, you mean the lazy old useless bum sleeping in that castle''s tower like a princess who wants to be rescued? More likely... do you want me to call him and challenge him to a duel? You''ll be satisfied that way, right?" The warlock said... "If you have the gut that is ." Challenged the other fully claiming in their disbelief that their fellow Tarragon in front will show some hesitations, but it was not the case. "Fine by me." Being himself, who''s preferably got nothing to lose as he exclaims, he began to withdraw one of his two heavy-looking axes... "A-are you serious you commoner!" "Hmmm... I can''t wait to see your downfall, you lazy elites." Having said that, with great momentum coalesced with his annoyance of the hope-obliterating nobles whose interests are reserved for themselves alone, he threw his battle-ax while facing the other way around, hitting the castle''s highest tower of which is overly alike to Rapunzel''s... Whatever and whoever this patriarch maybe, they better not let down his or her hair. And that''s exactly what happened... Hit by the ax blatantly with its great momentous power, the tower was torn to bits even deforming the clouds atop on the skies... Just as how I presaged it to be... that this senior warlock really is strong, of which I think could be in par with that deceased recently-fought hero. "N-now, you''ve done it!" Recoiled the same nobles seeing the defiance of the warlock and how he unexpectedly tried to wake up this sleeping Patriarch or something, even destroying the grand castle''s highest tower. "MH...MUWAHAHAHAAHAHAHAH!!!! How stupid!" The King, seeing the rushed decisiveness of the warlock starts to laugh like there''s no tomorrow weirding everyone out, except for the elites whose weirdness is also at the same level. "Master, I sense a powerful being... but I can''t point out its exact location. Do forgive me for the incompetence. I will take note of this inability" Azazel suddenly prompted. "Don''t sweat it. I''m expecting to see the most arbitrary of things anyway." I answered getting mentally prepared to again meet, another eccentric crackpot, or even worse. "Affirmative, Master." Then, out of nowhere... As if having his presence congealed with sneakiness even a tier above Lacrimosa''s ability to seal her''s, an old man figure appeared, close to me... without anyone noticing his entrance, not even the crowd in front and not even Azazel''s algorithm could predict... It''s almost as if he suddenly flickered to his desired place in a matter of a picosecond. It was an old geezer, wearing this not-so-fancy purple robe that extends even to the soles of his feet inside these ponderous-looking slippers. He also was with a long white beard, coalesced with this messy elderly hair and fiery eyes almost like he hadn''t been sleeping for an entire century or so... like the eyes of an avid gamer, so to say, who does nothing but grind and grind, although that''s quite far from being the case here in this medieval-themed scenario... He is also rather short, a half-meter shorter than me I think and what''s more boggling, is that he has appeared weaponless. Although he was not as scary as to how his title suggests... He is timid in countenance, with pale skin befitting of a well-advanced in age and his charisma, t''s also quite calm. "The Patriarch? Awake?" Everyone can''t believe their eyes seeing this revered figure standing before them. " Who dared wake me up from my sleep?" He said while yawning and stretching his bent-back, addressing everyone within that venue. "Old man Durandal, good thing you''re here." The King suddenly talked... "Oy oy! What happened to you? You''re looking like trash from my perspective. So I have no business with you as of now." He addressed the king very shrewdly. "Now, answer my previous question... Who disturbed me from my slumber? Surely I will not kill, just give a spanking or two." Then, almost out of the blue, a white betrayal of I think was planned all along. "It was him..." The Senior warlock, the perpetrator himself of the patriarch''s reckoning, pointed to the innocent me while blinking his dead eyes implicitly meaning that I should go with the flow even if I don''t want to... What the hell did just happen? Not even one from the crowd was willing to tell the truth, and they even shut their mouth for good, and the humans, as ''followers as they are'' also did the same of fear of what this old man might be capable off. "So it was you huh? And a newly-arrived human? I guess you''re here to dethrone the king and take the kingdom for yourself and make it as a headquarter for your party or something. Very well then... I am a Durandal. The Patriarch of this Kingdom. My Job? Every time someone wants to claim the position as King and replace the century-reign of the Aurelius''s... they must pass through me first... Shall we start the duel? That''s just how things are in here?" "Ehhhh???" "Old man Durandal! That man. He''s the representative of Lacrimosa in their divine warfare!" Aurelius the fourth declared. "La-Lacrimosa?" Everyone from the crowd starts to step back, especially the elites themselves, while the humans who were with me a while ago has also reached the peak of their suspicion. Seriously, just how mainstream is that name anyway? "Oy oy! Is that true?" Asked the Patriarch. "Yes! He has the same paradigm as her! One that could manipulate any darkness around." The king further extrapolated in detail making everyone step back more from the city circle cowering in fear in that name''s utterance alone Except the armies in the surrounding of course, who are all made acquainted with the fact in our first encounter. "Ain''t that right?" The old geezer said with an undaunted old smile. "Whatever it seems to you let it be," I answered with an uninterested face, although this has now become very troublesome indeed. Sir Senior Warlock Gallahad, I have you repay for this energy that your finger-pointing is to cause. "Oy oy! I like the dead eyes of yours, kid... It''s the same as that Goddess after she got promoted. But, I have no intention of fearing a former rival''s apprentice you know? Or should I say, her ''Herrscher''? Well then, guess there''s no use standing around. I order a Petition for a duel!" The patriarch exclaimed with a centenarian old face that seemed to not even have the slightest capability to hurt a fly. 92 1v1 Incentivized "In a duel, man to man, sword against sword, it can be a lack of skill that gets you killed. Often as not, though, it''ll be a matter of luck, or if it goes on too long, then it''ll be the man who tires first that tends to die." -Mark Lawrence ? "Having said that. We''re not gonna fight here. This place won''t do. Our incursions would-be disastrous and would deteriorate the Kingdom''s fragile infrastructures. Shall I alter the venue?" "I appreciate the invitation, but I did not approve yet.." "Yet? So you''re going to accept it soon right? As expected by Lacrimosa''s chosen one. But, there''s no use wasting our precious time. Let''s just get this over with!" He said while doing some warm-ups tilting his head and his waist. Not 360 degree of course. Moreover, what a compulsive old man. Does he want to duel that much? I can''t seem to see any benefit in it for him. Well, palpably, my rationale tells me something is off with him right from the start. And his advanced face even contradicts his personality. "Everyone! I invite you all to see the duel, and bare to be the witnesses yourself." The patriarch who called himself as Durandal implored the vast majority in front. "Y-yes! Patriarch Durandal!" Answered the entire congregation, bowing their heads, even the nobles themselves... Just who is this elderly? That even these narcissistic nobles themselves are offering respect to? "Here goes nothing... " Whispered the same old geezer in a manner that the closest to him would have to hear. He then stomped his heavy-looking slippers on the ground, and from the same soles, the background became blurry, almost like a transition of a video documentary... Then suddenly, we were transported into this gladiator coliseum, which I think is bigger than Earth''s most spacious outdoor sports arenas, with the both of us at the center. Atop us were the blue cloudless skies which glyphs the place''s non-existence in the real realm, and in the terrain of seats that seemed to surround us, stood countless of audiences, sitting comfortably in their individual chairs... They were from the Kingdom itself, but still divided by social class and hell, the discrepancies of the sitting places are even apparent from my view. The slums were seated on wooded ones, the middle class on stones, and the noble, in Gold with the vast armies left standing on the highest and furthest platforms... The King, however, which is still on his puny cage, was not able to sit in his appointed special place which is by far the grandest of all. "Welcome to my realm." He proclaimed as the crowd begins to outroar, with the noble ones clearly cheering for the Patriarch, while the others, shouting in ecstatics, stands too corrected to even implicitly express out of the blue of who they really have bet their hopes on. The humans, however, who are with Celes on the left-most group of seats were silent, as they can''t seem to comprehend the current situation. Well, they are still at that point of getting acquainted with such a life that''s now deprived of common sense and of the mundane, so it should be as expected. "Are you perhaps a deity?" "Ahahaha... No. Just a patriarch who likes to sleep all the time." "If I may ask, what''s a patriarch?" I asked to somehow ameliorate the queries that I have in accordance with his cameo on running that Kingdom. "Oh right. A patriarch, to be specific, is a Kingdom''s main archpriest and is close to being a spirit, and are far more superiors than Animas. Work includes taking care of the Kingdom''s academy, the development of mages and as well as establishing the King chosen by the people themselves." he answered. So they also do it by majority choosing here huh... "Hmmm. Thank you for that brief response... By the way, the Kingdom sure do like having their superiority complex to be well-maintained huh." "Yes, I will have to agree with that one... The nobles in particular. Seeing them makes me sick, so I want to sleep all the time and rest my antediluvian bones... It''s just sad to say that I can''t afford to. Responsibility calls." "Responsibility? What a strong word to use, when in fact the Kingdom you''re in, is in a steep cliff ready to fall at any given moment." "Oy oy... That''s not my problem. I am just asked to be the Kingdom''s last line of defense and to develop mages of fearful paradigms. That''s all." "What do you mean by that?" "Nothing more and nothing less. By the way, I did not invite all of you here so that you can have a decent chat with me. First, let me get things straight. If you win, you''ll take the position as King of this kingdom of Tarragons, and you can do whatever it is that you want with us, you can even exploit us as proxy chess pieces for your personal purposes... but first, you must defeat me. How I miss being bedazzled by Requiem Aranea''s chains once again." "I appreciate the incentives, but please do stop assuming that I''m an evil Feudal Overlord or something, aiming to take hold of the dominion''s tenants to become my pawn" "Wait, you''re not?" "Yes..." "Oy oy! I just assumed right away because of what you''re wearing... Do condone." "Uh yeah... But, first I just want to make it clear that I really don''t have the motive to take over your Kingdom and neither to use it as proxy pieces for my race''s war as you exclaimed... I am just here to get the humans who were tormented a while ago, make your Kingdom promise that they never again would seek the Kurenai, and possibly, let the King have his own verdict for his autocratic and biased reign... That''s all. I have no intention of being King. I''m sent here for a different purpose." "Well, ain''t that, right? Well, it''s still a good negotiation. Upon hearing that, I, now of all time, basically want to lose hehe. But that would be an insult. Fine...First. If you will triumph over me in this showdown, I will make the Kingdom promise to never once again lay a hand on the Kurenai... which I think is inside that little human girl over there, am I right?" "Hmmm... How did you know?" "Pure instinct... Second. I will even make the Kingdom pay for there rude foolishness through helping you with some of your goals in your little race''s warfare. Third. I will force exile the king. Sounds good?" "Exile? That''s too light. Judging by the majority''s demeanor, I can somehow tell that they want to do something more atrociously just." "Well. if the people wish to make the punishment to be of a higher extent then let it be, it''s not entirely in my hands anyway." "Now that''s an authentic incentive method there, Patriarch Sir." "Oy oy, but you better not assume that you''re sure to win. This old geezer still has a few party tricks under his sleeves." "Very well then." "In a duel, man to man, sword against sword, it can be a lack of skill that gets you killed. Often as not, though, it''ll be a matter of luck, or if it goes on too long, then it''ll be the man who tires first that tends to die. So, shall we end it early before it gets to that point?" He said.. He then made a martial artist''s stance while the crowds'' outroar grew, even more, seeing him in his battle array. And there''s this unique transparent pressure coming from him... The main archpriest, a martial artist? Well, that''s a new twist. I expect a wand or a scepter or something. "If you''re wondering why I don''t have a scepter, and why this proclaimed Patriarch is in this stance, then do understand that I hate cliches. What''s wrong on changing typical stigmas that priests are qualified to using martial arts and are not limited to those kiddy magical scepters?" He said, with an undaunted and proud look. "There''s nothing wrong with that..." I extrapolated the fact all because, I, too feel exactly the same. Hmmm... I feel that we will get along just fine. But for now, I have to cope with the incentives. The Patriarch then seizes the first vigor of offense... "Let me make the first move!!! WALTZ! DANCE OF THE WINDS!" 93 Waltz of the Slothful Winds "The wind is made of haunting souls, that moan and groan, in whistles and whispers. This ghostly choir chills the breeze, and orchestrates a rise of goosebumps on my skin." -Richelle E. Goodrich ? "Master... Would you like me to play the correct background music?" "Classics?" "I have something better, Master...derived on the rating that you provided. It''s a girlfriend ASMR" "Then, no thanks." "Affirmative." Hayst... I would personally prefer anything if it''s from the composer Johann Strauss II at this point... but that AI maiden''s Algorithm does not work that way, how unfortunate... but before thinking about that, I must first deal with the situation at hand. Celes, seated on her seat, grasped that this little showdown that is about to spark would be detrimental for the audience. And so out of her sheer boldness of not fearing to be the firstly-made publicized Herrscher, which she already is, she summoned her sacred sword, and out of it, radiated this purple light, forming this tangible purple glass that engulfed the entire coliseum to serve as Aegis, shielding the entire populace from thinkable harms. I have to thank her later for the initiative, moreover, it''s not that I doubt her ability. but it better be strong enough to withstand any possible impact...Yet, she was not alone on the endeavor to protect the witnesses. "Men! Safeguard the people!" commanded the elite armies, to their appointed men. "Yes, sir!" The armies'' mages, positioned on the furthest and atop of the venue''s attic, also initiatively formed this individual but smaller elemental shields made from their own paradigms. They then positioned it in a way that made us look like animals in a gigantic dome aquarium for vain entertainment, where none can come in and get out. Well, the aegis is backed up so it looks more established now... That should set the environment enough. "Let me make the first move! Waltz! Dance of the winds!" The old patriarch standing afar, in a martial art stance, spearheads the primary incursion of the battle. "Stance number One... Gryphon Embodiment. " He exclaimed rather calmly, while his white long hair starts to rise up as if he''s in a super Saiyan mode or something, together with his purple robe whose sudden upward flow, altogether glyphs this sudden emergence of power. Then, out of the eventually-slowly-darkening, blue virtual skies which are but a fragment of the patriarch''s self-made realm came this giant rift mid-air, slowly opening like an eerily white portal and inside was a magical circle of silver... As the rift opens, it gushed forth this violent winds, in response to the old man''s call for his paradigm... Then, another mythical creature of renown appears, which is a coalition of two highly-revered earth-based animals. A silver-scaled beast with a tail, back legs, and body of a lion, whilst also having a head, front legs and broad wings of a majestic eagle... but this time, it''s colored silver, its scales like unblemished crystal glasses, and its eyes were the same color of usual fiery flames. It''s Griffin but revamped and improvised. "Long time no see Gryphon! I appreciate seeing you today... Care to help me in this little dance? This old pile of bones sure can use a helping hand." It then flapped its wings mightily while roaring with the sound of an Eagle but with a powerful voice of a lion, causing the winds to grow even more ecstatic, leaving his feathers all around, but as if the creature was but virtual, the feathers, the moment it touches the floor evaporates to become one with the wind. And then, like a little puff of smoke, the creature curled, metamorphosing, into an orb of concentrated wind dashing towards the old man which was directly below him, which I perceive to be that embodiment that he said earlier. "Weeewww... It''s been a long time that I can be in this form again." This compressed orb of wind then concentrated around him and turned to this pressurized transparent charisma enshrouding the outline of his body... And just by having that silver-scaled creature embody him, he now even radiates a stellar combat proficiency even just by standing, and I know for sure, that it''s not before long that I''ll have to embrace a dangerous pack of jolts. "It''s a pain to say all of that long line of chants and the plead for power isn''t it? I always have the feeling that I''ll be killed right before I can do anything." The old patriarch, in the midst of his transformation, exclaims. "Y-yes, and aside from being disadvantageous, it''s very cringy... but why do it?" "Oy oy, if I won''t then neither will anything respond... Listen, Lacrimosa''s chosen one, Paradigms are like thinking and intellectual concepts. They''re designed to be called..." Eh? Doesn''t look that way to me... at least. "Well, we are not here for a little lesson-letting aren''t we? Let''s dance." Suddenly, there''s four of him, as if having himself cloned in that split nanosecond... One in each direction, while all of them had their palms facing my way. "Waltz. Stance number Two. Four-directional Planetary winds!" Then, out from their palms, tornadoes begin to form that could have had easily destroyed the venue if not because of the aegis''s established presence... "You better not die away!" Oh, certainly I can''t... As the vast bombardment of violent-looking tornadoes is coming, using the audience''s deceits, hatred, and narcissism, which of course are coming from the nobles themselves, I defended, forming four big shields invincible to their ignorant eyes. And fortunately for me, their evil intents which are continuously gushing forth this dark charisma are not even that fragile, which is to my advantage. The strong four winds from the clones and the patriarch himself hit the shields, but the defense was too much. Well, it''s not my fault why it''s like this... I never could have imagined that these great bleak emotions surround the crowd, which I can use as I wish... The barbarous tornadoes dispersed, unable to inflict even the slightest dents to the shield. "The patriarch''s attack did not work?" The supporting crowd earlier began to be silent seeing that an attack as big as that was not able to get into me, which is a bit comprehensible. In their perspectives, without being able to see what I used as a means of defense, it looked like I stopped the winds without even doing anything... "Oy oy... And now they''re assuming that my basic and most mediocre waltz will work..." The patriarch exclaimed countering the disappointment that the crowd has for him. "So, the first ten stances are still weak as ever huh..." he added, examining his palm... "Moreover... Was that, ''Requiem Aranea'' just now? How nostalgic seeing it. So my hunch was spot on eh... That your Lacrimosa''s Vessel in your little warfare." "Yes, and I can''t remember telling you that your introspection earlier was wrong either... But, just to ask you, what''s your relationship with that Goddess...?" "A former, but a sophisticated friend, actually." "Why former? " "For some reason, that she alone can explain... Hayst this has grown very tiring. Maintaining this realm while everyone else is here is even becoming a pain. I want to sleep. Having an old body really does get to me." "The patriarch? Where''s his former self!!!!!!!? Surely, he does not move like this!" "Why is he only using his wind paradigm?" "This is not so like him." The crowd started to exclaim as if they''re seeing a different patriarch from their acquainted one. They were even so proud of him earlier. "Oy oy... some people just can''t understand the essence of age and sleep deprivation." "Ahahahahaha..." I laughed sardonically, now that I just realized... that all that I fought so far... were all half-assed mediocres... But, come on, old man...I think you''re just being purely slothful at this point... 94 Logic of a Sociopath "I''m an ''intelligent'' sociopath. I don''t have problems with drugs, I don''t commit crimes, I don''t take pleasure in hurting people, and I don''t typically have relationship problems. I do have a complete lack of empathy. But I consider that an advantage." -M.E. Thomas ? You can''t lie to me with that harmless demeanor of his. I think that his age really has nothing to do with this, and I''ll have to agree with those questioning the showcased performance. There''s something more, that this revered patriarch is holding back. And it may be a little rude to somehow delay these continuous waltzes or something, but I also find it offending, that he''s not gearing up at his top-caliber, while here I am relatively paying the price, standing amidst such a crowd and fighting a tedious duel. But, it''s a good thing that my nausea a while ago had lifted up, but still... "Hey, Patriarch Sir...." "Hmm? What is it?" "It is still a little bit early to condemn myself as to what I find condescending, but aren''t you...somewhat... mocking me?" "Oy oy... How can you say so? A Patriarch is due to offer the nicest of decorums to foreigners, especially to you humans who are chosen by deities for a very special reason." Not all of us though... The others which take the vast majority of the contenders just got dragged along. "How reassuring to hear that someone with a higher office within the likes of these narcissists is still interested in displaying proper manners, and an elder at that, but I know that much, that this is not even near your three percent... I can tell." I exclaimed as he stood confident, still in his martial art stance and I, also quite feeling sure of my claim. Why can I say so? First. Everyone in that congregation prior, even the king himself acted as though he''s the scariest persona one could ever encounter, but this certainly is not. Second. This may be a gut-feeling, but my introspection tells me that he''s being ''easy-go-lucky''. Third. There''s no such mundane-powered and aged Patriarch that can have the power to create a self-created minor realm such as this, and I was acquainted that only deities have the power to do so. which even spices this conspiracy. Fourth and the most apparent of all... His display of powers doesn''t add up to his charisma that''s literally everywhere in the coliseum. And it''s not only me who can sense it. Celes from afar is even holding out to the aegis not lowering her guard down for even a second. "Your Griffin was pretty and all, but I''m not quite sure if that''s what a revered official of a Kingdom would want to show to me who brings a threat to the social status of the denizens... Especially when those highest on the food chain''s luxurious life is at stake, those ones that treat you like you''re their last line of defense," I added. "Hmmm???" The old official as though he just grasped an epiphany or something, ceased his composure with one of his eyebrows, raising in fascination. And even though I said it in a way that both of us could be the only ones to hear, the coliseum is actually not that happy to attain exclusive conversation... The moment my voice came out from my mouth, it echoed making the audience hear my statements clear... and their reaction was pretty much the same. "The human is right?!" "Come on! Where''s our former Patriarch at?" "Yeah!" The crowd especially those that I just referred to as those ruling class that positions themselves atop the social''s food chain, started to shout as hard as they could, looking at their only hope resorting to such mediocrity while the others just watched as if they have lost the right to even speak, which I think is just to showcase their high reverence for the Patriarch. But the humans are at an entirely different case, they''re staying silent still trying to free some mental capacities to grasp what''s happening. "Oy oy... Looks like I''m being pushed to a corner eh... And I even wanted to lose on purpose, what a shame..." He answered, silencing everyone up and shutting down their request for more elevated Paradigm Display. " I appreciate the offer, but I''ll have to say no this time." "Oh, It''s okay... But what I can''t understand that much, is you pushing me to reveal my Paradigm''s true ability, while... you''re also hiding yours. That''s quite the inequality there don''t you think?" He began exclaiming. "To be specific... Requiem Aranea''s Paradigm Shift. In case of that Goddess, Dea Lacrimosa, before she got promoted to the divine hierarchy, she can control anything that''s dark even the night skies in exchange for her lifespan depending on her time usage... while the consequence of using it above the prescribed limit was also worth the gold... That, she''s got to experience the dark negative emotions that she had converted, to be her Arsenal of power, first-hand..." Hell, this guy''s even more informed than me in accordance with that Goddess. "And your, who is her Herrscher... It''s different but more lethal? Oy oy, losing a hundred-day lifespan for once per three-days usage, while a year for deviating from the limit... Now that''s quite something." He added, which almost seemed to be like a threat from his wide variety of network information. It''s not gonna kill me to have someone know that, but I don''t think it would spell me any good if I were to confirm that explicitly either. I''ll just have to keep my stature... Silence is the best answer after all. "So what are you suggesting?" "Well, would you care to show me? I''ll also show you mine." Forgive me, that statement right there made it look like that the topic has been entirely deviated of that, to suddenly become of Di*ks. I''ll just give him the same deadpan face. "Oy oy, why the poker face? Don''t you think it''s just fair? I may not look like it or anything, but I''m also a true equality activist!" "Says him, whose Kingdom''s equality system is completely deranged..." "Ehehehehe... Now that you''ve mentioned it... I accepted the job for the perks without even knowing what to do." "Eh... So you''re also liable with that social fiasco huh, Patriarch, Ambassador of equality. sir..." I sardonically responded, with a dead fish''s facade. "Oy oy, hehehe." "So to the main point. You''re saying that, if I will use my Paradigm Shift, you will also respond in full, likewise, right? " "That, indeed. If you will showcase what you''re truly capable of, then, I, Durandal, the Patriarch of a puny Kingdom, will respond so in the same manner. Of course, without the previous want to enthusiastically and purposefully lose." He answered with a hysterical expression written all over his face, coalesced with soberness, which spelled a great difference to his first lethargic entry. "Then, let''s just get this over with..." "Azazel," I called the AI Maiden. "Yes, Master?" "Paradigm Shift, Dark by Default..." "But it hasn''t been three days after your previous use... That would cost you a year of your lifespan, Master... Do you wish to proceed?" Well, there''s no getting around it. A year is just a year... and also, without resorting to lame excuses, I just want to know what I''m really capable of aside from chains and manipulating dark intents and negative emotions which were the only things that I used on my first Paradigm Shift Utilization, which is quite insignificant. And besides, as Lacrimosa extrapolated it on our last conversation... ''Gain experiences as much as I can.'', and this event might as well fall on the same category. "Do proceed." "Affirmative, Master." 95 Callous Metamorphosis, Again "Do I know the difference between right and wrong, and do I want to be good? Sure. ... A peaceful and orderly world is a more comfortable world for me to live in. So do I avoid breaking the law because it''s ''right''? No, I avoid breaking the law because it makes sense." -M. E. Thomas ? "Now, show me how the representative of that Goddes conduct, at his very prime." "Hmmm. And I expect you to follow afterward, but for now...One demented order, coming right up... Paradigm Shift. Dark By Default." Knowing his chess pieces, without second thoughts, and any forms of hesitations, he used his Paradigm Shift the second time of that same day with a reason which for him, seemed rational... To gain experience. But this time, it''s a call for a year-minus on his lifespan... and for several alterations on his being that he never has any ability to predict completely, which are only but the aftermaths of outmaneuvering a natural law that a human should have no authority of catalyzing so. And with Azazel''s assistance, he declared the call, with an expression not owned by someone who will lose an integral timeframe of his life. Almost like a psychopath who''s drowned in his own selfish delusions and centered interest which he clearly is not and neither is he trying to be one. He has weighed the options without outside factor''s disruptions, and as for him, the earlier his profound acquaintance with his Paradigm is, the better... even if it means losing a year and more of the limited time he has left as a legit biotic specimen and after all, a year... is just a year and putting too much value in life might be the cause for him to lose it instead. So, as his reasons state, the most palpable move is to take the risk, as it was as of the moment he stepped in this unknown world of life collateralization gambles... the new safe. XTTT ? TTT[ Autonomous Intelligent Maiden, Azazel \u003cFunctional\u003e Ethereal Paradigm \u003cOnline\u003e System Bypass \u003cExecuted\u003e Pandora.exe \u003cRunning\u003e Deviating 1 year lifespan \u003cPending\u003e Now Altering the law of Metaphysics.... Paradigm Shift Dark By Default \u003cUnleashed\u003e ^TTT ? TTTa Azazel''s audio and several stacking platforms begin to reappear in his field of vision, without that much of oddity except that "Pending" Deviation of his life span, which he ignored thinking that extracting a year might be a little bit slower and hence, the pending prompt... Moreover, the Patriarch''s self-made realm''s radiating day suddenly became to that of the starless night that glyphs hopelessness and despair, while the moon, radiating its same as ever silver beams suddenly came up forming an eclipse together with the now powerless sun. The eclipse''s shadow then engulfed the whole gargantuan coliseum, making everyone in the venue cower in fear and regret of taking participations, especially the female nobles who are how in Tantrums, while the armies who already was acquainted with such unexplainable phenomenon tries their best to calm everyone and also, themselves down, saying they are safe inside their cute shields... which is completely not the case. The humans also were reacting the same, but Celes is there, to guarantee them their fragile safety, even strengthening ten times, the aegis that she spearheaded herself. Jaiden, however, which is now the crux of fear for the audience, engulfed himself in a dark orb, while he''s about to take his lethal metamorphosis, to once again, in that overlord form, but little did he know, that something''s gonna be permanently different. "Hmmm... So there''s no such significant discrepancy. But still, witnessing this event, it''s inflicting me Nostalgia... A strange, but nice visage indeed and I have to say, what a nice pawn you have here, Dea Lacrimosa. " The patriarch seeing only the primal part and Jaiden slowly being covered in this big ball of darkness, assumed that it was all while indulging himself in his personal reveries, but there''s more, that Azazel and the Pandora.exe can offer... XTTT ? TTT[ Pandora.exe \u003cScanning Skill Sets\u003e \u003cDisplaying Organized Skills\u003e (...) Dark By Default Skillsets \u003cUnlocked 22/22\u003e ^TTT ? TTTa "22/22? I remembered having only four pre-unlocked skill set earlier..." Jaiden interrogated himself of the new sight... but while he was still doing so, the changes will now once again... bombard his body, but even more so, elevated. XTTT ? TTT[ \u003cEXECUTING ALL 22\u003e ^TTT ? TTTa Then there''s this glitch that disrupted all of the displayed overlay and then, complete silence, inside of his dark orb, except Azazel''s unseen processor in optimum performance... "The fool \u003cExecuted\u003e... The tower \u003cExecuted\u003e... The moon \u003cExecuted\u003e... The wheel of Fortune \u003cExecuted\u003e....The temperance \u003cExecuted\u003e...The Chariot \u003cExecuted\u003e................" The AI Maiden, Azazel started to exclaim the list of the skill sets, but what was stygian is that, in the list, the locked was also appearing and it''s all being executed hastily even without Jaiden''s approval... XTTT ? TTT[ \u003cDeviating Consequence\u003e ... 1 Year of lifespan ^TTT ? TTTa And then, physical pain, such that he has never felt before. His insignia in his hand began to react as it sensed its host, using his Paradigm Shift above its limit... It suddenly glimmered in this bleak illumination while continuously giving off this dark flames that''s scorching him as if he''s in the capital of hell ar has been buried alive in 5000 degrees celsius... The three Celtic crosses, the so-called ''CrossAnge Arsenal'' which is Jaiden''s exclusive weapon while in the Shift also reappeared, but even darker and more glassy than before, and even heavier to carry via psychokinesis. Jaiden could do nothing to alleviate the gradually unbecoming pain. He just gnashed his teeth as a waterfall of sweats ran down his face, while also tying his full capacity to maintain the deadpan and sober look, failing to some extent as hiding the pain is just plain impossible... He just clicked his tongue, making it bleed while holding his chest very tightly as if he feels his heart is gonna fall out. "T..,TSSK..." And then, the sensation of a vacuum sucking something out from him starts to present itself again, but this time, stronger and even more potent, as if it can also suck his whole memories in a blink of an eye. But, that was not the intention of his Paradigm... The intention is to make him powerful enough to once again outmaneuver an established law as it was from the very beginning... Only, along with that single intention, Jaiden''s hair also starts to even grow even longer, while its blackness completely departed, being replaced with this silver-colored hair, as if the moon''s radiance has found a way to embody her endearing light to the man himself... His Feudal Overlord clothes also begin to once again give off this dark aura that''s never been seen before, as if he is the evilest existence in the universe at the current eon... And instead of his nails just going black, his whole hands, as if both were burned turned into that same color making his nails and his fingers indistinguishable. His eyes are also now turning slowly alike to that fallen deity that summoned Atlas... His scleras became bright black, and his irises in the form of the eclipse... but this time, his vision, suddenly became blurry to a certain degree... His lips also turned quite red, with highly saturated shades of black while his skin, slowly turned paler and staler than before as if he''s a living dead, whose not into just any mundane brains. But, in all of that pavilion of changes, unlike his very first Paradigm Shift which was still under the limit... The pain never relinquished. The vacuum-like sensation. The obscure vision. The feeling of his mind being crushed to tiny bits and his entrails falling off even without means, never subsided, making him discharge a pool of blood, which is more than what his body should have, all still while being inside this little dark orb where all of the charges incurred, allowing him to take the metamorphoses without anyone seeing those superfluous agonizing expressions of his. "It just said, a year minus in the life span... I never knew there are some additions such as this. I wish that the Re: Characterization process could have had been more specific." Jaiden exclaimed, while slowly being able to bare the subsisting pang which has no plans of leaving in the recent. "Master... Are you okay?" "I-''ll leave that for your algorithms to decide..." "So, this is what it feels like huh. Now... I have an impending duel of which I must finish." The Herrscher added, as a constant flow of power endlessly enter him, while his life is also being constantly sucked little by little, spelling even the most abominable physical pain that he has to endure and hide as the duel continues... Then, without thinking too deeply as his mind hurts as if a bulldozer is atop it, he broke the orb he is in, with a slash of his hand, like it was mere glass when it was an actually an impenetrable defense mechanism... His regurgitated blood was then the first to gush out, and he followed, trending his black-shiny shoe mid-air towards the coliseum ground once again, but now in this authoritative and more scoffing appearance with a dark aura that''s rather endless even filling the whole coliseum with it which is now on par with the patriarch''s realm''s background... 96 True Waltz of the Revered "We''re taught and trained to hold it all inside, to not feel the beauty of the innocence of letting it out when and how we feel it. And when we do; we do for the fear of avoiding the stigma of weakness, until it breaks us from the inside, slowly and silently, and there is "little" or "nothing" left of us." -Ufuoma ? In the coliseum, which is now enshrouded by Jaiden''s stygian charisma, everyone was thrown into a panic, not believing the comforts of the Tarragonian armies and not resorting to hoping that the crystalline Aegis laid before, would protect them from anything. All were considering it a mere smokescreen, as they comprehend that Jaiden''s current ability in the display, to be more superior and can ultimately deem the aegis, powerless at will. "That''s the young kid earlier, right?" A middle-aged woman, asks... while everyone in the group has relatively the same question, seeing the lad''s re-emergence in this form that''s utterly unrecognizable when compared to his previous countenance which still clearly incorporates him, being a human. "I-is that, Jaiden?" The Class rep, Daerenji, stunned of what he''s seeing, asked, which is meant to be for himself alone as he was unable to bear it inside. "Yes. It''s him..." Celes, hearing it, answered undauntedly while making sure that the still hibernating Shiro is close to her while also maintaining and strengthening the Aegis. "But... what''s this aura. T-this murderous intent...Is, is he one of those said Herrschers?" The class rep affixed, gulping in nervousness and shallow despair just by the presence of Jaiden alone. Celes, however, just stood silent in that question. It is also apparent as to how the others have the same amalgamated feeling with the innocent class rep... Its fear and despair coalesced with this vile aura that''s literally everywhere in the venue which somehow adds humidity to the atmosphere, making it harder for them to breathe...even for Celes, and especially the armies in their heavy armory. And then there''s the source... An asocial youth in an unworldly form, surrounded by these exclusive dark celtic crosses weaponry, in an Overlord''s attire, black scleral eyes with eclipse-like irises, pale skin, and burnt hands, and with an irrelatively unfathomable amount of power en massing towards him, which is partly from the audience''s current negative emotions and mostly, in his incursion to outmaneuvering a natural law, that he himself is not certain with the specifics... The pain, that he experiences, also has no signs for subsiding from him, of which he also speculates, that will only end, once he will depart from that form and cease the Shift... one thing that he should do as quickly as possible if he wants to be freed from his pang and before he might spell the truth that he''s holding physical agony deep within. He then took a glimpse towards Celes, non-verbally conversing that they should get out from here, as hasty as they could while hoping that the Prima Donna would somehow understand the situation... which is likely to be the case. "Let''s go... Everyone, we should get out! Please evacuate everyone now" Celes responded, giving instructions to the array of armies, as she also was given an epiphany how subjective the choice was of even coming inside the venue. "Evacuate? But how? This is a realm, for Momus''s sake! There are no formal entrance and exit gates even if you''re willing to explore the whole place down! The only way to get out of here is through asking consent from the Patriarch himself!" Asked another. Yet, Celes, however, was not willing to submit to the statement, which she finds to be satire. "Eh? Did you actually believe that this is a realm?" She said. "What do you mean?" "There''s no time for an explanation... Just follow me." Everyone, especially the commoners and the humans with her, did not resort to any despicable hesitations, but on the other side of the social caste was the narcissism that the elites would choose even if it would mean possible death... "Us nobles? Following mere humans? Unthinkable."... "Then die... No one cares." She savagely responded, not even looking them at their directions as if, if she''s planning to do so, she would see, not demi-humans in high-valued apparel, but a collection of cheap cat manures in one sandbox. Everyone then continued to follow Celes towards the ground floors, while the armies also continue to assist them... and the nobles, deeply ashamed that their narcissism did not fly for the very first time, also found themselves bashfully following the majority, being behind the slums, which is for them, a threat of their sovereignty as they should have been the first... too bad, that Celes is unwilling to hearken another balderdash. The King, however, still in his cage beside his special seat in that coliseum, awaiting his people''s final judgment was unable to do anything... He tried to call for help, but none would answer him... One saw him but ignored him literally as if that individual wants him to die for good. He was left helpless and will likely be caught up in the duel. "I never intended that to be of resonance that you should understand what I was trying to say... but I''ll properly repay you later, Celes. After all. I also don''t want to bare reciprocity. But for now, prioritization takes into account." Jaiden, in his soliloquy, muttered, whilst fully shifting his focus to the age-advanced Patriarch who is ullaged in deep awe of the scene, which for him is rather nostalgic to witness... "Now this is one monochromatic art indeed... So, I, Durandal, the Patriarch of the kingdom, ought to respond in his fullest as well... " The Patriarch exclaimed, while once again, taking the stance of a martial artist, ready to gush a big bang. Yet, his pose is a little bit less aggressive than his primary wind waltz, which is without question, mediocre as he was trying to lose in purpose... Moreover, this time... it''s different. "Yeah... Whatever. just hurry up..." Jaiden answered as if he''s a VIP in a hurry due to his hectic none-existent schedule, but he just plainly wants to advance the duel into its climax... " "How persistent for a youngster like you who still have a lot of years to experience..." "Yeah, but you do realize that we''ve just taken a year off from it, right?" Jaiden self-murmured, as he was not willing to say another word, to save every bit of strength he can have to help endure the dying sensation he''s in... "But very well then, an agreement is an agreement. Negotiations are negotiations. Incentives are incentives... This, that I''m about to show you is indeed the true waltz of a revered Patriarch... Waltz! Stance number 999... Paradigm Shift... Illusory Valhalla!" 97 Illusory Valhalla and the 7 Necromancers "Illusions commend themselves to us because they save us pain and allow us to enjoy pleasure instead. We must, therefore, accept it without complaint when they sometimes collide with a bit of reality against which they are dashed to pieces." -Sigmund Freud ? With the audience now gone in both sight and in presence, for reasons that Jaiden trusts to be of Celes'' doing, three remained in the vast coliseum, with two of which are in a detriment and one left to die being caught up in the ruckus, hopefully... The despicable King in his cage, the Patriarch, and the Feudal Overlord himself, so to say... "This, that I''m about to show you is indeed the true waltz of a revered Patriarch... Waltz! Stance number 999... Paradigm Shift! Illusory Valhalla!" The old patriarch snapping out from being marveled by Jaiden''s Paradigm Shift whilst taking on a different martial art stance, also declared his own, keeping the oath that he would respond fully, likewise to his duel sparring partner. From the first waltz of the mediocre and rather slothful winds, to now... an unprecedented incursion, jumping the Waltz count directly by a total of 997. And now, he stands, radiating this unrivaled melee combat energy, and a significant amount of magical pressure, even driving Jaiden''s aura, a little less dark. Moreover, unlike the young misanthropic lad, he was not taking any deformation to become something anew, however, Paradigm Shifts are defined to be not an offspring of such mundanity and his declaration for one falls on the same category. "I surely wish to explain to you what my Paradigm Shift does, although it''s nothing of note like yours, but it''s a pain... so I''m just gonna proceed, while you acquaint yourself with the fundamentals." The Patriarch exclaimed in full confidence, now that he had pronounced his last resort, probably the strongest in his arsenal of skills. "Y-yeah... You should probably do, just that." Replied the recently-metamorphosed feudal overlord bearing the pang that his Paradigm Shift Usage Violation is still giving him... "Azazel... Play anything for me." Pleaded the youngster to the Autonomous Maiden, but this time ''only'', he must not afford to be picky. Anything will do if it can somehow distract him from the continuous painful barrage. "Affirmative, Master... Scanning mp3 files... Mp3 files found... Playing recommended... ''Mind Games, by Sickick''." "Alas, here I am again with your weird auto-recommendation...H-hayst, whatever... I''ll just have some of your algorithms changed later..." He self-rumbled, in a way that his voice can''t even be heard externally. "As you wish, Master... I pray to Lady Lacrimosa, your wellness whilst maintaining this form..." "Seriously?" He thought, as the notion of worshipping that figure, is rather nonchalant... (...) Illusory Valhalla, the Paradigm Shift that Jaiden is still yet to fully know. Otherwise known as the Final Waltz is not to be taken for granted. It''s a martial art stance that will open the very impeccable gates of your mind, one that you don''t want to be laid publicized to just anyone. Horrible memories that you want to forget, of embarrassment that you have had laid aside, and of your greatest secrets... Nothing will remain hidden, as it will provide an implausible closure between the user and its opponent. And, such an invasion to privacy is not where it ends... Unlike Jaiden''s which lets him take an inhumane form, with inhumane capabilities, this shift is an ''Area of Effect'' that can be used either on an individual or on a crowd, making it perfect for one on one duels and within any scenario on the battlefields. And peculiarly, it''s a Paradigm Shift designed to alter the natural law that maintains the division of reality and illusions... ''Reality'', being, defined as the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary... will never remain the same, not as long as this shift is in operation, as Illusions will find themselves meddling with reality...literally. "Let the mind game, begin!" With all of his strength, and speed highly comparable to that of the sounds, the Patriarch drove upfront towards Jaiden with his straightened palm, and the young Herrscher, not willing to dodge to conserve physical strength, made a dark glossy shield through his right Crossange Arsenal... A shield that not only knows defense but now also knows to resort to the offense, gushing forth these large chains clanking nonresonantly to hold the patriarch down, even filling up the coliseum... but failed, as the Patriarch''s speed is above precedented... "Oy oy! Where are you looking at?" Surprisingly, the Patriarch was on the back of Jaiden, whispering right into his ear, calmly and with a rather, confident look of a biased positive outcome of the duel, while his right palm, being positioned on Jaiden''s head and the other, poking his cheek as if he''s ready to pop his whole head up, but that was not the plan and not how his Paradigm Shift works... He moved closer in range for a very special reason... "I must say... It''s very commendable that I am likely to pull up a slight effort to defeat you... After all, your hero, archpriest, king, and his three million armies did not even spell the slightest of challenge... but am I looking rather satirical to you? poking my cheek, sneaking on me and all." Jaiden, with his black scleral eyes, tilted his head a little to stare towards the Patriarch on his back. "Oy oy, It''s rather weird being complemented by someone who just arrived. Ahahahaha... But, I''ll have you know, that there''s no way I''m mocking someone who has his Caliber from that Goddess. This is a part of an integral process. Von Voyage..." And then, from his palm, a magical circle of violet, the same color of his robe, appeared. He then made a portion of that summoned circle make physical contact with Jaiden''s head, and from that point, a black cube emerged, as if it was a memoir extracted from the memories of the specified target... Old Patriarch Durandal then seized the cube extracted out from Jaiden''s mind, saying... "I''ve won." "Hmmm... Let me try a new skill to reverse the tables then... Skillset, number 20: The Emperor." Exclaimed Jaiden who found the hasty proclamation of a victor rather whimsical, calling a skillset enlisted within Pandora.exe''s display overlay in his field of vision. The eclipse, right in the top of the coliseum, reacted to the call and suddenly as if it''s fastly pouring its darkness from its very own shadows, a gigantic magical circle formed atop, covering the entirety of the coliseum, and possibly including all of the corners of the same personal realm. Seven tall Undead Angels arrayed in dark hoods, with jet black wings and hair as white as snow which seemed less majestic to the lad himself, appeared. They were the seven ancient Necromancers, the first to ever emerge as connoisseurs on the fields who were executed by the ancient neanderthals of the same realm for the fear of their power. They then hovered themselves in the magic circle with trumpets of bones on their hands... The seven blew their instruments in 3-second intervals and in a clockwise manner... Then the magical circle, as if it''s becoming ready to unleash grand magic or some sort begins to showcase this phosphorescence, and then... the seven did not further delay the call of their emperor. "HOI! Somebody bring me out!!!!!" King Aurelius shouted as loud as he could, but there was no one to listen. He fell inside his cage, fainting just by once again beholding the visage, but this time, even worse. The seventh then blows his trumpet, and from the magical circle, appeared a monstrous head of an infamous dragon... One of the two most mythical creatures who has been long gone from the current era and the Patriarch recognized it well... Its head was on par with the coliseum''s size, gargantuan eyes like the sun itself, and scales, made of black impenetrable glasses, enshrouded by these shades of dark unquenchable flames of whose body, still inside the circle, remains a mystery as if it were to opt-out completely, it would not fit, even on the old patriarch''s vast realm space... "THE SEVEN ANCIENT NECROMANCERS, AND NOW, T-THAT DRAGON... G-GOMORRAH!... SUMMONS CALLING OUT ANOTHER SUMMON!? WHERE DID YOU GET THAT POWER? LACRIMOSA DOES NOT POSSES SOMETHING SUCH AS THIS!... ARE YOU REALLY NEW HERE?" Words like that came out from the patriarch''s pursed lips, seeing the skillset ''The Emperor'' on display (Of which Jaiden really know nothing about.... "7 Ancient Necromancers? Gomorrah? Isn''t that a desolate ancient city?'') "Oy vey, Are you sure about that? Well, while I don''t know the answer to that either, if whether that Goddess has powers hidden such as this all along... All I can say is... You better survive, Patriarch Sir. I did not agree to such a duel if your Stance number 999 will be countered just like that." "He... Hehehe. Hehehehe... From being complimented, to now being lectured, all from the same youth... Surely, I won''t fall that easy Feudal Overlord ''soon-to-be'', and my Paradigm Shift is far from being countered. As dealt I will go all out... and now that I have this, victory is still on my favor." He added while holding out to the dark cube that he, himself extracted from Jaiden''s head... but now, with less elevated confidence in his face when compared before, and what replaced it was this hysterical expression coalesced with nervousness and excitement... "That''s good to hear, Sir." 98 Strange Homecoming "The Greek word for "return" is nostos. Algos means "suffering." So nostalgia is the suffering caused by an unappeased yearning to return." -Milan Kundera ? "Hey, Young Human Overlord." "Please do stop the random emblazonments, Patriarch Sir... You can just call me Jaiden... What is it?" "Ahahahaha, right Jaiden. One question... Why are you humans, the said most special creations, sent to that sudden decree? The warfare of Fates was it? That gamble that will decide if your entities will either continue striving or will be obliterated from the face of the second realm. It has always been a mystery for me, ever since the deities announced your coming. " Asked the Patriarch, choosing to ignore the mess in the background and the dragonish glare of the summoned infamous avian, for a minute. "Are you planning on making this a Q and A portion? Because that right there is indeed one question, but a type that requires a very distinct and yet, lengthy answer." "Oy oy... Certainly no. I just find it rather intriguing." "Hmmm. To the summary... As much as I know, the Deities themselves can''t afford to waste another time with indecisive creations such as us. And, to spell the progress of this tragic story and the amaranth looping of our stupidity, emerged this unscrupulous killing game." "Misanthrope now aren''t we?" Hearkening Jaiden calling his own race by a bold language, the Patriarch sarcastically smiles. "No." Answered the Herrscher, not taking heed the pain of being in that state, with, of course, the little help from Azazel''s music. "Now, I''m quite curious about the anatomy of your world''s system, which made all of you that much of a burden to carry... But, there''s no time for severing curiosity... at least not this time. " Assedthe Patriarch, while looking once again at the dragon Gomorrah above him whose monstrous head is poking out from the magical circle, summoned by the very Seven Ancient Necromancers... "Come to think of, I can''t dodge any attack from this angle, right?" "I''m glad you realized... Now, Gomorrah," The young Herrscher, raised his hand, claiming full control over the Legendary Gomorrah, from the hands of the seven ancient necromancers themselves... And in Jaiden''s charisma, and this strong and visible dark pressure emanating from him, the creature begets his main source of power converting it to become his, for the time being, to fulfill a request from his Emperor. "GWAAAAAAAAAARHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" The dragon roared shaking the entire place up, while the coliseum begins to fall apart, bit by bit... And then in its mouth, sharp teeth of about a few hundred and a slithery tongue which looks like a worm with another disgusting-looking mouth grotesquely presented itself. And from it, a slowly expanding blood-colored compressed energy from Jaiden''s charisma, alone... is slowly being catalyzed, to amass destruction. "There''s no way, I''m dying in this little spar. NOW, TO HELL WITH IT!" The patriarch exclaimed rather looking ecstatic that he gets a rare opportunity to fend off an attack from such a beast. He then placed the cube-shaped memoir, his only assurance to victory, in one of his tight pockets and starts to extend his arm and legs, getting ready for a full-time and point-blank impact, planning to face it head-on without vain plans to evade. "Release..." Proclaimed Jaiden calmly, instructing the same dragon to unleash all of the gathered dark energy... The Seven Ancient Necromancers, encircling the dragon themselves begins to blow their held bone trumpets even more, while Gomorrah was a hundred-percent ready to follow the given instruction of letting it all out. "GWAAAAAAARRHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" it roared, which preceded a clamorous inferno of black flames, which fastly begins to ooze out from the mouth of the very summon... And the patriarch, looking like a masochistic Nimrod who''s willing to take it all, took a step back and extended his palms right in front of him, as if he''s gonna single-handedly defend himself with antediluvian Karate, which is, of course, seemingly-absurd. And then, the impact... A huge and sable explosion, whose form is almost comparable to that of the largest explosion ever simulated on earth, broke the whole personal realm like it was a castle made of glass, making apparent the skies of the outside world... But this time, it was not made of TNT, and the explosion was actually unlike any other nuclear chain reactions... It was unexplainably from Jaiden''s uncontained dark pressure alone, of which is the same persona, that the seven necromancers and the feared Dragon themselves consider as their ''current emperor''. The explosion continued for almost 5 minutes, and the moment the explosion ceased together with an abominable amount of smoke clearance, the realm was made desolate, as it was unable to attain the explosion. The Herrscher, as though emerging victorious is sent back to the third realm, but in a valley of nothing but treeless mountainous terrain, with rocks obliterated by the explosion whose impact even reached as far as outside of that broken personal realm. Some of the surroundings are still engulfed by black flames, but what was rather worthy of commendation was the permanent destruction that Gomorrah catalyzed. At that same point impact... A very huge crater with pulverized stones and ashes, as wide as the sealed-off International Clark City... while the Patriarch was nowhere to be found. Seeing their work done, and the instruction of their emperor fulfilled, both the seven Necromancers and Gomorrah, vanished into thin air, together with the wide magical circle. But Jaiden was unwilling to take his triumph early, and neither does he want to relinquish his current form after only testing that one skill set. After all, N?thervalians, same to whom that he fought before, likes to resort to a fake defeat, often leading to guards being left down... And he learned that lesson previously very well. "Whew... Glad I-I survived that... But, whoo, it really did hurt." Suddenly, a familiar voice, shaky and trembling which seemed to be in great pain, start to bombard the whole background, but, no one was seen... Jaiden can''t even feel even the slightest and the most minuscule trace of presence. "So, I guess, it''s my turn now!" Right in front of Jaiden, with him noticing its slow fall, the cubicle memoir which was extracted earlier from himself fell into the ground, like a little contaminated dewdrop from the sky. And then, as it made contact to the surface, the whole terrain suddenly became so bright with blinding flares, which made Jaiden close his eyes voluntarily.. and little did he know, that now, he''s just made it official... that he''s under Illusory Valhalla''s Area of Effect. Along with the blinding brightness, glitches then started to bombard the whole view of the valley, as if its only a virtual place slowly being eaten by a potent virus... "Now, shall you escort me to the deepest clandestine memories you have within you, young Jaiden... Let us go have some exploration in the pavilion of your past..." And the moment the light cleared, Jaiden was sent back... no... is in his most clandestine memory that he failed to erase, even in the few years that have already gone by. He opened his eyes, only to see that he''s in a very familiar pavilion. He found himself facing a mansion atop a hill, maidservants, and butlers walking to and fro greeting him like he''s a Master and a very nostalgic Garden of scarlet orchids and red roses... He''s back home, standing in front of that household which he incinerated through Lacrimosa''s prowess, dates back. And a familiar figure, which is the root cause of all of the derangement in his life, slowly approaches with an innocent face and unblemished noble apparel with the family crest on his collar. without Jaiden noticing it, as he was rather busy in his fantastic sight-seeing... "Beautiful isn''t it?" The figure, which positioned himself at the back of the young lad, asked... "Yes... and somehow it is-..." Slowly turning around, he saw... that long-deceased and foul animal, stopping him mid-way from completing his statement. "Yow, brother!" Says the figure... It was that same man, the supposed heir of the now-missing dead aristocratic family, looking as though the current time frame is before his unprecedented monstrous manifestation as a memory that would hunt Jaiden, in his sleep and merely every time he remembers him. He assumed that this was but another trick of the Patriarch that sends him into a dream, alike to that nostalgic nightmare he recently had, of which every single person who appears within that sphere is like a thick concentration of dust, that if you touch them, your hand will go through as if they''re the very depiction of ghosts ... "It''s named ''Illusory Valhalla'' after all." he thought, even highlighting the name of the Patriarch''s Paradigm Shift... but it''s actually very different. "What are you doing standing out here, it''s time for our piano lesson! Come on, now! The teacher is waiting for us! And what''s with that dark and filthy outfit?" His brother then pushed him at the back, urging him to go somewhere... and then he felt it... the sensation that will prove him wrong. He felt the touch, along with the warmth of a living person... 99 The Pianis "I have realized that the past and future are real illusions, that they exist in the present, which is what there is and all there is." -Alan Wilson Watts ? "Hurry up! Ms. Selene will scold you again. And let''s get you changed shall we?" I wanted to scream... but I can''t. And it''s a very weird feeling, one that I can''t completely comprehend. The strong urge to fear... that remains as an urge, like a stimulus not able to reach its destination. "Xerxes, Odette... Please do get the master changed, now. Surely, we can''t let him appear before our teacher like this, who even came from a far country to tutor us." He called out to an old man, holding out a teacup in a black array of a butler''s dress code and with him, rather, young maid... and both of them are very familiar. "Yes, master." the butler replies, both bowing their heads. "Shall we go, young master Jaiden?" They then started to escort me, and I don''t know as to where we are even going We then continuously walked along the corridor of this still-empty Mansion with walls filled with nothing but abstract paintings framed with gold, and any other than that, I am unable to notice, as I am rather distracted, by the fact that my head and my stomach hurts so much. This memory of them, and this familiar pavilion, that looked like a slaughterhouse that night, is too nauseous... and now, here they are, standing in front of me, whose warmth I can feel... "Young master, Is something wrong?" The next thing I know is that I''m now standing in front of a mirror in a familiar room that I perceived to be mine, looking all surprised at what I''m seeing while being groomed by the two servicemen... I''ve returned to my younger self, and it''s not until this moment, that I just realized it. "Is this perhaps not an illusion? Maybe this is just another time reversion or something." I thought, as though doubting everything that''s taking place... but, somehow, I know that such a disruption to natural laws is plain implausible and yet, again, this is a Paradigm Shift that I''m talking about, and the possibility of the unimaginable happening is not that minuscule. I need proof, at least that this is not what I''m thinking it to be, and I think I have the perfect one. And hell, I''m not restarting it all over again. Not in reality, even in an illusion, nor in my video games, mainly because pressing the ''Try Again'' button is a pain. I looked in my hand and my contract''s insignia with that Goddess is already there, although smaller to fit my young innocent hands. A good sign, that this is indeed an illusion, although an elevated type that''s pretty difficult to delineate as different from reality. "Young master?" "Eh? Oh, nothing...." I answered, but still with the confused face. "Listen, master... I have had served you ever since you were born. I know if something''s bothering you." replied the black butler while fastening my ribbon. I remember this man, now that I look at him closely. He''s our mansion''s main butler, trained to both protect and offer top-tier service. And the young maid beside him, preparing my shoes is his mute and endearing daughter. I even remember that she''s the first I admired from the opposite orientation, besides my little sister and my mother. Why? Her silence is just too peaceful and she''s very refreshing to be with. "Thank you for the concern, but, truly I''m fine. By the way, Xerxes..." "What is it, young master?" "What day is today?" "December 23rd, Master..." 23rd huh? So, if I''m correct... It''s to happen two days from now. Hmmm... Still, that Patriarch, what a commendable Paradigm Shift. Now I know that the denizens of that realm are not a joke. Then, the butler''s daughter, although realizing that something''s wrong with me examined me silently, looking all curious why his master''s talking rather change. Well, yeah... It might not be a good time to say this, but I always did have that mischievous aura when I was a kid, and this, that I have now, is completely different. "Odette... Don''t disturb the young master... Now, then young master, shall we go? Miss Selene and the Master is waiting for you in the living room. " "Ok, and one more thing... Where''s mom and dad?" "At a meeting with the other Aristocrats, Master, as they seem to be in a hectic schedule... They will visit here on your brother''s birthday..." He answered, bowing his head with the palms of his hand in his chest. "Jean? Where is she?" "Playing at the garden, Master... You were with her a while ago, did you forget?" "Ah, right... I''m gonna go now. Thank you." "No problem, young master... It''s our pleasure. If there''s something that I can help you with, then please do approach me, young master." Then, as per aristocratic customs, I left the room before them. Maybe, I got distracted that I did not notice her... Then, out I went, towards the designated area... The rather large and empty living room was my first visage of Death came to be. I trended my feet onto this veranda where I once and for the last time admired the moon... in these long hallways and finally, on the stairs leading to the venue... and there, sitting on the same nostalgic piano, is a lady with a very large hat with a peacock''s feathers, it''s our professional piano teacher, serving my family for almost a decade now, teaching the both of us, any instruments that we want to learn, especially the piano... and in front of him, stood that man... "Hey, do you know that you''re standing in the same place where you''re likely about to kill your parents and your little sister?" So, I wanted to say but kept the thought to myself. "Jaiden! Hurry up! We can''t let Miss Selene waiting!" Seeing me, walking down the rather scenic stairs coated with this red carpet. "Y-yeah..." ''Good morning, young Master, Jaiden." She greeted, the same as to how that butler regards me, head bowed down and right hand on the chest... but with this unexplainable peculiarity. Then, the lecture started... teaching me the basics, and my brother, the advanced and I think I''m gonna throw up soon... being around with this man, and this teacher, that''s been showing me this psychopathic smile and this enormously dark intent... Was she always like this? A mere pianist? 100 Of Nausea and Formaldehyde "The basic stimulus to intelligence is doubt, a feeling that the meaning of an experience is not self-evident." -W.H. Auden, Selected Essays ? "Just remember, both of you my precious music students, while playing the piano, treating the keys as if it is someone else''s fragile heart, one must be well-driven, not for the upcoming profit and fame, but because you have had withheld the opportunity to deliver such graceful sonatas to the world, comprised of the masses that continuously watch your moves, your gestures, and of course, the emotions that you''re incorporating within, which is the most important of all, besides from your mastery and playing caliber. With that, everything that you desire so follows. Is that clear?" Discusses the international-tier music teacher showing us this enlightened and composed posture, without knowing that I can see very well, these negative forces that surround. If indeed, I can''t see all of this malevolence, I could have had easily categorize her as a graceful teacher with the pure endeavor to pass her skills as a connoisseur to us, her most valued students at that time, as I have had always considered her back on the old days, but not in this perspective... Maybe just some serious personal problems? "Yes miss Selene." Answered the man, willingly while prior joyously listening to the discussion and the tutorials... And on the other side, in a physical distance from both of them, especially from that man, is me, unusually not attentive to the lesson, which is just so discrepant from me and my original past extroversive-self where I try to compete as much as I could. "Jaiden..." She calls. "Yes?" I replied, seeing her looking all concerned about my demeanor. "Is something wrong?... You look pale. Are you sick?"Asked, the pianist, holding off the tutoring session for a bit. "I''m fine..." "Hey, address our teacher properly... Ah, don''t worry Miss Selene. Jaiden here just has this weird habit of mood swings." "Hmmm? Mood swings? Doesn''t look like one to me." She then stood from the bench, drawing closer to me, while slowly putting her hand on my forehead to check my temperature if indeed I''m somewhat ill... which of course, is but a mere assumption. I''m not looking pale due to some trivial health reasons. I am just, plainly disgusted that I''m in this sphere with a perfect replica of everything from my past, and I don''t even know anymore if this is indeed just an illusion... Yet, as the pianist''s hand made contact with my forehead, I felt power surging towards me, and one thing I''m sure now is that this lady, is not just in any private quagmire. This hatred is something entirely else and as to where it''s supposed to be directed to, I don''t know. "Hmmm... He''s fine." realized the preceptor... "Listen, little brother, we can''t continue distracting Miss Selene in her job now. You know that, right Jaiden? Let''s get back to learning. We have an upcoming performance in two days'' time, and both mother and father will be there. We can''t let them see any fiasco, or else, they''ll think that we were slacking this entire time... We can''t waste another second." "Do you mean that performance where you play the piano while not taking heed that you massacred an entire household?" So I thought, mustering up an avid amount of effort to keep it clandestine to myself. "Jaiden, your brother is correct... We have to go back to the lecture, okay? After this last one, I''ll let both of you go." The pianist exclaimed. "Got that?" he added... The soon-to-be heir, patted me, rather intensely on the back. And then... the highest extent of nausea coalesced with the sudden and consecutive reminiscing of that deranged past just from that physical contact alone, came to me, like vintage comic strips playing in 360-pixel quality... "Pardon... I-I have to go to the toilet." "Eh? Hey!" What does he mean ''hey''? Does he want me to puke on him? I hastily went through the empty living room without looking back to the both of them, towards the toilet, and in my way there, are again, the nostalgic flashbacks that are rather insubstantial. I noticed the aristocratic gun that my father uses for his hunting game, the same weapon that killed them all... And on the other side of the wall, the displayed dagger where I pinched my fingers on, to sign that stygian contract with my blood... which was but one of the most cliched part of my adamantly boring Biography. In the toilet, I''m unable to hold back... I hastily locked the door and started vomiting, even though I ate nothing this morning... "Master... Are you okay? I''m sensing extraordinary neural activities from you." Azazel suddenly appeared in my field of vision. "Good, you''re functional." "Yes, Master. Twenty-four slash seven, I am... Is there anything that I could help you with?" "Y-yeah... Where are we?" "\u003cCollecting data\u003e... \u003cProcessing\u003e... \u003cAnalyzing derivatives\u003e... \u003cDelineating result\u003e... Master. we''re still inside the Paradigm Shift, ''Illusory Valhalla''... " "I think I already know that... What is that Paradigm Shift anyway?" I talked, continuing to force vomiting even if there''s nothing left to discharge anymore... And suddenly, my insignia also started to ache, as if it''s responding to my overt expression of nausea, slowly moving its hand almost towards the fourth threshold. Almost... In years, this is the first again, that I saw it move, albeit just a little... probably because of these overdriven mental stimuli which are literally everywhere and I know, that it''s not for long before I''ll have to bid farewell to one of these twelve major superfluous emotions again. "Illusory Valhalla is a spell, Master. It''s done by extracting some of your memories and then creating a ''false'' world from it..." Exclaimed the AI, responding to my question. "False world? Then why am I feeling that this is rather too realistic?" "It is indeed, a false world, Master. Moreover, false it may be, it does not mean that everything that is shown within this sphere is also false..." What? "I will continue assessing the situation on the backgrounds further, Master... I''ll prompt you when I''ll find something of note without any undue delays. Will that be ok, Master?" "Yes... yes, please." "Affirmative. And Master, please do be informed that you''re still under your ''Overlord'' form." Then, she disappeared... (...) "Hey, Jaiden! Are you okay? Who are you talking too?" That voice, came, as though forcing it''s way on the locked toilet door... "I''m fine... Just talking to my... Imaginary friend." "Imaginary friend? Ahahaha... You''re joking. You''re acting very weird, little brother... I''ll call Xerxes for some medicines, you go back to the living room and entertain Miss Selene while I''m on it, okay?" "Ah... yeah." I responded, even though what I really wanted to say was ''Just go away already''... Yet, no can do... Hearing the footsteps leaving, and my nausea almost ameliorated to a bare minimum as I emptied my stomach, I slowly opened the door, to go back to the living room as per said, and unlike before, the whole mansion is now under this recently-perceived malevolent charisma making the air, stagnant...and the moment I got back to the designated lecturing sala... I believe I should have had also, puked all of my entrails out beforehand. Still seated on the piano, is the teacher... and believing that she''s all alone, slowly opens this crocodile-skin and expensive-looking bag while humming Mozart''s Requiem with an eerie voice... and inside the bag, which took the entirety of its capacity are these white-colored tablets of which I recognized to be formaldehyde, which is a chemical used to delay the decaying of dead bodies, and out from there, a well-preserved human-head... "Just a little bit... darling. The Death Sonata is soon to be unleashed..." She said, caressing the head, kissing it lips-to-lips... which is just, a vivid sight of a plain malady. 101 Love Depravity "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God''s glorious standard." -Romans 3:23, Holy Bible ? Getting out from the bathroom, while feeling somewhat a little better, the whole place has now been tainted by this potent negative intent that I can see to well like black fogs drifting in the air, and then... a voice, not with grace, but of eerieness and apparent animosity... "Just a little bit... darling. The Death Sonata is soon to be unleashed... " She said, caressing the head, kissing it lips-to-lips... which is just, a vivid sight of a plain malady, and seeing it, is like receiving a blatant blow to both of my abdomen and stomach giving me the highest extent of qualms there is and probably the strongest that I have had ever experienced up to this day. As I saw that strange visage, which is by far the most nauseating of all that I have had ever saw, I stopped moving, stunned by what I''m seeing... My music teacher, humming one of Mozart''s best compositions, who ecstatically laid to plain sight this preserved head from a bag full of formaldehyde, caressing and kissing it, whilst calling it... darling. And then at last... a threshold has been crossed for the first time yet again, in years, as the same stimuli are literally everywhere, whose numbers, I, myself can''t mentally follow, and it''s all according to my hindsight. It''s a good thing to know though, that being inside this sphere of supposed-illusion, spelled major progress for me, and I think that this is something to be proud of, realizing that I''m not utterly wasting my lifespan in this scenarios... Not to mention that there''s a probability that this is not ''entirely illusory'' as assessed by Azazel. Seeing their lips make such brazen contact, my insignia, moved towards the fourth, signifying that I have lost a major emotion again... and I know what it is very well. As for the reason? It''s also quite crystal-clear. I am with the anti-romantic development movement (If ever there is one) of such childish cause, let alone a graceful teacher, kissing this deceased piece like it''s someone she shared with an intimate life, while probably amalgamated with this too much of a nostalgia going on the background. The emotion that the fourth threshold showed? It''s probably and likely to be disgust, which is one of the most superfluous and insignificant there is, and one that I can palpably live without. A life without nausea... I can''t wait. The pianist continued caressing the head, not notified of my sneaky presence... treating it like it''s someone of great importance to her. "It''s now beyond reach... darling. The dream that we both want. The aspiration that we both share. It''s only a few days away...Aren''t you excited? Ahahahaha... Yes, and I love you too." she said, in a vis-a-vis conversation with the head, whose deep, death-instilled eyes are still open for some reason. And then... "Hmmm?? What''s that darling? Someone''s eavesdropping on us?" As though, still normally conversing, she exclaimed addressing the statement unto me, which has been watching her for a while now... while here I also am assuming falsely that I have had maintained stealthiness, not feeling anything... Not even fear which should have been the most potent, and neither nausea. Good timing there. "Hmm?? He''s just standing there? That''s rather rude! Eavesdropping on our private time together to enhance our love''s intimacy. Well then, see you later, darling." she added kissing it for the last time and placing it again in her bag like it''s a mere hygiene tool and that as if it''s a norm carrying something like that around. "Jaiden... I know you''re there" She said, slowly turning towards me. "Yes." "Surely, this household must have had thought you of the proper decorum to privacy." "Hmmm, Way to put it when you yourself bought that thing in here... How did that get past the guards anyway? And calling a deceased head ''darling''? Seriously... how lonely your life must be." "A brat raised in such a lavish lifestyle? Talking like a young adult?" "What''s this? Am I that rare to you?" "Hehehehe... Actually, yes... But I should not be surprised though... Hear that darling? This kid talks like he''s manlier than you are. Aww how cute.." She said, embracing the bag like it''s someone endearing. "And why should you not be surprised?" "Well, of course! You''re a descendant of this aristocratic bloodline. The son of its leader, and soon-to-be ultimate scion of this household''s founders after your brother, if he will even succeed, that is... Teheee... And by the way..." "Hm?" I replied, obviously sensing that beneath that statement lies a subliminal meaning that I will inevitably know later, with or without my permission. "Did you just ''censored'' call my lover, disgusting? And what do you mean ''deceased head''? You''re being too rude to your music teacher, Jaiden... Come to think of it, you''ve been acting strange lately..." Is it just me? Or this is like talking to someone in a schizophrenic episode? Oh well... She''s just a privately-hired preceptor, and whoever in this family authenticated her eligibility for this job, is probably as demented as her. "I have been always like this, Miss Selene. And, why are you denying that what you''ve done in front, is an act of disgusting savagery? It was disgusting. You''ve even kissed it knowing that you''ve drowned it with a dangerous chemical." "Aw, you saw that? How bold of you to take a glimpse of such a pure act of love''s intimacy." "Was it actually Love''s intimacy? Or perhaps... Love Depravity? In my perspective, you''re looking like a funeral home theft who stole a detached head of a fresh-murdered man and then started considering it as your ''true intimate love''. What a sight indeed, not befitting of a teacher of your caliber. Encore..." I responded, adding consecutive ''mini-claps'' right on the end. Well, if you were kissing someone other than that, I have been glad of seeing it, but unfortunately, that''s not the case... Now, will you leave us alone? We don''t know if that thing right there might be carrying some dangerous illnesses. " I added, pointing to that head as ''that thing'' as if its trash to be discarded on the Biological Hazard section... "Sorry, if you did not like seeing that... You''re a kid after all, and treating you like this is just plain absurd. Hehehehehe... But, what would a kid like you know about love? What do you know about us?... What do you know why my love''s in this state? Ahhh, society is just plain judgemental nowadays. " She said, looking all deranged, almost like being slightly affected by my effortless insults. "I told you already... Leave. We can''t afford to have such a personality in here... And your piano teaching? We probably don''t need it. We can learn on our own. " I exclaimed... "What a vulgar young man. And what a sudden change of personality. Yesterday, you''re the most juvenile brat there is who knows nothing but to compete with his beloved, and looked-upon brother. And now, here you are with chins up against an adult... Something is not right in here, but figured, it''s too futile to know what it is either..." Truth be told, this music preceptor that has been the pedestal of our skills in instrumental playing appeared to us every day with the most mundane facade there is, for practically as far as I can remember. And now, if indeed this so-called ''Illusory Valhalla is not entirely hoaxed as its name suggests, then I''m standing at a very potent ground of revelations, and this person standing in front of me, might hold an integral cameo on why that night came to pass, unprecedented. And while I really have no interest in knowing the past, I now stand emerged of what''s going to happen next, like a mangaka anticipating his next major release... 102 Oath of the Head Servan "I am a forest, and a night of dark trees: but he who is not afraid of my darkness, will find banks full of roses under my cypresses." -Friedrich Nietzsche ? "Young master, are you okay? Your brother told me to come and get you some medicine." Suddenly, a virile voice interceded as my and the teacher''s conversation is assured to be decadent in both theme and message soon enough... It''s the household''s head servant, Xerxes, together with his overly silent daughter in a mundane maid array. Sweats were running down their faces as if they found my brother''s calling for that mere nausea, as somewhat critical... Wait, it''s not about that, isn''t it? Oh, and I remember this scene quite clearly... When I was talking with the teacher rather frivolously while sitting at her lap, Xerxes also came at that time with this identical demeanor, although now, it''s a changed-scene with the same plot. And I can''t even care if renewing my acts here can affect my present. I''ve gone too far back, and not to mention, that this is a supposed-sphere of illusion. But the question that remains is; if this in fact, merely shows my past in first-person gameplay, or if it is altered to sway my current perspective. Either way, I can''t let my guard down, nor ignore this realistic charade. "Oh, if it isn''t Xerxes and cute Odette, in the worst timing possible... Long time no see!" Exclaims the deranged lady as the butler walks towards me. "It hasn''t been that long since our last conversation. Good morning, Madame Selene. And good work today!... Yet, to somehow preserve this ambiance, I believe that I had already instructed you not to get too close to either one of the young masters especially when they''re alone," he said, whilst bowing his head as he stood up in between me and the teacher, while her daughter also stood beside me, both of them looking a little bit defensive as if they know what''s undertaking all along. "What''s this? A henchman, calling out someone who he just called as ''Madamme''?" "Yes, I am indeed a henchman, Madame, and I am rather proud to be such in a position. Yet, as the head servant of this family, I shall always make apparent, the sovereignty that we incorporate, as I have sworn to Mr. and Mrs, Cendrillon prior I served them. And also, I have pledged to protect everyone here, even if it would spell my departure from this world. It would by far be, my greatest pleasure." "What loyalty and beautifully-constructed phrases!" she said, following it up with applause. "Thank you for the commendation, Madame... but I believe it''s not that noteworthy." "Hehehehe. It is... Then, it''s now my time to bid thee farewell... Later, Jaiden, I hope you remembered the lesson well, as you''re somewhat feeling ill today! I hope for your recovery!" She exclaimed, once again carrying that bag, slowly facing away... "And oh, Xerxes..." "Yes. Is there anything else, Madame?" "I really do hope that you''ll be able to maintain this ''sovereignty'', that you''re quite frank of talking about... After all, the status quo is always the hardest to preserve, and not to mention the ephemerality of everything." "Yes... I will do just that, madame... You can count on me and my fellow henchmen." "As expected of the land''s finest servants, serving the finest aristocrats... Then, later. See you in two days'' time! Let us celebrate the heir''s birthday like there''s no tomorrow..." She said, with a little whimsical giggle coming out from her pursed red lips, while the dark malevolence around her also starts to be more potent as she stated tose words that sounded like a threat... "Yes, Madame. I will do everything that I can, without fail... We wish you a safe journey." "Bye!" Then the teacher with as little as the most uninviting grin, left us, riding her personal carriage waiting for her outside. "Young master! Are you okay?" The butler, as soon as the carriage begins to be out of sight, examined my appearance, looking for something that is not. "Relax... I''m okay..l By the way..." "You know what''s happening, don''t you?" I asked... "Eh? It''s not like you to be asking such questions master... This is the first for me." He said. Well, it''s comprehensible. Why? It''s because I have always hated questions when at this age. I would rather leave it there unanswered instead of boggling my thoughts with it, whether if it is of serious or of immature query... but this time that I have had this accidental opportunity to re-experience these scenes in my more authentic perspective, it won''t do... "Pardon, for not telling you anything master, but yes, I know. I and Odette kept it hidden under our own sole discretion to not spell any inconvenience to you and the rest of the household. But, it''s not that you should be concerned, young master...." Oh yes... I almost forgot. Even if I act like this mature gentleman, that won''t change the fact that I''m still inside this juvenile, and knowing this speculated ''brutal truth'' might not be a good idea, for this butler who prioritizes our welfare... "But, master... Please take heed that you must not get close to Miss Selene. In your brother''s birthday, please stay away from her. You can stay by me and Odette, by your brother''s side, or preferably you can stay in your room. " "Why?" "Well, young master... The answer is quite simple. Miss Selene is a busy woman. We can''t disturb her now can''t we? Oh and here''s your medicine. Please drink it to meliorate your stomachache. " He exclaimed, which clearly is a bluff to cover-up something that he thinks I''m better off not knowing, while also handing this medicine to me. And I remember its taste, very well... It''s grotesquely the most bitter stomach medicine there is. "Ah, I''m fine..." "Oh, I must insist master, just to make sure..." "U-uhm.. okay." He made me drink the whole medicine in one gulp, and to my surprise, it has no taste. It''s almost like it''s purified... "Xerxes... This is not water, isn''t it?" O asked just to make sure... "No, it isn''t, young master... Please do bear with the bitterness. You''ll feel a lot better soon." Eh?Oh, right... This might be one of the aftereffects of having that superfluous emotion called ''disgust'', obliterated. Hmmm... It really is convenient. I can surely live with this. "Now then, young master... I hope that you heard clear and well my request, And at the same time, I promise... that I will protect all of you, without delays. I can''t fail my highest-revered Master and mistresse''s orders." He said, with the soberest expression a butler can have... and I was dumb to previously think that this is nothing but normal back in the old days. "Uhm, yeah... Thanks." "It''s my pleasure, young master...By the way, Miss Jean has instructed me to call you, to play with her in the garden. I declined as you were feeling ill, and it got her saddened... Please do meet her, master, now that you''re feeling well." "Okay..." Jean huh... My little sister. As thoughts of her lying dead, came crossing my head, I am a little bit reluctant of meeting her, but... just a little... just a little. I miss her... and to not feel sadness from it, ''was'' and ''is'' just a peculiar sensation that a brother can have. I then left the presence of the head servant and his daughter, trending my feet towards the designated garden... Yet still, amidst all of the thoughts, one that I can''t shake off easily is the possible role and influence of that pianist on my past and present life... Celebrate the birthday like there''s no tomorrow, huh? First, I must gain assessment updates from Azazel, to somehow gain an insight as to how the Patriarch''s ''Illusory Valhalla'' really works... and hopefully, her algorithms can make me comprehend it''s intricateness. After that, I''ll meet Jean. 103 Library of the Realms: The Akashic Records "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep." -Saul Bellow ? "Well then, young master... I and Odette have to finish some preparations for your brother''s birthday... I assume that the stomach ache has been relieved now. After all, bitter medicines are always effective." Oh, so the preparations were this hectic huh... I only realized that. Well, I have had always deprived myself of logic and reason back then, probably the same with the other ones in my age, always ignoring the seemingly-insignificant details, which tends to be, of course, important at some point yonder. "And, I hope that you taken into account what I just said." He added which seemed like a whisper of concerns, bowing down one more time with a serious expression on his face. "Yes... Probably". "Very well young master, you should be going... Lady Jean is waiting for you." Raising his head, both he and her daughter got back to their work at the Mansion''s grand hall... where the celebration is to take place... While, I, find myself trending my thirteen-year-old shiny shoes towards my mother''s and sister''s favorite hang-out place- the Garden. (...) "Azazel..." I called out, making sure that I''m alone, before I could reach the garden to meet my little sister, not paying head anymore of that pianist who spells both threat and decadence, going further down the pathways leading further away from the mansion. "Yes. Master?" She responded, looking somewhat... irritated? "Uhmm... Is something boggling you? You look...hmm... angry." "Incorrect, Master. I am not angry knowing that you have had another maid before me, who is very beautiful and is to your liking, but I believe that you called to retrieve updates in accordance with the Patriarch''s Paradigm Shift?" "R-right... Any luck?" "Yes, Master... but do pardon, for the time that it took... I was rather mesmerized of how you seem to like that Odette traditional maid, rather than letting you know my current findings..." "Hayst...It''s ok. Good Job, but next time, you should not prey on people''s internal perspectives like that...So, care if you''ll explain your findings for me?" "Affirmative. Master...My analysis pronounces that this is indeed an illusion... And that cube that the Patriarch extracted from your head is like a key..." "So, this is really an illusion huh... Then, does that mean that everything I''m seeing here now is but fragments that he wants me to see?" "Yes." "And that, this is altered in some ways, right? That, this is not purely all." "Unfortunately, if you mean that everything or some aspects are falsified under the discretion of the patriarch... No, Master." "Eh?" "This is indeed a sphere of illusion and that, the Patriarch holds full control of what he wants and does not want to show you ... but the contents, are without a doubt..." "Without a doubt what?" "In ''legitimate'' accordance with what happened in your past..." Oh, could have had expected this more. "You see, master... This Illusory Valhalla specializes in illusions as the name explicitly suggests... but that''s not where its ability ends master... We haven''t take into the picture, the natural law that it alters yet... What law might it be, you ask?" It''s quite intricate, but not that you can''t understand with that stellar caliber, Master..." "Please do continue..." I pleaded... in an endeavor to clear out some of my doubts. "This Paradigm Shift... Has this unique capacity to access the Library of the Realms which should only be accessed exclusively by special deities, a library of individual events better known to humans as the ''Akashic Records''... although a little bit misunderstood with its excessive definition on your world''s fictional books... The library is indeed a compendium of all human events, thoughts, words, emotions, and intent ever to have occurred in the past, and is occurring in the present, but not the future, which it does not know... Yet, on this Paradigm Shift, its ability is limited to that of ''merely'' accessing the past of an opponent, within its area of effect... Hence, where we are today, Master... In an illusion, based on the akashic records itself, and while the patriarch can choose what he wants you to see, it''s beyond his ability to change anything in the records, which spells a little benefit and is to our advantage." Benefit indeed. Whether under what words I would like to describe it and while I don''t know what the Patriarch''s offensive motive is and what it is that he''s trying to achieve by showing me all this, I can''t deny the fact that it offers this rare opportunity to have a look of what really happened back then... and I will be sure, not to miss, any details... especially now that I know, that everything it will show, is legitimately inlined with my past. Moreover, there is still this question... "Does that mean that whatever I''m doing here will affect my present?" I asked as if holding to a false hope that I know is just too impossible to be... "No, Master... While your previous actions differ from what you''re doing now, it will not change anything. As I have had explained, the Patriarch''s ability is limited to that of merely gaining access to that library. And with the Akashic Records'' existence, ''the past is and will remain the past''... And that''s not even a natural law that a Paradigm Shift can be made to alter... It''s a common-sense that even demi-humans know too well, and any vigor to change it is in vain. ''Once it''s done, it can''t be undone'' says a human maxim." Figured... And now that I just realized, what''s the point of that question? *Sigh*... Nevermind. "Hmm...Well, thank you for that Azazel. I now somehow understand what I got myself into..." And that goes on without saying, that the Patriarch will have to pay later, depending on how useful are these past fragments that he will show me... once I can get out. "You''re welcome, Master... And I''m not saying that I''m jealous or anything, but... you should stop seeing that traditional maid! You have me! Hmph!" She said, disappearing on my field of vision once again... Hayst... and what are you supposed to be now? A ''tsundere maid''? Then, getting back on my senses, as I now know what this Illusory Valhalla really is, I found myself stepping through the garden''s entrance, naturally... while reminiscing the places where dead bodies are soon to lie, without being nauseous anymore... And then, at the innermost part of the Garden, with birds chirping and painfully colorful butterflies everywhere, I found my little sister, playing princess in her Servant-made and beautiful wooden-castle, wearing this innocent smile, that I had long forgotten... Then, she looked into me, seeing me as I approach, probably soon to intrude unpermitted in her castle''s borders... Seeing her reminds me of Shiro, who is still in hibernation for using her Paradigm Shift and I hope she''s okay in Celes''s provision. "Oh, Jaiden!!! Come here! Why did you suddenly disappear, you jerk?" 104 Yes, Your Highness "These wounds won''t seem to heal. This pain is just too real, There''s just so much, that time can not erase..." -Evanescence, My Immortal. ? Knowing that this Illusory Valhalla, is not what it completely seems... that everything shown is indeed hand-picked, but not altered, I reached the innermost part of the garden, and there my sister is, playing the atypical princess, alone, in her usual velvet gothic dress, that matched perfectly with her purple-colored eyes. A refreshing scene that if it was not because of the Patriarch''s Paradigm Shift, perhaps I could never see again. I have to thank him later for that... but it''s not like I want to be here either, so he still reserves the right to be severely punished. Seeing her reminds me of Shiro, who is still in hibernation for using her Paradigm Shift and I hope she''s okay in Celes''s provision. Not that I doubt that Herrscher though. Now then... "Oh, Jaiden!!! Come here! Why did you suddenly disappear, you jerk? From a world business dominator, do you now wish to be one with those presence-concealing Ninjas?" Seeing me approaching without taking into credibility the borders of her castle, she looked at me, as if she just saw the harshest being alive for leaving her with a valid reason...probably. Yet, she''s the hash one, even without a taint of melodramatic means... leaving me completely, even without warnings. Even without saying the least of Goodbyes... "Yow," I responded, out of instinct with a little hand wave, as I have had also forgotten how I greet her back then. Yet, what''s clear is that all I''m missing right now is a piece of grass or a cigarette in my mouth, to sound and look alike to that of the MAFIA Dons. "''Yow?''... Jaiden, is that supposed to be a statement that you''re now ready to integrate yourself to outside cultures? Hmph! And there you were the other day, spouting about defeating older brother by using internal resources alone." Ah, right... She knows probably more than anyone else, about my self-proclaimed, ongoing rivalry with that man around these times. Well, aside from being a delusional princess, she also can become the best advisor there is at certain circumstances, giving me advice from books that she read, and by books, I mean not those that seven-year-olds typically read. Raging from philosophies of Socrates to David Hume and history books (which I have always hated) is all you can find in her collection, not Cinderella and the Seven Dwarves nor any of the young-kids'' fictional stories. And it''s not like my family deprived her of those things, nor is it because she''s against the idea of princesses falling in love at their early liberty. She just hated it, seeing how unrealistic and subjective the events are. And lookie here, where I am now. Something that Jean would probably hate even more.. ullaged in both surrealistic and subjective events, in another world with an entire city, a genius classmate, an adoptive little sister, and a Goddess. Petty Riddance. Oh, and did I mention that Jean finished reading Leo Tolstoy''s ''War and Peace'' at the age of five? A book that even in my current age still appears uninteresting... Probably not. And I''m saying this proudly, how enigmatic the personalities in my family are. But, a kid, not even in her teens talking like this, is still somewhat implausible, especially when I got myself acquainted with how they should ''normally'' act, the moment this household lost it all, with me gaining more neo-perspectives, with the help, of course, of my conservative grandma, who in my first years with her, has done her best to introduce me to some ''possible'' friends and ultimately failed. Well, it''s an understatement if Jean will not act like this. After all, being enclosed within this household truly can develop your maturity in no time. Not to mention the austere and stern home-schooling system, coalesced with that Xerxes'' guidance that straight out seems to deprive us of our youth, but just wanted us purely to learn things that are out of the norm''s picture. Not that we didn''t prefer it though... "Well, whatever... If you''re gonna do it again, I will punish you accordingly okay?" "Ahahaahaaha. Well, yes... your highness." Oh, I actually remembered... how I used to address her back then.. which voluntarily just sprung up. "That''s more like it! Now then, how was piano class? Did you defeat brother this time?" "Hmmm... As if." "Yeah, I know, but I''ll remind you for as long as I can... It''s not like it''s impossible though." "Eh?" I said aloud. "Brother is indeed out of our caliber, but its only a matter of time before he will lose momentum, and till then... Just bear with it okay? You''ll soon find yourself at the top without you even knowing... And that right there is an amalgamation from Socrates'' and Sun Tsuz'' Beliefs. Now, what are you doing standing there? I believe that I gave you special permission to gain access to my castle anytime you wanted it..." "Ahahahaha... Yes. Your highness, I''m coming in then. Excuse me" I then stepped right in, in a castle with the size of a typical greenhouse, but inside is not her toys, it''s her vast array of a messy book collection, thereby calling it her castle... Yet, something which she just said, seemed to have caught my attention... ''Lose momentum'' indeed. If she''s talking about losing ground of that man''s picture-perfect aristocracy heir, then she has become one of the best and legitimate astrologers ever to exist, a title that she herself will assuredly hate... "What''s this? Jean, trying to be a forecaster? Hahahaha! I can''t bear the thoughts." "Hmph! You better did not think that I sounded like an astrologer who relies on Tarot Cards. I believe in God and it''s evil to believe both of them at the same time. " God huh... I have always believed in one, especially now... (...) From there, we continued having fun... Not playing Monopoly which is the trend of those days, nor a game of tag or hide-and-seek. We''re having fun, just as it has always been for the both of us... Playing chess till dawn while incorporating our Knowledge from the book ''Art of War''. Yes, Chess, spicing it up a bit with strategic philosophies to test our knowledge''s tenacity... And guess what... Even with the IQ of 140 plus, I never won. Not a single match... What''s more implausible is that I found myself... genuinely smiling... after all these years. Time passed, and the surreal and earthly dusk begins to taint the entire illusory background. An illusion indeed, but not in a way that what I''m seeing now is entirely false and virtual. It''s as if, time really did turn back itself... And yet, I know too well, the dynamism of events... and the ephemerality within. In two nights'' time... of which one is already in sight... Everything is fated to change... Your highness, you''re going to disappear again, right? Like those presence-concealing Ninjas that you talked about... 105 Primal Scion 1 : Speaking of the Devil "Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does." - Sartre, Being And Nothingness ? Continuing the game of chess, with its pieces made and fabricated from fragile and expensive-looking glasses, and in this nostalgic greenhouse-sized castle with all corners ullaged with nothing but books that a kid this age should have had hated, I found my mind, drifting to someplace else. "King to H8..." I exclaimed as the conclusion draws near, not minding the game''s development that much, since the thought of this visage being temporary begins to somehow boggle me. Not that if I focused, I could win though. The moment I agreed to play such a game, I lost by default... I am in her territory after all... Actually, that''s just a plain insecure excuse of an older brother who can''t seem to beat either of his siblings... Well, for starters, Jean in the game of strategy is just way above me even in my current caliber. The heir, himself, won against her... but just once. If I recalled, it was their first standoff, where Jean has this logical flowchart to focus on observing the reaction of the enemy first, hence making her lose the starting match, and yet, assuring victory coming in consecutive, and none was able to beat her ever since. "Eh? Jaiden... Is it just me or you''re becoming retarded?" Seeing my move to be somewhat irrational and highly stupid, Jean backlashed, all while reading another book emblazoned as "Being and Time" by Martin Heidegger, a skill that she specializes in well... multitasking. And yet, to me, it just looks like a serious case of overconfidence. "What do you mean? That''s the most logical move there is." Yeah... the best move indeed to stave a checkmate prompt, just by a single move more. "Well, yeah you''re right. I still can see your persistence which is a healthy sign, choosing to be cornered rather than to give up voluntarily. Whatever, we both know too well, that there''s no turning back time, not in reality, and certainly not in board games such as this, says the author of this book I''m reading... Rook to H1...Checkmate! I win, again." In her usual playful manner and with a satisfied look, she added, declaring her win which is apparently devoid of spoils. "No turning back time huh", I thought, knowing too well that the statement is both valid and credible, with or without philosophical standpoints and any statistical or qualitative data to back the claim up. And as Azazel expressed, accessing this Akashic records or not, the past is the past... an austere common sense that everyone is painstakingly hell-bent to understand. The game of chess ultimately came to an end, with me not winning a single match. It''s now dusk, with sunset tainting the whole place, making the vast personalized garden outside look even more outstanding... How long has it been, ever since I saw this view? My mother''s favorite garden full of white and unblemished orchids, planted in much-cultivated soils while dazzling in all of its unrivaled ambiances. "Mom and dad..." Jean suddenly spoke, as I stared stunned looking at the visage outside, "What about them?" "You know they''re coming in two days'' time for older brother''s birthday, right?" "Ah, yes... That would be the case." "I hope older brother would be able to bare all of the stress. Being the primal scion of a renowned family sure is tough. You have to be top at school. You have to excel in merely anything that you have to do, even if it''s out of your passion. It sure makes me glad that I was born a cute little sister. Well, you better prepare for it Jaiden. Once he''ll seize the throne as the family''s top echelon, it''s going to be even more difficult for you." She added, slowly leaning unto one of the bookshelves looking all sleepy. Well, we did play a lot, with each round taking as much as 20 minutes, and while it may look boring to outsiders, we enjoyed it. The Primal Scion... In other words, the Heir of this Aristocracy. That man... the threshold of all of the 180 degree turns in my life. And likely, the cause of this all. Don''t worry Jean... I never did give him a chance to at least taste the transition of him becoming the center-figure. Although, everything was his fault. "Ah, so you both were in here...Jaiden, Jean, it''s time to go back inside." Speaking of the devil... He suddenly appeared, together with Xerxes, blocking my view of the picturesque image, and replacing it with a live painting of a demon together with a butler. "Let''s go, young master... A bath has been made ready for you and Miss Jean." Xerxes spoke, bowing his head as per the customs that he''s trained to strictly follow. "Yes..." I replied, which is almost like I''m ignoring the heir. "Seriously, just what is wrong with you today? Whatever. Let me carry Jean" The heir suddenly suggested. Looking from this perspective, he really is the perfect candidate to take care of the family''s global affairs. The day of his birthday is fast-approaching, and there''s no manifestation of derangement yet, no sign of sudden personality changes with as much as a minuscule spark of insanity that I was hoping to see as early as now. No doubt he was able to make us believe that he truly can bring our family to the pinnacle while hiding all of that malevolence inside of him, compressed in for too long. ... and I am not buying it... "Don''t touch her." Just as he was about to get the drowsy Jean off from her seat, I intervened. It''s a natural instinct, maybe? Seeing the hands of the future killer, in his soon-to-be victim... What would someone else do in this situation? And it''s not even like I''m trying to achieve any ulterior motives around here. There''s none that can be proven of merit... "Eh? What do you mean I can''t touch her?" "Xerxes would do all of the carryings, it''s not your job... " "Eh?" "Very well then... come here, Miss Jean." Xerxes then carried her, while the three of us begin to go back to the mansion, silently and with an eerie atmosphere, which is mainly because of me acting really weird and defiant. Not my typical self in front of the head servant, not in front of the members of this household, and certainly not in front of the Primal Scion, who''s showing this worried and confused look for quite some time now... He better not be bothered as to why I''m acting like this. it would be futile. (...) And then we got back inside. Xerxes placed Jean on her bed, and would just wake her up later for her night-time bath, and with five household maids are busy preparing dinner on the background, I found myself in an illusory hot bath, which somehow sounds... asinine. Taking a bath in an illusion where violence is soon to erupt. "Jaiden, I''m coming in." That voice is suddenly heard, which sounded really persistent, banging the door open... It''s the heir himself. And no, this is not an incest BL. 106 Primal Scion 2 : A Malevolent Maidservan "True apothecary thy drugs art quick." D William Shakespeare ? This is such a ludicrous development... From being the secondary scion, a ''mundane'' student, an irregular ''Herrscher'' for that Goddess, being transported to an unknown world and fighting several ''special forces'' to now, taking a bath in an illusion. And it would be obscure to call it as illusory as I expected it to be... Heck, it''s even at first-person. "Jaiden, I''m coming in." While I am busy doing nothing but thinking frivolously of how my timeline has become this tangled... a voice suddenly echoed through the room, with the core endeavor of depriving me of my solace. "I don''t recall our culture incorporating a mixed bath tradition," I responded as a sort of retaliation, implicitly saying on my thoughts "I don''t want you here, just wait for your turn outside.", but he bunged right in either way. "Eh? But we always took a bath together, regardless. Come on. We even had set up this innovative bathroom for that purpose!" He replied. Hmm... It''s not innovative. We just copied it from the east. I thought... without slipping any word. Well, for starters, I don''t even know if he has any idea or any perception of what''s it like to live on the east. After all, being enclosed in this familial community for practically as far as he can remember is one thing that he is hell-bent on doing as the heir. As he entered with a bathing towel on, silence then slowly found leisurely entering through the bathroom, except for the sound of water, whose consecutive and minuscule drops from the unsightly-sealed shower is seemed to be magnified... It''s as expected though. There''s no way I''m starting a little chitchat with this man, who will soon fall into his self-professed perdition. I will, however, ignore him this entire time, proving the grounds of an ancient maxim that, silence, really is a virtue... sometimes. I then continuously spoiled myself with this illusory bathtub that is rather too realistic, completely ignoring his ''innocent-for-now'' presence. He slowly sat on the other side with this mini-chair, while starting to bathe like eastern guys would do, and called... "Jaiden..." How annoying. Now I know how Larimosa feels when I accidentally disturb her during this type of scenes, depriving her of luxury-time. "What?" "You''re acting peculiar today. something''s been bothering you lately. I can tell that much." He confidently exclaimed. "Yeah, you are soon to kill every last one of them after all. Who would not?" I thought. But having found the will to conceal such meritless concussion of words, I held back. "You should probably forget bout such small details, especially when your birthday is coming. Just assume it''s a sudden struck of adolescence. That''s all." The perfect reply came gushing forth from my mouth. "Adolescence huh? You''re really becoming ready to follow me and my footsteps. And I assume it''s only a matter of time before you will surpass me. I know that much..." He said, with an assured expression. Yeah, I remembered that face, It''s one that kept me going in my self-professed competition, inspiring me, making me believe in a futile hope of actually outmaneuvering him for once. It''s a facade of an austere brother, who hopes for the best outcomes for his siblings. "Well, I surely can''t disturb that process of integrity. I''m gonna hurry up. Adolescents need a private time for themselves after all." He added, hastily scrubbing his entire body with soap, then continuously pouring buckets of water on his head... "Just don''t do anything too significant, Jaiden... and you''ll be fine." He whispered, in a way that he thought I am unable to hear them and, now with a slightly-troubled demeanor "Well, then... I''m off. Make sure to sleep well okay?" He then left the bathroom, having met by three mid-aged butlers, who I reckon to be silently waiting outside for him to finish for quite some time now, carrying his pajamas and some other grooming-before-bedtime materials. A typical scenario, that any aristocrats around this time are assured to have. Sleep well? Sorry, but I''ll have to decline the offer. I mean, how could I even do that?... "Young master, are you done?" Another voice came in just after that man and the three butlers went out from the view. It''s Xerxes on duty. And yet, for another 30-plus minute, I pampered myself with the solace that this bathroom has to offer, ignoring the call of the main butler... "Young master, I wouldn''t recommend you, staying in there for an extended period of time... That would put your health in deterioration, young master and we can''t let that be." Knocking yet again on the door, never relinquishing to wait, he again exclaimed... Well, he''s right. While I may find it too trivial to worry for my health in a sphere of a first-person illusion, I assuredly can''t afford to waste my time here devoid of merits. And also, I am rather curious, as to how it might feel to eat and dine, inside someone else''s Paradigm Shift. "Yes. I''m finishing up now." (...) I then got out from the bath, while Xerxes, the same from the other three previous butlers, is also carrying my bed-time essentials, who also has been waiting for me to finish this entire time... And I think I know where there is going... "I can change on my own... No need for you to accompany me for such a simple and natural task to do." I exclaimed, determined to maintain my right to privacy... Wait, was it always like this before?... Oh yeah. "While your brother, also persisted to do the same, I must insist young master. It''s a part of my job as the head servant to keep you sanitized and well-rested on the night," he replied, with a look of utter insisting. "I''m not changing my mind. You''re only wasting your time." "But young master!... You also need to finish dinner, have you forgotten? You''re the only one who has not yet eaten!" I then ignored him, quickly snatching the essentials from his hand, running through the stairs and on the hallways, which ultimately leads toward my spacious room, wearing nothing but a soaking-wet towel. Yet, the most important thing, is that I managed to escape from the grips of that agreement-driven head servant. I mean, there''s no way I''m letting some butler see me stark-nude. What is this, ''Black Butler''? Where I get to be Ciel Phantomhive and he gets to be Claude? Hmmm. Preposterous. I''m 18, in the body of a thirteen-year-old, and not to mention, that a lot of my perspectives have been altered the moment I started living with Gramma, and one thing of the much that I learned, is that letting someone change your clothes in these age-range, is palpably against any types of normalcy. (...) Assured that Xerxes decided to let me be, I then continued trending my feet towards the long and rather eerie Verandas. It''s night now, and I think that I''ve been on the bath for too long, that I did not even notice... Hmmm... ''30-plus minutes'' my ass... Along with the Verandas, I then noticed the exact same place, where my last endearment towards the moon happened... I stopped by, looking up, and there the main symbol of a night of derangement and of my unrivaled bad luck - the moon, in its phase called ''Waning Gibbous'', just before it being utterly full... And then, as I am busy assessing this visage of an ''earthly'' astronomical body... from my back, I noticed these reverberating footsteps, getting closer and closer, and from whence, emerged a young Maidservant, in the usual and prescribed attire, probably the same age as that soon-deranged-brother of mine, holding out both a teacup and a crystal-clear pitcher... And from her, malevolence... In the same tier to that of the pianist. "Oh, young master. What are you doing at these sleeping hours?... Please be ready for bed. The lights will soon be put off." She said, smiling, in a way, that if not because of my ability o see all of her malevolence, I could have had deemed her as a mundane household servant... which does not seem to be that way. Hmmm... people around these parts are really good at pretending huh... Being ignored, she bowed her head as per their customs, slowly facing away... "Where are you going?" I asked... "To your brother''s room, young master, to deliver his daily favorite tea." She answered as any maidservant would do. But... I''m sensing something quite not right. And while I may not be an expert on chemicals and drugs, my knowledge is enough to recognize them, from either smell or outward perception alone... "I''ll be going then, young master." "Wait..." I intervened, preventing her from going further any longer. "What is it, young master?" "That''s a drug, right?... right there, on the tea..." "Eh? No, young master! How could I even resort to such a meaningless betrayal?" "Then drink it." "Ok then, young master. I am saddened that you''re doubting my service, but to prove that I can be trusted, I will." Hmmm.., confident, now aren''t we? And I know that it''s peculiar. She then poured a glass and started drinking it, nonchalantly... Like there''s nothing to worry about, indeed... Yet, come on... Everyone knows that these dubious drugs can be designed by preference. And this, right there is made not to cause a quick cunning death, but to slowly kill, and that, it''s not something out from that drug used in Romeo and Juliet... I know that much. And... she said that this is a daily, favorite tea-routine of that man, right? Is he that quick to be played by someone false? No. The thought alone is implausible... "As you can see, young master, it''s safe! Do you want some?" "No, thank you." " 107 Primal Scion 3 : Failed Trigger-Happy "It''s actually pretty complex because there are two levels of reality in the narrative. One is what really took place, and the other is Spider''s poisoned version of what took place. " -Gabriel Byrne ? "As you can see, young master, it is safe! Do you want some?" She offered, closing our face''s distance, with rather this ominous demeanor. Something that looks like it literally came out from the whimsical ''Promised Neverland''s'' Sister Krone. A facade, that a legit and loyal servant knows that either he or she is not supposed to showcase in front of her young master. I peculiarly know that much... I mean, I was there in the job-hiring and in its prestigious orientations. And why did I not forget such unessential memory, you ask? I don''t know... (but I was pampered by many young maid onii-chans that day, which might spell a part of the answer. I mean, who would want to let go of such memory?... *Sigh*, what am I thinking... That''s just a mundane jest right there.) "No, thank you." I simply responded... maintaining my calm stature, which she did not even find to be weird coming from me, who is known to have had always acted frivolously all the time... And from that alone, I know that there''s something not right about her. "Well then... Your brother is waiting for this treat." She added, still with the ever-growing malevolence around her charisma. I get it... She''s treating me like a kid, and worse, one that should be taken lightly. "If you''ll excuse me, young master." Bowing her head, she turned away for good, towards that man, and with her, is a tea of slow-killing miasma. I do commend her guts on drinking a dose though, just to display that my doubt was at all cost, false and devoid of apparent evidence...as if she''s indeed being honest. But I know for sure, that she is everything except that. Now then... I got myself a new mystique spice eh. Do pardon, Xerxes, but I think I''m not going to sleep... just yet. (...) I then followed the maidservant, whilst making sure of the stealth... towards that room on the other side of the veranda. Like a kid, about to undercover a love affair of a friend with his domestic helper, (although realistically, I don''t know how that really works), I hid from one pillar to another, as the maidservant also began turning off the fluorescent lights, the grand chandeliers of gold, and several lampstands along the way. Killing two typical maidservant-tasks with the same stone... Although... putting a drug on your master''s favorite is assuredly atypical. And then she arrived... finding herself facing an aristocratic bedroom door, which belongs to the heir himself. A room that is the least acquainted with all of us in this household. Why? The answer is a reason that will automatically be flagged as ludicrous... No one dares to enter... not because he forbids us, but because we forbade ourselves. It''s his private space after all. And because of that, we really don''t know what lies beneath that door. If my juvenile personality back then could have been deceiving me, there might be a secret morgue inside or something... or even anything that can prove his mental damage, and here this maidservant is, outmaneuvering the household''s norms like it''s nothing. Yet honestly, not that I can recall seeing her face on the job hiring, or on one of the orientations that I can ''weirdly'' remember... She''s clearly an outcast, there''s no way my memory would fail me. And it''s on these types of a point where I would want to blurt out that my hypothesis, has been proven. Taking one final deep breath, she then knocked calmly on the door... "Master, your tea has been made ready... Can I enter?" She said... Hmmm... The statement looks plain, but certainly not as to how it was instructed in the orientations. First; Say ''excuse me'' or ''pardon'' if you''re intruding someone in their room at night. Second; What the hell is with that ''Can I enter?'' query?... It''s out of the picture. Seriously, that soon-to-be personality-unstable scion is not that stupid to give permission, right? "Enter..." The heir thought so otherwise. Nevermind... "Thank you, master..." The maidservant, obtaining the permission she needs, did not even scrape the dust off of her sandals on the rag she''s standing in, opened the door, and brazenly entered... What''s best, is that she left it slightly open, enough for me to catch a glimpse of what''s gonna happen inside. Feeling assured that both of their attention is now away from that door, I then sneaked in to take my very first peek of the unknown... and I, who just got transported to a peculiar realm, am talking about this, in the most sardonic way plausible. I then positioned myself as comfortable as I can, and from there, I saw... a normal room ( no matter how I look at it) of someone who''s about to take over the aristocracy for his generation... A bedroom that''s almost like the busiest office in the world. Not with a clandestine morgue but with cabinets of organized files and folders, not with a pile of bodies, but endless piles of papers... and on a wide and varnished wooden table, just beside his messy bed, is the heir himself... stamping papers one after the other, sealing them with the family crest in ink of maroon, like there''s no tomorrow... Hmm. From this perspective, I should not be surprised if his mental state is gonna snap anytime soon. Well, putting the surprise of a mundane look aside, the maidservant then approached the ever-busy heir, placing the teacup (of which she also drank off) on the barely cleared side within the reach of the scion himself, and started pouring the hot ''favorite'' tea... whilst her malevolence also started to be greater than that of before, probably in her assumed thought of instant success. "Well then master, you can''t drink it cold... " Implying that she wants the heir to drink it hot, she suggested. "Ah, right... Thank you." He then took a grip of the offered teacup and started sipping drops from it, nonchalantly... "I''ll be leaving then, master... I can''t disorganize you from your works" Seeing the heir take a single gulp of the tea, with a rather trained false-grin, she bowed down, hastily wishing to leave the room as soon as she can and with her... the false belief of premeditated victory. "Wait..." The heir intervened. "What is it, master?" "Leave the entire pitcher in her... It''s delicious." "Well, I''ll be glad to, master. It would be my pleasure..." She then placed the pitcher just beside the cup, and once again started to leave, feeling assured more than ever... and in a falsified belief, yet again... How can I come up with such a conclusion? Easy... If she did not succeed in tricking me into drinking a cup, then there''s no way that her chance of success against this revered scion to be equal with that of zero... It''s likely to be in the negative spectrum. "Wait..." The heir called out again, stopping the now-annoyed and nervous maidservant from ever leaving the room... "Would there be anything else?" "Who are you?" Yep... there goes... "Eh? What do you mean, master?" "Quit it... I don''t have time for such unintegral errands, but seriously... What''s in the tea?" Relinquishing his paper-stamping for a bit, he looked at the maidservant, and even though she''s facing away from me, I can tell, that the servant herself knows that she is in a pinch. "If you mean about the special recipe, it''s likely to be honey, master." "Honey, huh... What else?... Digoxin? Mixed with a little cyanide? It might be not the perfect time to say this, but that''s one bad combination. Did you take your chemistry class seriously? If you have had, however, mixed the first with an odorless compound other than cyanide which has an approximately 60 over 40 percent chance of not gushing forth a certain and specific smell when placed on liquids... your probability of success could have been a little bit higher... than zero that is." Damn... He even knows the exact names. "Eh?"The maidservant stood stunned. The heir then got up from his seat, looking very calm and composed, like he''s not even facing the slightest of threats. "Now tell me, undercover-assassin... What is it that you want? That you want to kill me that badly. Where did this command even come from?" An assassin? In this era? Could have named her, ''Hit-woman''... Ew, Actually that would do. The maidservant slash, assassin, however, is speechless... "Alas, I got an idea. It''s from that reckless pianist, right?" 108 Primal Scion 4 : Creed and Concei "This world is rotten, and those who are making it rot deserve to die. Someone has to do it, so why not me?" - Light Yagami, Death Note ? "It''s from that reckless pianist, right?" he asked, going around, orbiting the double-identity, almost like detaining someone who has done a crime worthy of a life without parole. Moreover, the false maidservant whom he called an ''Undercover Assassin'', reserved her right to remain silent. "Hmmm?? Why the quietude now of all time? You even got so far as to make me sip a rushed gulp, all for the name of drinking it at its ''best'' and ''most authentic'' temperature. Yet, just so you know... if you''re gonna trick someone like me, you''re gonna need a shenanigan that has been planned for an eon or so. Puny and hasty medieval tricks like poisoning my tea with Digoxin and Cyanide, then having it delivered via false maid is nothing but utter cowardice. Sorry, but this is just... not my cup of tea." he added sounding really scornful. "I rest my case." The false maidservant responded, forced to display an unshaken demeanor in front of the heir... "However, As per the Assassin''s final creed, under section 98, line number 83, I''m not tainting my reputable and undefeated name, without a single fight!!" With a ''genocider'' facade, ullage with adrenaline and thrill, she then commenced showcasing her true nature as someone who is one with the wilderness of either kill or be killed. From her sandal''s soles, came forth these cliched-sharp blades and just under her two sleeves, slid two identical, eastern-style serrated daggers with a dragon-shaped handle, and in their head, a considerably large chunk of concentrated diamonds, which both glyphs her expertise and successes in this deadly field of business and her ''undefeated record'' as an assassin-for-hire... Yet, this is futile, and I know why, more than anyone else... Having her identity unraveled, and her arsenal of blades in full assassination stance, she then made the first move, swaying her soles'' blades like its mere ballerina dancing, and at the same time, switching attack stances began continuously stabbing at the heir''s direction using the two daggers with an utmost four stabs per second... making the room even messier than it already is. Now with the pile of papers disorganized and the heir''s paperwork greatly disorientated. However, as presaged, it''s nothing but vain. The heir is not taking even the slightest of contact with her weapons, dodging the endless and deadly concussion, like it''s mere child''s play, and in his face, a smile, not of purity, but of his discernible belittling of the assassin. "An assassin is ought to resort through sneak attacks, not a head-on and fair battle. You know that right?... It should also be under your creed''s section 12, line number 45." In the middle of evading all of the deadly suites of attacks, he exclaimed. "As expected of an aristocrat''s descent. I commend you, for knowing our creed, even if you are far from being one yourself!" She continued on her hopeful vigor to plunge even a single edge of her weapons on any part of the heir''s body, yet everything is mundanely near miss. "*Sigh*... This is futile." Having said that, with the looks of a disappointed target, the heir got ready to advance into the offensive, and hastily gets a handful of papers from piles that withstood all of the assassin''s actions, and began throwing it up on the air, distorting the clear visage of the surroundings. The assassin, unable to know where her target is, and with the heir''s move a bit impossible to hindsight, she began randomly swaying her blades, clean cutting the papers on-air, while marking the red-carpeted-floors with dents... And not feeling the success of the random hacks, she ceased... only to see the heir, seated and rather relaxed... with a smirk on his face, and his feet on the table. Yep... the niche position of every MAFIA''s boss'' debut in both anime and in western movies... "Chill... I''m not planning to kill anyone who is proven integral for my plans... And fortunately, that includes you." He exclaimed. Plans huh... He better not have killed all of them because of their ''insignificance'' in this whatnot plan he wishes to undertake. And then again, I know, it''s not like I can do anything that can change even the slightest of the present, as per said by Azazel... This is just a first-person interactive illusion, so to say. (...) "Well, Mr. Scion, sir, It''s my bad..." She said, while slowly sitting down on the messy bed, relaxing down her felt-adrenaline... Almost like she''s now welcomed, being carefree that she''s in this room that none of us would even dare to enter. "I never knew that underestimating someone like you would bring me this much sudden karma... but yeah, you''re right. I might as well be useful, but for a price, of course. Yet, for now, I''m an assassin, hired by Lady Selene. I can''t sign another contract without having completed the previous one. It''s professionalism." added the maid... opening up a lollipop that she recently brought out from one of her sleeves which seemed to have this secret undercover pockets or something. "Hmm. Professionalism indeed, but corrections, you failed..." "Failed indeed... Well, from the start, it''s not like my task is to utterly kill you, so I reckon this is only on the ''semi-loss'' spectrum. " "''Semi-loss''? Is there something like that? Whatever...And why would she do this unintegral threat?" "Come on... It''s not like you have not known her... She''s bored. She wants to brisk the leisure turn of events... She can''t wait any longer of this grand-scale plan that you two is about to spearhead." "*Sigh*... Look, we''re never getting anywhere if we''re too hasty. Everything must be in accordance with the flowchart... Besides, tomorrow night, we''re taking the first step... and the success rate is at a minimum of a hundred percent." "A hundred huh... How convenient. As expected from the heir himself." "And from there, commences the new world order... One that we will create, ourselves." New World Order?... What is this, a conceited cult? (...) "Hmmm... World Order Indeed...Oh and uh, sorry for the mess." "No need to worry... It''s not like this family will need all of this paperwork anyway... Now, you should probably come up with a rapport to your contractor on how you failed tonight... And do update her that the preparations are now all brought to fruition, and that, tomorrow night, the primal steps to our providence will take place, without fail..." "Yeah, I probably should, if I don''t want any of my cosplay effort today to be demonetized. And I sure can''t wait to take off this itchy maidservant attire... Oh and one last thing..." "What?" "Advanced Happy Birthday." With that being said, the assassin jumped out from the window without any hesitation... Okay, what just happened? 109 Death Parade "We''ve eased each other''s boredom for quite a while... It''s been quite fun." - Ryuk ? Amidst it all, auto-playing in circles upon my head is ''Moonlit Night'' by Hayashi Yuki, of which I commend to be one of the most classical-themed contemporary pieces there are, and is also, one of my favorites, despite its title also emblazoning the ''moon''- a constant sign that everything''s gonna turn upside-down, not yonder. (...) New World Order. An assassin hired by the trusted pianist herself. This so-called plan that should follow a certain flowchart, and that... tomorrow, it all commences. These are but a few of the things that have deprived me of my sleep that one remaining night of bloodless solace... Why? It''s not because I''m all particularly troubled by not knowing any of what half of those really means. It''s me realizing how dumbfounded I was during these days, to be so lenient, not even taking heed of the most obvious peculiarities. I get that my frivolousness and nonchalance back then was quite stellar, but I never knew of my ignorance, and as to where it led me... is grotesque beyond compare. Looking back, I hate myself. This is why the younger we are, the better it is to get rid of our immaturity, even if it means abolishing the adventurous side of youth. Well, it''s not like everyone could approve of that either. And hell, the holy bible is even against this idea... It''s a matter of perspective. For some, enjoying the ephemeral youth is something natural, but apparently, for me and merely for the rest of this household, it should be the vice versa. And because of defying that certain norm of the top familial echelons, even if it was far from being called a ''natural law''... I paid the consequence, which is heavier than the equivalence. And also, here I am... about to interactively reminisce the most grotesque picture of my past''s black canvas again, and yet, only this time, in a more realistic way- certain degrees more than that everyday nostalgic nightmares I''m having randomly for the past few years. (...) Without having any sleep, and with a quite considerable amount of this illusory''s timeframe used in self-pondering I now, am standing in the mansion''s grand hall, as everyone''s busy of the final preparations... with maids, butlers, and henchmen, united, on setting the most perfect atmosphere they could think of, for this event hours from now... Moreover, as for me, I''m quite busy bombarding myself with repetitive questions...One; What is it that the Patriarch is trying to achieve by showing me all of this? It''s unlikely I will die just because of a little reminiscing (so I hope). Two; How does this Paradigm Shift really work? As unacquainted as I am, I have no choice but to hold on to Azazel''s redundant explanation, and that everything that I''m doing here, no matter if it is not, or in accordance to my acts in the past, it''s not gonna change anything...Finally, three; What else am I missing to finally complete the picture-perfect of a moonlit derangement? With the birthday boy himself, out of the picture, probably now in a hectic and pressurized schedule for the upcoming occurrence, and for his plans'' undertaking that has this so-approximated ''hundred percent probability'' of going his way, everything around me ... seemed to fasten up a bit. Like there''s a hidden television remote, being controlled, forwarding the scenarios, four times than the normal speed. 6 AM... they started cleaning both the front and the back yard, leveling the grass by a certain inch without any taint of imperfection... 8 AM... General cleaning of the household''s interior. 10 AM... they started cleaning up the halls, decorating it, not with the typical birthday-party displays, but with quiet grandeur ones. They set seats up, and with them, three lavish long tables that extend all throughout the hall, all covered with this royal blue silk... 12 PM... Rejuvenated the overall look of the mansion through refurbishing its externals with new white paint, which adds even more glory to the aloft picture prior. 3 PM... Everyone rested up for a bit... 4 PM... Placed red-cardinal carpet from the gates, towards the main venue from which nobles and their varied carriages from all throughout the land will not yonder trend. 5 AM... Everyone begins to dress up. The maids in their newest maid outfits. Butlers in their expensive suits... Henchmen in their formal attires which was given for free... Xerxes, the head servant in his white tuxedo, and his ever-silent daughter, in her white dress, signifying their quite-high position as the most trusted duo. "Young master... why don''t we get you dressed up now too? Miss Jean and your older brother has already worn their new apparel." Asked Xerxes, as he approached me... "I''ll do it myself..." "Bu-" "No buts..." "Y-yes young master... but please do hasten. We only have less than an hour before they will arrive, together with the Master and the Mistress herself. I bet you''re excited to meet them after all these months..." "Hmmm... Yeah, probably. I''m gonna go change now." "Okay, young master. Once you''re done, I will be the one to pick you out from your room, together with Miss Jean." With that being said, I got back to my room and wore my uncomfortable formal attire... Hmmm... I remember all of this quite grandly. And as I reckon, I know that it will all happen very soon. But, why was I asleep this time again? I remembered being bored from watching all of the preparation. Yet, I don''t remember going back to my room to change at all. nor attending the event itself. All I know that night is that I was oversleeping, and when I woke up, the event has long-ended... and, feeling that I was missing something of value, I rushed through the verandas to meet my entire family in the living room... which is quite a rare gathering. Why? They''re always away... Not your paternal and maternal materials. I can''t even recall having them on one of my Christmas''. They''ll just send expensive traditional puzzle games and imported books from overseas and that''s it. There are times that they can surprise visit us, but that''s annual without a specific date and would last for only about a month or less. Yet, the fun at those times when they do come back really is very memorable, which adds to its value in my memory, making them harder to forget... Not that I was unable to understand why they''re doing this. I understood so much that they are busy maintaining our family''s stature abroad. And so I cared so little for the details. As long as I, the primal scion himself, and my little sister can feel them exist, it was more than fine... And... of all times that they should have chosen to go home, it''s this night, the appointed birthday of the heir... How unfortunate. (...) Quarter to 6 PM... They lit every room, putting the decorative lampstands in its appointed places, turned on the luxurious fountain on the front yard, and have had lightened up the grand chandelier in the hall''s center. And not yonder... The gates have been finally opened... And as I observed from my room''s window, from the horizon came forth these carriages of the nobles, making their way towards the gates... It''s a parade towards death, little did they know... "Hey, Jaiden. Why are you spacing out of all times?" Jean''s voice suddenly came into the background as I was rather busy observing the carriages which have the country''s total net worth combined. I looked at her direction, and I see her quite feeling nervous. "Jean... Stay in this room." So, I wanted to say but kept it to myself as that would achieve nothing but a hopeless romantic with the impossible. I know too well, that whether I want it or not, I''m gonna see her, first-hand, grovel in blood soon together with the also upcoming Master and Mistress- my father and my mother, all in our little reunion... "Jean... Stay by my side, okay?" words like that came out voluntarily... I was hoping ''let''s die together okay?'', but I can''t forget now that I will be the one to be left... "Okay... Will you protect me?" She responded and on return, a question that I did not expect. Why say that now of all times... "Yes, your highness." With a straight lying face, I replied... "Good... " "Jean..." "Yes?" "It was fun... being your brother." "Well, I really can''t argue with that... It was also fun... being your sister. Thank you, Jaiden... for all." She replied, not even wondering as to why we said that like it''s our last day together... well, it is... (...) As we were both in my room, with me giving it my all to see her smiles, whilst witnessing the carriages getting closer and closer, another image is slowly eating up the skies... Yes. The abnormally-gargantuan full moon, soon to showcase its full gallant radiance upon us all. Then, three knocks from the head servant himself suddenly disturbed us in our sight-seeing... "Oh, Miss Jean, so you''re both here... Are you both ready my young master and mistress? We''ve received a prompt that along with those carriages are your beloved parents. Shall we go meet them first? Your brother is also in the hall, waiting for both of you to be with him on the greetings." "Oh my, Yes! I wonder what books do they have with them this time." Jean shouted ecstatically, looking forward of the reunion gifts that they always have with them, the moment they''ll come home. 110 A Counterfeit of the Former "Nice words and nice appearance doesn''t conclude that someone is nice, I believe that the nicer you look, the more deceptive you appear." D Michael Bassey Johnson ? With the guards on their watch, randomly scouting the entire vicinities whilst making sure that they''re not that plain in sight, and as the gates, were made to open, everyone begins showcasing their aristocratic lineage, and it''s not just them... I, Jean, the Heir, together with the head servant, and accompanied by the well-prepared maidens and henchmen displaying themselves in an array. found ourselves at the aristocratic front door to meet the nobles and greet them with the warmest of hails... "Welcome to the Cendrillon Household!" loudly greeted the maids synchronically as they positioned themselves along the pathways as the noble guests gracefully got out from their individual carriages, whilst the henchmen also took their initiative to escort the visitors through the laid red carpet in the pathways, towards the house''s main door, towards us... The guests, they were all, in their finest elite stature... There were young ones and as well as advanced ones at their individually valuable-looking apparel. Well, it''s not like we''re all different at all...And yet, looking at this site, the richest ones all gathered in one place... it is really the typical scenario on which someone would soon exploit. "Here they come, young masters and young lady...." Signaled Xerxes, seeing the first myriad wave of the visitors making their way towards us. "Good evening Mada''am Baskerville..." Greeted the heir to an old lady with a hairdo which is alike to that of Louis XIV of France, while I and Xerxes followed respect in-suite, bowing as per the customs. Jean, however, is ecstatic to soon see our parents which could be one of the masses approaching, and is rather unattentive of the guest... the Baskerville however, paid her no extravagant heed. "Ah, Mister Raiden! I''m so happy to see you grew up to be the fine young men your parents always wanted you to be! Happy Birthday young heir!" Responded, the old lady. And beside her were three well-presented young girls, all looking shy, with one about the age of him, and are standing in awe of seeing the heir personally. Well, our aristocracy was revered as hell, but I never realized it up until now... the glory of which our last names indulged in, for generations. "Well, of course, Madame. " He answered looking very calm, acting in the way that he is expected to act.... but this, character, however, will fade, likely hours from now... What would I expect nonetheless? It''s fake! "Oh, by the way, these three here are my daughters. This here is Aria, about the same age as you... I wouldn''t mind if you two get acquainted with each other. " Added the Lady, while this Aria begins to fluster. Talk about the cliched way of daughter presentation on some fairy tales. Well, it''s not like I don''t understand that this is in fact, a very effective way of enforcing diplomatic relations, but "Hey... Do you know you''re introducing your daughter to a deranged killer?" So, I wanted to say, but have kept the statement clandestine. Silence is sometimes a virtue after all, especially if the case is meritless. Hmmm... Now that I think of it. This is quite a significant amount of time that I wasted inside this illusion. Then again, it''s about to end anyway, and spoilers, which are ''not-so'', everything ended up in disaster, with everything spiraling out from the mundane. "Good evening young miss'' of the Baskervilles. It''s a pleasure to have all of you in here." Greeted the heir to the three daughters instead of only the one being brazenly featured. The response, however, is apparently an implication that he''s rather not the romantic type. Hmm. We do have some blatant pointers of similarities after all... The Baskervilles, moving on, and the three girls looking ecstatic having received a greeting from the primal scion and all, were then escorted by a maid as they made it through us, towards the grand hall. And then, followed... that malevolent perverted pianist, and in her hand, the same bag... which made it past the guards again... It''s not like we have invitations and all, but she should have been considered as an uninvited, especially that the head servant himself sense that something is quite unsettling with her... "Good evening Miss Selene. I''m glad you could make it." "Happy birthday my precious student... Well, I came here to witness your performance, of course, nothing less, and way more...." Way more indeed... This right here has a clear role of the derangement that is soon to emerge, and I was blind having her uncared for on my radars back in those nonchalant days. "You better not fail the master and the mistress'' expectations okay?" "Yes, Miss Selene." She then proceeded but stopped along the way to pay heed to me as well. "Oh, Jaiden, are you feeling well?" "Yes..." "Good to know." She then entered the hall... And likely, here it was, the biggest mistake ever... letting her in, still with that malevolent charisma that I alone can see in these mundane crowd... And oh, it''s not just her. With her appearance, she seemed to have awakened up a demon from within in someone else''... The heir also begins to display this fair share of the malevolent aura (which certainly is a natural reaction of an accomplice), while still maintaining his fake noble statures, meeting and greeting the visitors and being greeted back. (...) As almost everyone got inside the hall, and while Jean, herself can hardly maintain her excitedness to see mom and dad, someone from the fewer crowd stepped up... and he looks very familiar, while I know myself, that this is the first time I got in a crossroad with such a persona. " An ambient evening to you, heir of the Cendrillons. Happy birthday. I''m looking forward to more ties with your household''s companies." Greeted the man with an enlightened and smiling demeanor. He is in a black suit that stands out from the crowd, all because of a lotus symbol embroidered perfectly in the shoulder part. He has deep sharp blue-green eyes that say his role in the busy economy, tall in height, and is very flinty in his stance, "Oh, Mr. Reignsworth! Thank you for your attendance. We, too, hope for unsevered future ties with you." Reignsworth? Wait... What''s this man''s connection with Celes? He then entered the halls with a very chill facade which is in opposition to his poses. And while I am introspecting on his possible identity, not to mention that he greatly has similarities with that famed classmate of mine, now in that another world, something took my senses back, almost suddenly... "Mom! Dad!" Shouted Jean... And in there, last to make their appearance... is the households'' Master and the Mistress herself... Mom and dad... Jean then ran as fast as she could and is then met by an embrace from both of them without delays... A typical reaction of the youngest offspring finally reuniting with her parents, although it was not the typical ''decades-long-since-we-last-met'' types of Otome game-scenarios. "Yow! My young bois!" Shouted dad, informally... "Hey, watch your mouth!" reacted mother, who acts as an informality filter to the master himself. "Oops... sorry. Hehehehe " The two of them, receiving special and kind regards from the excited maidservants and henchmen, especially Xerxes himself, then faced the both of us, the heir, and me, being the secondary scion. ''Welcome back... Mom and Dad!" Greeted the heir with a very cheerful demeanor, and yet, I can see too clearly that he''s nothing but fake ever since the appearance of that pianist, showcasing a counterfeit persona of his former self before he and that accomplice of his began to plan this mystique cultist movement... that commences tonight. "Oh, our heir finally growing up! Happy birthday Raiden!" Greeted mother. "Yes finally... Now I can somehow relax even for a bit. Happy birthday, son! And long time no see to all of you!" Dad, undaunted of his informality hugged us all... "Hey, you''re hugging a counterfeit version of the son, that you always wanted!" So, I wanted to say but kept it to myself. "Oh, Jaiden! How are you!?!?!" He then patted me on the head, enough to somehow deform my well-groomed hair. "Did you know that after you were killed by your beloved son, I was taken by a Grandma whose existence you hid from me, had connections with a Goddess, and is now on another world and that all of this, including you, is an illusion?" So, I wanted to say, but have kept the words unsung, for saliva conservational purposes. "Fine." I replied, with a smile that I would like to deem as ''warm'' and somehow the type to not make them worry at all. "Good boy... Ok, shall we now commence this birthday party? We have a lot to talk about after this you know?" "Well of course!" Added father, while Jean continues to happily cling to both of them. "Then, please follow me, my Masters and Mistresses. Everyone is waiting inside... right this way... " Xerxes guided... and we followed in suit, acting as the family, an aristocracy, that everyone so reveres... And so, commences the atypical birthday party soon to be added a mixture of madness and a little spice of utter derangement.