As Juno and Riki faced off against Kanoko Amiya, the energy that brought forth from them joining hands surged throughout the spirit world. And within one far off corner of the spirit world, a sleeping dragon stirred, interested in what was disrupting his nap. It was Gronkilius, the Continental Lord, one of the Ancient Dragons of the world who predate some of the gods themselves. He briefly looked across the endless stretches of fog and shifting terrain, everchanging as the spirit world reacted to the mortal world.

In the distance, a huge beam of light shot into the sky. It seemed to tear through The Fabric of The World, and for the briefest of instances, felt as if it was supported by the Origin Tree, also known as the World Tree. He could feel the very nature of the land twist and change to accommodate it, as if the Origin Tree was supporting this unnatural event. And yet, it appeared such an unnatural event was born of coincidence and chance, it was not the act of some depraved individual, but something born of kindness and friendship. It had a warm feeling to it, like a warm summer breeze brushing against one's cheek.

"Oh, what is this I sense? A rending of space and time, a spiritual energy most unusual. Nothing overwhelmingly powerful about it...but it is quite unique".

He pondered what he sensed, mulling over the energy. It surged and satiated, as it soon began to fade. The Fabric of The World soon repaired itself, and thus the damage was all but erased in an instant.

"How interesting. It appears to be quite the irregularity. Perhaps too much of an irregularity...for it to tear The Fabric, not even the most powerful of powerful beings can do that. Which means, one of them may possess some sort of unnatural ability".

The Dragon briefly considered moving, when a silver dragon suddenly put its claw on his arm to stop him.

"Belliarla?"

The silver dragon shook her head. "You must not act, Gronkilius. This is what we have grandkids for".

"Hmmf. Those brats are barely even five hundred. What about our kids?"

"You know very well, once us Ancient Dragons get old enough, we must avoid impacting the world. That is what we agreed to in the Pact of the World".

"But there are exceptions that exist, such as this irregularity. It tore through the Fabric of the World, and yet the Origin Tree supported it? It is far too strange".

Belliarla looked over in the distance, as a beam of light shot into the sky. She shook her head.

"No, not this time. Not this irregularity. Besides, I need your help quelling the dissenters".

"This irregularity is not something we can leave to others, Belliaria. My sweetest of dreams, this is a matter for us Elders among the Ancient Dragons".

"No, I have seen the future weave. This is something we must not get involved in yet, and it won't be an issue for us. We have to let events play out, while monitoring the players involved. Thus, we will send our grandkids to investigate. I will tell them to remain disguised as merchants the whole way".

"Who will you send? Riothalius? Mizrivarli? Toraloria? Its hard to see any of them taking the merchant job seriously enough to actually pass for one".

"I was thinking Azmaria".

"That boy? You know how emotional he can get".

"He is also the one who will least upset the Ancient Pact. You only complain because you dote on him way too much".

"He only just reached four hundred years old!"

"He is capable. Besides, we have other issues to look into..."

"Very well..."

He looked over at the distortion.

"WIsh I could have seen it myself. It looks so interesting over there".

----------------------------------------

Juno was standing in the middle of what appeared to be a strange vortex. It almost felt like the spirit world, but it was different. His clothes had disappeared completely, and in the middle there appeared to be a transparent screen with writing on it. It was identical to the situation Kuroki found himself in at the end of the Azralia-Goblin conflict. When he invoked Flopsy's Last Wish.

This time, Juno stood there. He walked up to it, and for him, the screen said something completely different. As he read it, it felt like it spoke directly into his head.

Would you like to invoke The Last Wish?

He felt that it wasn't his wish it was talking about this time, but someone else's. In this case, it was talking about Riki's Last Wish.

Even though Riki should be dead, and should have only been here as a projection, such an option was presented to Juno.

Could this happen to anyone? Did Riki somehow count as a Starfallen? Juno felt like this was a once in a thousand years situation, something that should never normally happen. He instinctively sensed that, and that something else was causing it.

The only reason Riki was even here was because deep down, Juno wanted his friend back. Even though his heart had healed long ago, thanks to Reiji and everyone else. But this loss had driven him to who he became, and thus was a core part of him. The Starfall resonated with that, but it could not bring the dead back to life.

And yet, here Juno stood, having met Riki, and now looking at the ability to invoke Riki's Last Wish. Riki's spirit was brought forth by a wish. He was a projection, but his spirit merged with the projection before it could fade away. Still, this was the spirit world. It would eventually fade away anyways. But because Riki's spirit was only here thanks to a wish in the first place, and because of the enormous power that was used to trigger this Starfall, some of that power soaked into the spirit. And thus, before it faded away, it acted as a pseudo-Starfallen. Because this Starfall was breaking a lot of the normal rules anyways, something like this happened.

And thus, although none of Riki's wishes were granted, the potential was there. Surging. So much that his Last Wish could be invoked.

Juno had been there when he died as well, he heard his last words. He knew what the Last Wish was.

And so, he put his palm on the screen and hit yes.

"I invoke the Last Wish!"

----------------------------------------

As the light faded, Juno and Riki found themselves still together as the world became clear to them both. A strange energy felt like it was flowing between them, but that wasn't all that seemed to happen. Juno's bow was shining as it transformed before his very eyes, but his whole body as well as Riki's was glowing as well. His hair, which was already long enough to cover his ears and reach about neck height in various areas, suddenly grew longer to his shoulders. This wasn't so much as growth, as if he had any heigth increase, it would have been by less then five centimeters. Instead, it felt like his body was overflowing with vitality.

Strength and spiritual energy surged within him, and even his mana felt more. Like he might be at least part mage now. But it was his spiritual energy that really seemed to surge, as if he was becoming a spiritual archer or Spirit Rogue. It was not to the level of becoming a superhuman or an OP isekai protagonist, but it certainly felt like he upgraded beyond the norm.

They looked up to see Kanoko Amiya, looking kind of irritated.

"I don't know what that was, but I will just kill you here!"

She jumped down as several flaming bolts rained down at him, clearly some form of magic as she wielded a giant signboard as a weapon.

Riki meanwhile raised his hand instinctively to brace, but instead somehow created a magic barrier around them, blocking all the firebolts.

"Woah, what was that? And what...is this?"

Juno now had a new bow. It was a bow that was red and silver, with some purple designs on the red parts. The ends of the bow were bladed, and the string appeared to be made of some strange material he could not identify. It appeared the bow could be split in half by the handle as well, turning it into dual daggers, which seemed to make the string disappear when it happened. When it reconnected, the string appeared again.

But even more then that, Riki felt like he was bound to the weapon, and to Juno. He felt more solid as well, as if he had been. And he was able to use magic and spiritual energy, far more then he could before. He also felt like he had gained more weapons he could summon.

Juno fired two arrows, which went faster and stronger then any he had fired before. It shattered the barriers Kanoko set up, and while she was able to cut through them, a fragment of one cut her cheek, spilling out a tiny bit of blood. Riki meanwhile summoned various flamebolts around himself, and unleashed a barrage on her. She cut through some and dodged others, but Juno lined up his next arrow and fired. She stepped to dodge, but the ground where she was going to step was blasted away. Riki had apparently done that when she wasn't looking, and it messed up her footing. This let Juno get a good hit right in her heart, sending her flying back as a corpse.

"Such a shame this won't remove the threat she poses in the real world" Juno muttered, as her projection disappeared. "Still, I was a bit worried just outright killing her might make me fail".

"No. I believe this trial was testing your combat skills while under mental duress" Riki mentioned. "I am pretty sure I only manifested here because it was to make you face your regret, and see if you could push past it in the heat of battle".

"Right...really?"

"Well, I don't really know. I kinda...broke off from the norm. But it looks like the trial was completed?"

"It kinda feels like everything is going wonky".

Riki frowned, and suddenly summoned several firebolts as he looked in the direction of the mountain.

"Its possible these trials have been enhanced and corrupted by an outside force. I can sense one side having memories twisted and implanted, to make an illusion and make them suffer. But most of the malice...I feel from the mountain. Something strange is happening, we should regroup with the others, and do it fast".

Juno grimaced. "Is it that bad?"

"If you think this got a bit weird, well...I feel like its affecting the other two even more then us. We have to run and hurry!"

And so, with those words, Juno and Riki raced out the doors.

----------------------------------------

At the same time all of that was going on, Akano was sitting on the floor, thinking about everything that has happened between then and now. How many times he could have told Kuroki but didn't. All the reasons, and all the excuses. An impossible scenario for a child to deal with, and yet one he felt like he should have long ago.

Riza spoke the truth to him. He knew that. And yet, the faintest part of his voice felt like he was judging Akano as well. And that there was something Akano should know, should realize from this. But the guilt was clouding him, eating away at him like an alien parasite inside his stomach. He felt so terrible, and yet he also knew that he was too young to have made the right decision. That perhaps there was no right decision to begin with.

So he tormented himself and toiled, as he thought about everything. His parents, the fact that the bastard knew the whole time, the fact that he had been played for a fool all this time. Something in his head was buzzing also, an ache that was adding to the pressure he faced.

All of this was hitting Akano, and yet there was something else. As he sat in the room, his knees tucked into his chest, he felt like something was off. He knew something was off. And yet, he couldn't quite place what it was. Something was nagging at him, like an itch you couldn't figure out where it was, or a smell that you just couldn't locate.

Something was off about this whole thing. But what was it?

"Something here is wrong" Akano spoke aloud.

"What makes you think that?"

"This whole scenario feels...off. Out of place. Why did I know it was this building? When I couldn't even see it? Is that really the power of the spirit world?"

Riza watched him as Akano started to speak, standing up from his spot finally. An amused grin plastered across his face, he offered no words or advice. Nothing to bring about the solution. From this point on, Akano had to work it out on his own, while Riza's projection stood there, now dressed like Sherlock Holmes for some strange reason.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Is this what I am really remembering...is everything here actually the way it was..."

An impossible scenario...for an impossible crime. Kuroki's dad is a shitty person, but...

"...is this really the truth? The spirit world obscures and clarifies both. It reflects, but also...it refracts. Its not a perfect duplication, its a fragmented duplication. Doors on the second floor can lead to skyscraper roof tops. Objects can float, elevators can appear. The physical of this world can shift, but what about the mental?"

Akano swept away the dust in the air, and as he did, the room widened as well. Boxes were pushed to the side, and the empty apartment was now cleared.

"What is wrong with this scenario".

Akano knew now. He knew what was bugging him. Something about his memory was corrupted. But then how? And why?

"Kuroki's mom is dead. This is the one fact I can say for certain is true".

Riza nodded, agreeing. It wasn't a question after all.

"And without a doubt, it was Kuroki's dad that killed her".

Riza nodded again, a bit too vigorously.

"And he loves to torment those who interfere with his dreams, to punish them for getting in the way of his desires. He wanted to be a champion, and now he wants to live that vicariously through his son. And the more he was rejected, the worse he went down the rabbit hole".

Akano didn't even need to look at Riza to know he was nodding, and giving two thumbs up.

"However, he isn't an idiot. He wouldn't do anything to expose himself. Which means...this memory can't be right. In this abandoned apartment, there are too many people around. Too many potential witnesses. And even if he was watching me, even if he used her phone to message me...there is no guarentee I would have come alone. Again, Kuroki's father knows enough to avoid self destruction".

Akano paced around the room, thinking.

"Which means...a lot of things. My arrival probably wasn't planned. But I did witness something. Something traumatic enough to get jumbled up in my head".

Akano turned around, and looked right at Riza.

"You...or rather, the real Riza. He knew somehow. He figured it out, based off of just how Kuroki was acting. That's why you are following me right? Because you figured out she died already. Maybe even figured out the whole crime already".

"Well I can't answer fully for the real Riza, but yes...he likely did figure out a good bit. He knew quite a lot by this point. That is all I can say however. This is your trial after all. So, why not try to figure out the case?"

Akano paced around.

"Unraveling what happened all those years ago...that is my trial. Because I got something wrong. I have been getting something wrong for years. My memory got jumbled up, which caused me to misremember things. But I did get a text on my phone..."

Akano looked at his elementary school phone, which had appeared in his hand.

"The text was sent after she died...but perhaps also after I witnessed what was going on. Witness...wait, hold on. That is it!"

Akano realized the next inconsistency with his memory.

"I wasn't with Kuroki. His mom wasn't with Kuroki. His dad wasn't with Kuroki. Based on my memory, Kuroki himself was missing. He was only eight, if no one was with him, on the day his mother disappeared, then he would have known! He would have noticed something was off, especially if my behavior changed!"

He doubted his father would allow such a flimsy alibi as well. He isn't around when his wife goes missing? Something doesn't add up there.

But that was where Akano hit a roadblock.

"The text...wait, if there had...uhg...what is going on?"

Something was wrong with this. Akano knew this. The more he questioned, the stranger it got. Like a square peg into a round hole.

He knew Kuroki's mother was dead. He knew his father did it. He knew, he knew, he knew. But was this really how it happened? Did he really see it like this?

He had been a young boy when this happened. He witnessed something that traumatized him. He witnessed something that made him shut up out of fear. But then what happened?

"Getting rid of the body...something happened. If she disappeared, there would have been an investigation..."

Riza nodded.

"Indeed. And if there was an investigation, they would have asked you these things. And they would have noticed your turmoil. But she did disappear, so there was certainly an investigation...they never found the body however, and Kuroki never heard of it. So the body wasn't found, and he never heard you found it".

The room seemed to reverberate. Akano knew he couldn't remember something important. Something vital.

"...I witnessed her die..."

"...and?"

"...and I forgot. It was so traumatic that I forgot. The text never existed, the turmoil inside my heart made it up. My subconscious created all of this...because I couldn't remember the truth. None of these things happened, that is the answer!"

Riza clapped. "The thing about fake memories and dreams created from trauma is that, if you really pay attention instead of avoiding them, you notice things don't add up. What you said about Kuroki's father, being pathological and a narcissist is true. If he wasn't so cautious, the things you remembered might have actually happened".

"Why did this place construct a fake memory and make me go through that?" Akano questioned.

"Because by deconstructing the fake, you can reach the true memory. Nothing is left to chance, not a thing".

Suddenly, the two of them were in Kuroki's house, in Kuroki's room. A young Akano and Kuroki were sleeping soundly, an empty glass of milk next to each of them. However, right outside the door, loud shouting could be heard.

"A sleepover..."

"Yes. Both of you fast asleep. But..."

"I can't believe we slept through this racket".

Riza shook his head.

"Put the clues together. Remember who you are dealing with".

"...the clues...the milk...wait, were we..."

"Indeed. Sleeping drugs".

"Wait, I can't possibly know that for sure" Akano argued, causing Riza to give out an exasperated sigh.

"Listen okay, I can only narrate for your subconscious as best as I can. Yes, maybe you can't know for a fact. But we can infer based on what we do know. One of the things we know is that Kuroki's father is not a doctor, so while careful..."

At those words, Akano got up. Who could only say why, as Akano remembered none of this. Still, he went to the door, and peeked through the cracks, looking mostly asleep still. Likely the drugs still in his system.

And that was when it happened. She said that she was taking Kuroki and leaving, tired of watching him descend into what he became, from the person he used to be. He, descending into his obsession, attacked her...and murdered her right in front of Akano, without realizing it. Akano retreated back into bed, and hid there, unfortunately with the drugs in his system he actually did go back to sleep.

"The drugs prevented your brain from fully processing it, but it processed enough. And then as you got older, and it tried to, it created fake memories that tormented you. Thus leading to the current scenario. Well, that, or the spirit world actually created it all from scratch just to lead you to this truth. Frankly it could go either way".

"I can't tell if you are actually trying to be helpful or unhelpful".

"Well, I am just a projection. When you meet the real Riza, ask her".

"Uh huh".

Akano would need to find out what city they are in first, although he had hopes that given they were all able to meet up in the spirit world so fast, they were not too far apart physically.

Still, he had faced the truth of this place, and learned the truth. His guilt was built upon a truth and a lie, a snowball that went out of control since he couldn't process the truth. And also, while they were indeed arguing...the murder was premeditated. Without a doubt, he murdered her according to a plan. That was a crime no matter how you looked at it. And since Kuroki's house was just a short distance from the mountains...it would have been easy to quickly drive there and hide the body.

Finally, it felt like his head was clearing...while Riza watched him from behind.

It appears he is finally making progress. That is the tricky thing with memory. They are just so malleable and fragile. I wonder though, if he will soon figure out that secret.

While thinking such things, Akano was still bugged by something.

"Then why wasn't there an investigation still?"

Riza let out a sigh.

"There probably was one, you just don't remember it. I mean, you were eight".

"I think I would remember speaking to the cops about it".

"I doubt the cops would speak to a child when they don't even have a body. Or any witnesses. Especially one who is eight years old. Plus, didn't he have friends in the police?"

"Oh...I see. Right, yeah. So his friends probably just took his word with it".

"Exactly".

With that last question cleared up, a door appeared in front of Akano.

"It is time to go to the next stage".

And with that, Akano pushed the door forward.

----------------------------------------

At the same time, Kuroki was at the mountain, fighting off a horde of monsters as well as keeping watch on Obito Wakina. He did not attack himself yet, but instead ordered others to. He did the exact same thing in reality, so Kuroki wasn't overly surprised by this.

The goblins and orcs appeared to be mirrors of their real world counterparts. Kuroki had far less issues dealing with goblins now, having experience fighting and killing them in the fields around the city during the big battle, as well as inside of the forests and sewers beforehand. However, as he pierced through several goblins with lightning bolts, he had to create an ice shield suddenly to block an attack from an orc.

The orcs were by far the more dangerous ones. They were at least a threat the guild would list as D or C rank, and being humanoids, they could use weapons and armor. That said, they were only humanoid in the terms of general body shape, nothing about them looked human, and not even pig. They just appeared ugly and gross, and were large walking piles of muscle that saw humans as food and prey.

Kuroki's ice shield was shattered, and the orc managed to hit him. Kuroki reinforced that side with a quick mana cushion, a technique Amyris taught him that was essential for mages who found themselves in close quarters. Thankfully, the ice shield and the cushion avoided any serious damage, but his arm was throbbing from the force of the impact all the same.

Kuroki's ice warriors were holding the line however, so only a few monsters got through to Kuroki. He would have been dead already if he let them keep the numbers advantage. Still, he couldn't drop his guard clearly. The muddy ground was playing havoc with his footwork too, but he once again slammed his foot down into it to dig past the mud and take up solid ground, supporting himself once more.

"A misty step and a misty eye. I am afraid I am much too shy. You cannot attack what you cannot find. Within this mist, you will be blind. Hazy Mist".

Kuroki managed to get out another incantation, this time for a new spell. Suddenly, a fog seemed to roll over the battlefield, covering and coating all around it. It seemed to consume any and all attempts to escape, and within this misty fog, Kuroki seemed to disappear completely. The monsters could no longer find him, and even his very presence was erased.

Suddenly, the orc found itself with a spike of ice plunged into its chest from behind, stained with the blood it had spilled when it skewered it. The orc fell down, a corpse among them, as other monsters soon met the same fate. However, the spikes of ice seemed to come from any and all directions. North and south, east and west, above and below. Each attack had a different origin point, as if Kuroki was firing from the mist itself.

As the monsters began to dwindle, falling from the ice spikes and the frozen soldiers, Obito suddenly let out a roar. It was such a mighty roar, even the mist was disrupted by it, being blown away as if pushed back by the very force of the roar. It revealed Kuroki, but it also revealed the corpses he had created. Most of the monsters were already defeated now, unable to overcome being one sidedly attacked. This included all the orcs, which appeared to have been targeted first.

In other words, while they had zero visibility, Kuroki apparently could see perfectly fine during the entire encounter.

It was at that point that Obito launched himself towards Kuroki, shattering an ice soldier in his way. Kuroki quickly put up a barrier while also launching attacks from his blindspot, but he took out a sword and deflected all the attacks with the wind up for his swing before bringing it down upon the ice barricade. The sheer force shattered it almost instantly. Kuroki raised another to shield himself, but thanks to the mud, he slid back and the defense wasn't perfect, getting a grazing cut on his arm.

Damnit, this mud is just so damn slippery!

Kuroki quickly dodged the next strike, temporarily going on all fours as he rolled to the side in the mud, before springing up back onto his feet.

"What a little boy you are, rolling around in the mud" Obito taunted.

"Says the one who is throwing a tantrum because he listens to a narcissistic bastard!"

"Don't talk about your great father like you, you lucky fool!"

"Lucky? Oh how delusional you are".

Kuroki however then felt something mighty unpleasant, almost breaking the tension of the fight. He felt a bug crawling around, inside of his underwear. Apparently it got there when he had avoided the last attack by rolling in the mud. He quickly wiped his hand off and then reached it, grabbing it and throwing it right at Obito. This even caused Obito to panic, since it was kind of disgusting and very strange.

"Maybe you should find in the nude like a good little boy after all".

"How about I wipe that smirk off your face and bury you in mud".

Kuroki hated this guy's guts, and he could feel that pit of darkness swirling around in his stomach as he faced him. That feeling like he should kill the person in front of him, removing him from being a threat forever. That dark feeling that came from Compliance.

Kuroki suppressed it once more, as he launched more ice spikes at Obito. Obito meanwhile cut them all down, but Kuroki had been incanting as he did.

"A little give and a little take. Tripping as one runs around the lake. The fleetest of feet, the ground they cannot beat. Let the currents that carried this forward, work against the one I look toward. Soggy Earth".

He completed his spell right as Obito rushed toward him again, only to suddenly find his footing disrupted as he began to slip. Kuroki counter attacked with lightning and ice, bringing down the strikes against his opponent. He tried to deflect and dodge, but the ground was working against him now and he slipped up a bit. Kuroki then saw exactly what he expected, he was wearing specialized cleats that were meant for muddy terrain. That was why the mud wasn't affecting him at all.

And here I am meanwhile, barefoot.

Kuroki realized his mistake just moments ago. Mud was considered wet earth, but wet is a big key word there. As someone who seems to have a strong ability to use water based magic, Kuroki should have just manipulated the mud from the start. In a way, this entire mountain was one big advantage for him. He simply had to realize it. Mud is both water and earth after all. That was what his last spell took advantage of, it used the water to effectively cast an Earth spell. Kuroki could actually cast earth and fire, and plenty of non-elemental spells, but his water and storm were just easier for him.

So he crafted a new spell on the fly. Frankly, he wasn't sure if it would work, but it seemed Kuroki had a knack for Spellcraft. With this, he felt like he took one step closer to becoming a true and proper mage.

Still, Obito wasn't the top of his class for nothing, as he quickly recovered faster then Kuroki expected and attacked. However, his leg suddenly got trapped within a wall of ice. Kuroki looked at the shoe.

"A shame, it's way too big for me".

Kuroki proceeded to launch a massive attack, where several ice spikes launched themselves right at Obito. Kuroki thought that would end it, however he suddenly took out a sword and cut through most of them, although his sword arm and trapped leg did get injured. He also shattered the ice wall, and went right for Kuroki's neck.

Unfortunately for him, one of Kuroki's frozen guardians blocked the attack, as they had finished up with the monsters. The others then attacked at the same time as Kuroki, finally finishing off the projection for good this time.

"I did it..I beat Obito..." he muttered, partly with satisfaction, and partly with relief. And yet, a dark energy burst forward from Obito's body. It consumed Kuroki whole, but then was fought back by a brilliant light. The Oracle stood between them now, a great light appearing from his hand.

"Who are you...what are you?"

"Hold on, this is my trial..."

The Oracle shook his head. "I do not know what this black thing is, but it is not natural to the spirit world, and is most certainly not a trial. Its not native to your soul either".

Kuroki tried to get a good look at it, as the black mist began to take form. It almost appeared to be taking the form of a bird, but one made of malice and hatred. A creature made from the darkest of emotions. But that was not all. Kuroki recognized it. He had met it before, he knew of this bird.

"Wait, that thing...its what attacked me when I was doing Amyris' wind attunement thing!"

"He had you do that already...I see though. It appears to be hunting you".

Amyris said it was probably sent by an orc mage, but...why would it be hunting me specifically?

"What is it after?"

"It appears that it either wants to kill you, or corrupt you...but interestingly enough, it appears to be made of similar energy to whatever placed that Compliance within you".

"...was it sent by the one who sent us all here?"

"Yes, that is likely the case. It appears to be tracking you specifically though for some reason...something about your blood I think is calling to it".

"My blood? Why?"

"Who knows. But this is not part of your trial, which means..."

The Oracle stepped forward, a mischievous grin on his face.

"I finally get a chance to practice my combat skills".