One Week Ago, in the Heavenly Realm
The tempered clinking of metal boots echoed through the gilded halls as a beautiful young woman stormed down them. People who saw her furious face dove out of the way, desperate to avoid her ire.
Each of her steps left slight marks in the marbled, pearly white floors. Her dull, pink hair swished back and forth behind her with every stride forward. Her destination was set and nothing would see her from her goal.
Not that anyone dared to try.
Her armor, made of tempered mythril, gleamed against the radiant light coming through the crystal glass windows. Pure white angelic feathers cascaded down one side of her mail, almost like a flowing skirt.
Her name was Clarisca, and she was a Valkyrie. Not just any Valkyrie either, but one of the Knights of Dominion. Their order maintained peace and stability within the Heavenly Realm, ensuring that every angel, god or otherwise performed their duty. A task she took to with some gusto.
Too much, some would say.
The reason she was stampeding through the halls of the palace dormitory, was to see her sister, one she hasn't spoken to in nearly a century. Not because they were estranged, though maybe they were now, but because her beloved sister had locked herself inside her room, refusing to come out, choosing instead to wallow in self pity.
Clarisca understood her reasoning, and that was why she left her sister to her own devices, figuring she would get over the loss eventually. But after a hundred years, enough was enough, it was time to move on, she had been indulged enough.
Which was why, not too long ago, she had put together a pamphlet detailing several promising heroes she could guide and nurture. She had put that list together painstakingly, going to great lengths to get the best of the best for her sister to ease her back into work.
Only for the little brat to reject them all. The nerve! Didn't she know how much work she put into that? All because she had to love her little sister. Being an older sibling sure was tough sometimes.
After several minutes she made it to her sister's room. The door was a dark pink, with the handle being polished brass. Or at least it was supposed to. But time had weathered it into a dull luster, a parody of its former self.
Much like her sister.
With a sigh, she raised her arm and gave the door three hard knocks, "Sarah, it's your sister, open up!" Clarisca shouted, gathering the attention of several neighbors, who came strolling out from their rooms, staring at her with curiosity.
Several seconds ticked by without so much as a peep from her sister. Growling in frustration, she knocked once more, though pounding might be more accurate. "Sarah, I'm warning you, open this door right now, or I'll break it down," she threatened.
"Go away," came a muffled voice from within. It wasn't much, but it was progress.
"I can't do that. It's been a hundred years already. Time to give up your hikineet lifestyle and rejoin the working force," Clarisca commanded. But once again, she was met with silence.
"Fine, if that's the way you want to play it…" she ground out, using her magic to summon her sister's room key from a pocket dimension. She then placed it inside the lock, and gave it a good hard twist.
The sound of a lock coming undone filled the older woman with satisfaction as she opened the door. Or attempted to, at least. It barely moved 3 inches before hitting something and halting her progress.
But it was enough to look inside. She leaned in towards the crack, trying to see what was stymying her, only to recoil in revulsion. The smell was absolutely atrocious, and her eyes watered from the overbearing stench.
"Ah, hrgh, sister… when was the last time you…ugh… cleaned your room?" Clarisca asked, fearing the answer from the very core of her being.
"Um, let's see… about, 40… or wait, maybe it was 50… I don't know, a long time," Sarah answered from within. It was just as her older sister feared. She had given up on the basics of hygiene. She shuddered at thinking of how long it's been since she bathed.
"How can you-oh god… how can you live this way?" Clarisca asked.
"Oh come on, it's not that bad!" shouted Sarah from within. But of course, she was completely used to the stench, unlike her poor older sister.
"It's a biological weapon! Now, get whatever it is blocking my way inside and move it! We have things to do," Clarisca yelled again.
"No!" Sarah yelled back.
"Alright, fine. I tried to do it the nice way, but you left me no choice…" Clarisca whispered ominously. She took a few steps back, moving away from the room. She then held out her right hand, palm facing towards the door, a ball of golden light forming in front of it.
"Last chance!" she shouted. But no reply came.
"Have it your way then," Clarisca muttered, before firing the ball of light directly at the door. It hit, and immediately the door exploded outward with a thunderous boom. The gawkers, having seen what was about to happen, fled back into their own rooms.
Clarisa waited a few moments until the dust cleared away before stepping over the threshold. She stared at the disgusting room with horror. Bags of trash were piled high, with several stacks reaching the ceiling.
Clothes that had never been washed were scattered about the room in great heaping piles. Some were so drenched in grim they were literally stuck to the ceiling. The smell wafting out from the crack in the door was nothing compared to the sheer, nose curdling stench of being in the eye of the storm.
Her sister, Sarah, stood up from behind her soiled bed, releasing deep, ragged coughs. The blast had knocked her off of her bed, and the dust it created tickled her throat and lungs.
Like Clarisca, she too had dull pink hair, though it was usually brighter than her sisters, but at the moment, it was a greasy tangled mess. Her clothes, a pair of sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt, were similarly disheveled in appearance, covered in stains and wrinkles.
All in all, she looked like the definition of a mess.
"Claire! What the hell!?" Sarah managed out between coughs. She glared at her sister, who stood there with her arms crossed over her chest.
"I warned you. Not my fault you didn't listen. Now let's go, you need a bath and a clean pair of clothes," Clarisca demanded. Sarah glared at her, pupils darting around the room, looking for a way to escape.
"Don't even think about it," her sister warned, seeing the squirrely look in her eyes. But her sister wasn't listening, opting instead to kick one of the smaller piles of filthy clothes at her. It bounced off of a shimmering, golden shield, but it did its job of blocking Claire's line of sight, allowing Sarah to try and run around her sister.
Unfortunately for her, it would prove to be less than successful. Even her attempt to juke her failed spectacularly. Claire grabbed her by the back of her shirt, specifically around the neck area, causing Sarah to gasp as she was choked. With her momentum suddenly halted, Claire slammed her into the ground, making her land painfully on her butt.
"Ow… That hurt!" Sarah griped. She looked up at her sister, only to gulp nervously at the angry glare coming her way. "Um, hehehe, sorry?" But her sister was not in a forgiving mood, as she began to drag the younger woman out of the room.
"Noo! I don't want to go!" Sarah yelled petulantly, her arms flailing uselessly towards her room as she was forcibly dragged out of its confines.
"Will you stop acting like a child?" Claire asked, exasperated. But Sarah just crossed her arms over her chest with a pout, glaring at the retreating hallway impotently. Claire just sighed as she continued to drag her sister to the baths.
While Sarah was expecting this, what she was not expecting was for her sister to yeet her into the steaming waters. She barely had enough time to realize she was airborne before she hit the water with a loud splash.
Erupting from the enormous, pool-like bath with a spluttering cough, she glared at her older sister, "What's wrong with you!? I could have drowned!" she accused, pointing a finger at Claire, who seemed wholly unbothered by the accusation.
"Angels can't drown," she stated simply, taking most of the wind out of her sister's sails, as her arm slowly lowered. "Oh, right… But still, you could have been more gentle with me! You brute!"
Claire sighed, and in a flash of light that made Sarah flinch, her clothes disappeared, revealing her nude form in all its glory. She then made her way into the large bath herself, humming in contentment as the warm waters soothed her muscles, closing her eyes to enjoy the sensation.
Seeing this, Sarah gave her own sigh, before doing the same, discarding her filthy clothes in a similar flash of light. Now in the buff like her sister, she leaned back into the bath, making her own noise of pleasure.
She didn't want to admit it, but the warm water felt good. It's been far too long since she's done this. She copied her sister and closed her eyes as well.
After a few minutes went by with them just enjoying the bath, Claire opened her eyes to give her sister a look. Seeing her like this, it was hard to believe she was a hardcore hikineet. The only real sign of her lifestyle was the rat's nest she called hair.
"Sarah," Claire called out, with her sister humming in acknowledgment. She used her magic once more to summon various hair care products, placing them on the edge of the bath.
"Come here. Let's take care of that bed head of yours."
Sarah opened one eye, gazing at her sister with suspicion. But seeing her soft, honest smile of encouragement, her own eyes softened. She gave a small huff before making her way over, sitting in front of her older sister with her back turned to her.
With Sarah in place, Claire gathered up some water in a cup and poured it over her head, getting her hair wet. She then grabbed some special shampoo, gathering a generous amount of the liquid in her hands before gently kneading it into the other girl's scalp.
Sarah groaned in appreciation, enjoying the feeling of having her head massaged. Claire was careful not to be too forceful with her ministrations lest she hurt her shut-in of a sister.
After about a minute of this, Claire grabbed a comb, one that glowed with a dim purple light. This comb was a bit unique, as it used magic to untangle knots in one's hair in as pain free a manner as it could. But with just how tangled her sister's hair was, it had its work cut out for it.
It took several minutes, and Sarah winced in pain a few times, but eventually, her hair was straightened out, the comb gliding smoothly through her pink locks. Nodding in satisfaction, Claire then dumped water over her sister's head again, washing the shampoo out.
The final step was the conditioner, which would return her hair to its former silky luster. It had to be left in for about ten minutes, give or take, before it could take its full effect, which gave her time to convince her sister to return to work.
"There, that should do it. Now just let it set for a bit," Claire said, a small happy smile on her face.
"Thanks," Sarah mumbled, as she swam away.
"After this we need to pick out something to wear from my room. Can't have you meeting with Michael naked. Though I'm sure he wouldn't mind, damn pervert," Claire grumbled, making Sarah's eyes turn downcast.
"Are you still on about that? Look, the bath was nice and all, but I'm not going back to work," Sarah told her sister stubbornly. Claire rolled her eyes at this, eyes showing irritation in them once more.
"Yes you are. One hundred years is more than enough vacation time," she stated. She crossed her arms over her modest bust, eyes drilling holes into the back of her sister's head.
"I can't…" Sarah murmured, barely above a whisper. But Claire was still able to hear it.
"And why not? I know what happened was a tragedy, but it wasn't your-"
"What the hell would you know!?" Sarah screamed out, turning around with angry tears in her eyes. The outburst caused Claire to recoil slightly, eye wide as she stared at her sister.
"Sarah, look I-"
"No! I know what you were about to say, that it wasn't my fault, but it was! It was all my fault! It was my choices that got him killed, no one else's! So don't sit there and lie to me!"
Sarah was sobbing at this point, and Claire was unsure of what to do. Emotions weren't her strongest suit. So she did the only thing that came to mind, and wrapped her sister in her arms, holding her close. It was a bit awkward, given their state of undress, but that wouldn't stop her from comforting her sister the best she could.
It must have been the right thing to do, as Sarah latched onto the older woman with desperation. Tears cascading down her face like a waterfall, mixing in with the bath. It was a good thing Claire was already wet, or she would be soaking right now.
Claire held her sister for several long minutes, feeling her sister's body racking with sobs. She stroked her hair, whispering into her ears to try and soothe her pain. "There, there. Everything's alright. You're ok."
Sarah eventually stopped crying, being reduced to merely sniffling. Her body slackened as all the energy seeped out from her body. The only thing really holding her up was her sister.
Sarah said something, but her voice was too low, too quiet for Claire to hear. "Sorry, what was that?" she asked gently. Her sister's body seemed to sag even more at that, if it were possible. But she did respond to Claire's inquiry.
"...I can still hear him, you know. His screams, as they tortured him. Him begging me for help. I hear it, everyday. Whenever I look in the mirror, there he is, body mutilated, staring at me with deep accusations. "It's your fault," he says. "You did this to me!" And he's right. It is all my fault."
Claire could do nothing but rub her sister's back as she poured her heart out. It hurt, hearing how broken she sounded as she spoke. But she would listen. She knew the gist of what happened, everyone did. The incident caused a whole world to be isolated from the greater whole of the multiverse.
"They made me watch, you know. For three days straight I was chained to a wall, unable to do a thing to help. The things they did to him… I never truly understood the meaning of evil until that day. But you know, they saved his eyes for last. They wanted me to see the hope leave his eyes before they ripped them from his skull. So don't even try and say he didn't blame me, because I saw it all in his eyes."
Claire herself was trying not to cry now. Reading a report on what happened, hearing third hand accounts of those who weren't even there didn't hold a candle to hearing it from her sister.
"They never touched me, you know. They left me in perfect condition, not out of kindness, but to cause him even more pain and suffering. He was being tortured to death while I barely felt any discomfort. They knew if they killed me, I would just return to the Heavenly Realm, and they wanted to ensure I never came back."
"Well, they certainly succeeded in that regard," Claire thought. Probably better than they were hoping, considering she's been a shut-in for a century now.
"Once they did finally kill him, they threw us both in a cell. I had to watch as his body rotted away, feasted on by bugs and rats, as I slowly died of thirst. It was the first time I cursed my angelic physiology. So you see, I can't do this again. I can't go through that a second time. If it wasn't for the decisions I made on his journey, he would have defeated the demon king and saved the world. So please… don't make me."
Claire held onto her for a bit longer, before she gently moved her sister away from her, keeping her hands on her shoulders. She stared into the red, tear stained eyes of the younger girl, and her resolve nearly wavered. But she had to remain strong. It would not be a kindness if she allowed her to wallow in her pit of despair for eternity.
"I'm sorry Sarah, but this is for your own good. I love you too much to see you remain like this forever, even if you hate me for it, Claire stated. Sarah bit her bottom lip in frustration, drawing a small amount of blood.
"Fine. Let's just go," she said, turning to leave. She grabbed a robe off of a hook as she stormed off. Claire sighed, trying her best not to regret her decision. But she couldn't allow her sister to wither away into nothing. She had to do something, and this was the only real option available.
Following her sister out of the bath, she too grabbed a robe and left, sending the hair care products back to where they came from before doing so.
The two quietly made their way towards Claire's place of residence. She wanted to say something, but with how upset Sarah was, she just didn't know what to say. What words were there that would bring solace to someone who's mistake caused someone you cared about to be tortured to death right in front of you?
There probably weren't any. If that were the case, then it was better to remain silent.
They entered Claire's apartment, which was far cleaner than her sister's. A black, leather couch sat against a wall with a glass coffee table in front of it. Across from that was a large flatscreen t.v hanging from the wall with a dresser below it, which contained a dvd player and sound system on top.
The floors were a dark, ebony wood and the walls were pure white. The kitchen was as spick and span as it ever was, the black and white marbled countertop without a speck of dust to be found. While Sarah found the apartment tasteful overall, it always felt a bit cold and impersonal. There wasn't a single personal item or decoration to be found. Then again, her sister did value function over anything else.
There were three doors leading to different rooms. One was of course Claire's and one was the bathroom. The last one was her room. She hasn't seen it in years, not since she moved out right after the incident.
"I see you haven't changed much over the years," Sarah commented as she gazed around the room.
"Why would I?" Claire responded as she walked past her sister, heading for her room. "All your stuff is still in your room, so hurry up and put something on. We're already running late."
Sarah turned to her sister in surprise. "You kept it? Why?" she asked, somewhat dumbfounded. She was certain her older sister would have tossed out her stuff years ago.
Claire stopped in her door frame, turning to face her sister, a small smile on her face. "Just in case you ever came home." With that she continued into her room, not seeing the look on Sarah's face.
As angry as she was about what was happening, she was still touched by the gesture. But that didn't mean her sister was off the hook, not by a long shot. But as long as she could convince Michael she was unfit for duty, she should be able to return to her nice, quiet life where nobody around her dies screaming in pain.
Entering her room she was hit by a wave of nostalgia. And embarrassment. Was she really this into pink before? She almost wished her sister had thrown everything out.
Walking over to her closet, she frowned at the colorful outfits on display. Not only that, but they were awfully skimpy. Was she a slut? She didn't think so, but these outfits were clearly a cry for attention. That skirt barely covered anything! One wrong step and both cheeks would be on full display!
So not that one then.
Sarah carefully examined every article of clothing before settling on one that was marginally better than the others.
She now wore a pair of jean booty shorts that actually covered the booty, which not all of them did. Next she wore a black, leather vest with silver buttons that opened up on the bottom to show off her stomach. The back of it flared out into tips that also covered her booty. Finally she wore a pair of brown boots that came up to just below her knees.
She looked at herself in the mirror, nodding in relative satisfaction. She would have preferred something simpler, like a hoodie and some sweatpants, but it would have to do. At least the top was black.
A knock at her door distracts her from admiring herself. "Yeah, what is it?" she asked gruffly. The door then opened to reveal her sister in all her tomboy glory.
She wore a pair of tight camo pants with a thick leather belt around her waist. Her shirt was white and just barely reached the belt. Next was a dark blue jacket with dull, golden trim that reached about mid stomach. She wore a simple pair of boots on her feet.
"I didn't say you could come in," Sarah complained.
"You asked what I wanted. I wanted to come in. So, are you ready?" Claire responded, looking her sister up and down.
"Would it matter if I said no?" she asked sarcastically.
"Not really. Let's go," Claire said, turning to leave. Sarah rolled her eyes but complied all the same. The two left the apartment, with Claire locking the door behind them. You'd think living in the Heavenly Realm meant you didn't need to worry about such things, but that was wrong. Plenty of gods of thieves exist, and they loved unlocked doors. It's like they had a sixth sense for it.
Come to think of it, wasn't Sarah's room completely open?
*Line Break*
"Oh, what do we have here?" asked Hermes, staring at an open doorway. "Well, don't mind if I do," he said, stepping into the room.
And immediately regretted it. The smell hit his nose like a freight train and the room began to spin. It was like the 60's all over again. He tried to turn to leave but was hit by a wave of vertigo, dropping him to the ground.
"Someone… help," he begged, hand reaching for the doorframe. He then collapsed unconscious, with foam coming out of his mouth, eyes completely white.
Several other thief gods would find the room, each one ending up in a similar state to Hermes.
*Line Break*
It was probably fine.
The duo walked swiftly towards their destination. Well, Claire did. When she saw her sister lagging behind, she threatened to drag her again, which made her pick up the pace.
The two entered a large, round chamber that resembled a lift. But instead of taking people up or down, it merely teleported them to where they wanted to go. "Destination?" a feminine robotic voice questioned.
"Administration," Claire responded.
"Acknowledged."
The room lit up with a bright emerald glow before the two of them disappeared in a flash of light. Almost instantly, they were in an identical room. The doors in front of them slid open with a hiss.
"You have reached Administration. Have a nice day."
"Come on," Claire said. Sarah rolled her eyes but followed along anyway. Part of her wanted to make a break for it but knew she couldn't outrun her sister. Even if she managed to make it to a Travel Gate, a portal to a mortal world, her sister would just follow her and hogtie her before dragging her back anyway.
That attitude is exactly why her sister is still single.
But as they stepped out of the Transport Room, Sarah nearly bumped into someone. "Woah," she said, as she moved out of the way. Giving the person a look, Sarah took note of her somewhat strange appearance.
She wore a black dress that looked like it belonged on a witch. Her hair was purple, and it covered nearly her entire body, falling down to the floor in perfectly straight strands. Her eyes could be seen peeking through the curtain of her hair, both bloodshot and swirling in a mixture of colors.
"Oh, hey Metis. Sorry for almost bumping into you like that," Sarah said, giving the strange girl a smile. Metis tilted her head, leaning in close to get a good look at her.
"Sarah… Is that you? It's been… So long… How have you… Been?" she asked in her slow, airy voice. Talking to her took forever, but it would be rude to just ignore her. So she had to talk with her, she had no choice really.
"Uh, I've been, ok," Sarah muttered.
"I'm glad… To hear that… When I heard… You shut… Yourself in… Your room… I was… Worried… I'm glad to see… You're ok…"
"Uh, thanks. So, how have you been?" she asked, ignoring the look her sister was giving her. Sarah gave her one of her own, one that said, "What am I supposed to do?"
"I've been… Good… Busy… Working on a new… Game for… Teth… Should be… Interesting…"
"Oh, that sounds cool. What kind of game is it," Sarah asked with a smile. Clare glared at her, figuring out her plan to use Metis as a way to procrastinate meeting with Michael.
"I'm sorry Metis, but we have a meeting with Michael and we're running late. If you'll excuse us," she said. Metis gave a look of understanding that no one understood. Her expression hardly ever changed after all.
"There's no need… To apologize… I understand… Completely… It was nice… Talking to you… Sahariel… Until next time…"
"Bye," Sarah said, watching the other girl wander into the Transporter Room. She turned to her sister, who was glaring at her.
"What?" she asked with false innocence. Claire gave a sigh of frustration, before turning on her heels. "Come on," she commanded briskly, with Sarah languidly following behind.
They made their way down the hall before coming to another round room, this one far bigger than the Transporter. Delilah, the secretary, sat at her desk, leaning back watching what sounded like an anime, munching on something that would surely clog a mortal's arteries.
She had dark blue hair done in a side bun, with a few strands falling lazily in front of her amethyst colored eyes. She wore a basic secretary uniform, with a nice, white skirt and matching jacket.
"Delilah, we're here to meet with Michael. Can you tell him we've arrived?" Claire asked. Delilah hummed, looking up from her show, which sounded suspiciously like One Piece, though she had no idea who Nick was. Probably some poor sap that got sent to another world for one reason or another. The gods aren't responsible for every transference, but that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy it.
"I stole your ship bitch!" could be heard shouted from the monitor before Delilah switched it off. She then began typing away at her computer at speeds only the Flash could match. About 10,000 words a minute, give or take a few hundred.
"Ah, there you are. I have you down for 12:30, that right?" she asked, never looking up from her screen.
"That's right," Claire responded.
"Perfect. I'll just let him know you're-Sahariel! Is that you!?" Delilah yelled in shock. Her listless eyes coming alive for the first time in the conversation.
"Hey, Delilah. How've you been?" Sarah asked in a forced tone. She didn't particularly want to converse with the other girl, but she didn't want to be rude either.
"Me? What about you? I heard you haven't left your room in decades," Delilah continued. Sarah gave a nervous laugh as she turned away from the blue haired woman eager for gossip.
"Yeah, well… I didn't have much of a choice," Sarah said, giving her sister a look. Delilah seemed to catch on, as she made a face of understanding.
"Oh, gotcha. Hard to say no to the Commander," Delilah remarked as if hse was giving sage advice.
Before Sarah could respond, she was interrupted by Claire. "Is he ready to see us yet? It's 12:30," she commented.
"Um…" Delilah mumbled, caught off guard. "Oh, right!" she exclaimed, seeming to remember what her job is and sprung into action, typing on the computer again. A second or two ticked by until she was done.
"It looks like he's just finishing up a phone call, but you can head in now if you want," she said, giving them a nervous look. Sarah couldn't blame the woman, her sister could be scary when she wanted to be. Another reason she hasn't jumped out a window yet to pursue the life of the noble hobo.
"Thank you, I will," Claire stated, walking past the relieved secretary. Sarah followed behind, eyes full of determination as she walked into the room that would seal her fate. She was confident she could convince him to allow her to return to a life of neetdom.
As the two entered the room, they could hear the big guy himself talking to someone. He sounded a mixture of bored and resigned, with just a hint of frustration.
"Yes I understand… Of course, it's simply terrible… No, I don't understand why some mortals have no faith…"
When he saw them he waved them over, indicating them to sit in the chairs in front of his desk. Sarah took note of the room as she walked over.
The floor was the same pearl white as everywhere else, polished until it nearly blinded you. Several paintings hung on the white walls, mostly of Michael with various other gods and angels. There was a small bar off to one side with various expensive liquors. Next to it was a comfortable looking chair that had dozens of different settings to it, sitting next to a fancy fireplace that had a crackling blaze in it. The fire itself wasn't real, it was just made to mimic it.
Micheal himself had long blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes, with a face that was just a tad bit feminine. He wore a crisp white suit with a light blue dress shirt and a dark blue tie. His desk was made of mahogany from a world with giant, fire breathing trees, which he liked to brag about for some reason, and it was covered in various nick nacks.
"Yes, yes I know… Ok, ok, look I have a meeting so I gotta… Yes, I understand, talk to you soon… Ok, bye," Michael said as he hung up the phone. He let out a groan before his head hit the table, releasing his pent up frustrations.
"Helel again?" Claire asked.
"Yes… He calls me once a damn month to complain about some little girl who refuses to acknowledge him. Calls him Being X or something. Honestly, I'm starting to think he has a thing for her," Michael complained.
With another sigh, he raised his head, giving the two of them a smile. "But that's not important right now. I heard somebody is ready to return to work. Is that true?" he asked, looking right at Sarah.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
"Hell no," Sarah said rudely, getting an elbow to the ribs from her sister. Michael only chuckled at the byplay, listening with amusement as Sarah complained about her "broken" ribs and Claire chastising her for her words. Truly, the bond between sisters is a beautiful thing to behold.
All Valkyrie are sisters of a sort, though the correct term might be a Sisterhood. But these two were the genuine article.
"Now, now, settle down you two. Sarah, why don't you tell me why you think you aren't ready. It has been a hundred years, if I'm not mistaken," Michael asked. The two stopped their bickering, with Sarah looking at her hands with downcast eyes.
"Because I killed him. It was my fault he died in such a gruesome manner. If it wasn't for me, he would have lived a full life and that world would be at peace. Instead, it's been quarantined off and he's probably cursing me from the afterlife," she said, tears forming once more in her eyes.
Micheal stared at her with pity. "Even so, I think a hundred years is more than enough time to reflect on your mistakes. I heard Claire even selected several promising candidates for you to choose from."
"You're wrong…" Sarah mumbled. Michale quirked an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"
"I said you're wrong! They say time heals all wounds but that's just bullshit! A hundred years isn't nearly enough time to pay for my mistakes! It'll never be enough…" Sarah mumbled, all the vigor from her outburst leaving her body.
The other two stared in silence, trying to take in what she just said. She probably didn't even mean to say it. "Sarah…" Claire murmured to herself. She really hated to see her formerly cheerful sister so despondent. What she was making her do may have been painful, but she was sure it's what's best in the long run.
Michael gave the girl a hard look, before standing up, "Come with me," he said. The two looked confused for a second, before standing up and following him. They didn't have far to go, as he merely walked over to the t.v.
Picking up the remote, he switched the t.v on. What appeared isn't what they expected. "His name is Ushio Tenma, one of our hero candidates. Or at least he was until his grandfather died and he became a bit of a thug. But as you can see, even through all the pain he's feeling, he can still do the right thing."
Claire and Sarah watched a rather tall, muscular and bald man fight a meth addict, only to find himself getting stabbed repeatedly. But it looked like he got his revenge, as he literally ripped the addict's throat out. It was rather gruesome, but effective.
But more importantly, they could see the little girl and her mother, completely safe from harm. He had given his life to protect a couple of strangers, a worthy end any Valkyrie would choose him for.
"His noble sacrifice revitalized the Hero's Seed dwelling within the depths of his soul. I would like you to be the one who helps nurture it," Michael said, not taking his eyes off the screen. Out of a sense of respect, he would watch the final moments of the brave young man.
"There must be better candidates," Sarah tried to argue, a feeling of desperation welling up within her. Couldn't he see that she was clearly unfit for the job of guiding another hero? Whatever nobility he gained in the end would be wasted with someone like her.
"Not true. Due to his previous actions, Mr. Tenma here does not qualify as a True Hero Candidate. Instead, he is to be transposed into an alternate version of himself somewhere in the multiverse and given the power of The Gamer. Should his Hero's Seed bear fruit, he may yet be chosen to become a True Hero," Michael explained, turning to face the sisters with a stern look.
"But…" Sarah said, her eyes flipping between the screen and Michael. This couldn't be happening, could it? Not only would she be forced to become a glorified gardener, she was also going to lose her physical form, forced to become a screen. She liked the way she looked!
"I am sorry Sahariel. I know you do not feel ready for this, but I believe the two of you will be perfect for each other," he said, as a magic circle appeared beneath her, glowing a bright golden light.
"Hang on, I do not consent to this! Do you hear me!?" Sarah shouted in vain. She tried to step away from the glyph beneath her, but much to her frustration, there was a barrier preventing her escape. She pounded on it, desperate to escape.
"Claire, don't do this! Please! I can't do it! I can't!" she shouted, tears in her eyes. But Claire could only stare at her sister with her fists clenched. This was one of the hardest things she's ever had to do, but it needed to be done. It was the only way she would get her sister back.
"I'm sorry Sarah. But please understand, this is for the best. You'll see."
"Bullshit! You just want to get rid of me, don't you! Ashamed of your failure of a sister! I never could compare to you, could I!?" Sarah continued to scream, pounding uselessly on the barrier.
"Sarah, please…" Claire begged, her own eyes growing misty.
"No! I'll never forgive you for this, do you hear me! Never!" Sarah yelled. Those would be the last words she would say before her form disappeared entirely. It was done. There was no going back now.
A few tears streamed down her face as the hate filled face of her sister refused to leave her mind, her words echoing in repeat. She was brought out of her misery by a hand placed on her shoulder. She jumped slightly, turning to face the sad smile of her superior.
"Micheal…"
"I know this wasn't easy for you, but I do believe this will be for the best. I think those two will do quite alright together. They're more alike than you might think," he said in a comforting manner. Claire quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, not wanting to appear weak in front of the senior angel.
"What do you mean?" she asked after removing the last of her tears. Michael removed his hand from her shoulder, pressing a few buttons on the remote control. The image changed to a younger looking Ushio, sitting in a chair next to a hospital bed.
"Like your sister, Ushio is running away from his pain instead of facing it head on. She was right when she said time does not heal all wounds. A man who loses a leg will never again be whole. The wound may close, but that does not mean he is healed. However…" Michael said, hitting some more buttons. Claire watched as the scene shifted to Ushio pummeling some people in a back alley.
"What one chooses to do with the pain is what sets one apart. He chose to numb his suffering through acts of violence. Your sister ran from the world, condemning herself to a life of solitude and misery to atone for her mistakes. They are similar in this regard, don't you think?" he asked. Claire agreed somewhat.
It was true they were both running away from something that they didn't want to face, but the circumstances were completely different. Her sister felt responsible for what happened due to her selfish actions during the heroes quest. Ushio lost a loved one, true, but it wasn't him who caused the older man to perish.
"I can see your point, but the situations aren't the same," she said. Michael looked amused by her answer.
"Oh, and how are they different? Your sister blames herself for the hero's death, and young Ushio blames himself for his grandfather's. Both of them are trying to escape the feelings of guilt from this belief."
"But Ushio had nothing to do with his grandfather's death. How could he blame himself?" Claire asked, confused. Michael hummed in though, pressing a button and returning the image to the hospital room.
"What you say is true. His grandfather died of an illness. It had nothing to do with him. However, the human heart is a fickle thing. It asserts blame where none is due, all to try and make sense of circumstances beyond their control. Seems angels are not so different. Perhaps that's where the humans get it from. Or is it the other way around? Hm…"
Claire thought it over, but it still didn't make sense to her. There was no logic in blaming oneself for things outside of their control.
"Wounds of the flesh may heal. There may be scars left behind, but the body is remarkably adept at mending itself. However, scars on the heart are not so easily cured. Those wounds may fester and bleed for many years, and the treatment for such a malady is not so straight forward as a bandage or some penicillin. Those injuries take a special medicine indeed," Michael said in a soft tone. He hit some more buttons on the remote, and a new image appeared.
It was Ushio once more, standing in a bathroom, completely naked. The sight of his impressive physique and exceptional endowment brought a hint of red to Claire's cheeks. "Oh my," Michael commented, before hitting another button and blurring certain parts of the image.
With that distraction out of the way, the two of them watched as he discovered his new powers. It looked like he already obtained a Skill of some kind, which is what caused the Tutorial to start up.
"Did my sister just tell him to fuck off and die?" Claire asked in disbelief. Michal gave a nervous chuckle at that, "It seems so. She was pretty mad when she left here…"
"That's no excuse! Does she think if he kicks the bucket she'll get to return to her life as a shut-in!? I don't think so!" Claire yelled while storming off. Michal watched in amusement as she left his office, likely to help ensure the Game ran smoothly.
He returned to the screen, smile turning more genuine as he watched Ushio learn about his powers. They may be in for a rough start, but he believes they'll overcome the challenges. He'd be watching with eager anticipation.
"The best medicine for wounds of the heart, is to surround yourself with people who love you. Forgiveness is not easy to obtain, at least not from yourself, but the bonds you form with the people around you will be your guiding light. For both of you."
*Line Break*
Sarah opened her eyes, taking in the world around her. The first thing she noticed was just how dingy and rundown the place was. It was gross. And did she just see a rat! But that thing was huge! It was the size of a Border Collie! Just where in the hell did she end up!?
The second thing she realized was that she no longer had a body. Or to be more precise, her body was basically a game screen. Isn't that wonderful? And after she just had her hair done too.
Damn her sister. Just thinking of her betrayal made her angry. But she could get her revenge later. Right now she needed to figure out where she was and how to return. He had Gamer powers didn't he? If that's the case, all she needed to do was get a game over.
But thinking of that brought a pang of guilt to her chest. It wasn't right of her to plot the man's death just because she was having issues. But then again, didn't he already die? So what did it matter if he died again?
The guilt didn't leave her chest but she would have to deal with it later. What's a bit more regret to add to the pile? It was pretty big as it was, so she probably wouldn't even notice if she added a bit more.
But first she needed to figure out where she was. Or to be more specific, what world she was cast off into. She could see the lumbering form of her user slumbering away. Good, that gave her some time to get acquainted with everything.
Several hours ticked by, and Sarah felt she was all caught up. So she was in Bleach huh? Not her favorite world in the multiverse, but it could be worse. Like Goblin Slayer. She did not want to have to deal with those rapey little freaks.
She noticed the sun coming up through the dirt, cracked window. Guess that means it was about time for him to get up.
…Or not. The sun's been up for 45 minutes, how the hell was he still asleep? But just as she was contemplating ramming into his bald head to wake him up, he stirred on his own. It was about damn time!
What she wasn't expecting was the face full of meat she got. What the hell was that thing!? Were they supposed to get that big? How did human girls deal with something like that!?
Freaking out, she ignored him going to the bathroom in favor or checking over his Stats and stuff. When she reached the Perk page, she discovered exactly why he was packing so much heat.
Well Equipped. That was the Perk, and talk about being an understatement. While everybody else was carrying around a pistol, he was rocking a freaking cannon!
But there were more important things to do, such as explaining the world and the Game to him, because it looked like he just discovered Meditation. Unfortunately, his Intelligence wasn't the highest, so it might take a while.
Did she have to be so condescending about it? No, but in her defense, she didn't want to be here. Besides, the looks he gave as she said the description of the Stats was priceless.
She watched as he used the Item Upgrade Token on his bed. Not that she blamed him, his old one was a health violation of some kind. He also Scanned everything in his apartment, realizing what a dump he lived in. But he did find the cupboard of infinite ramen, so good for him.
Now if only he could put some pants on.
*Line Break*
Sarah snickered as she watched him run around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to figure out what world he ended up in. If nothing else it would be good for his Stamina and Agility.
But when he stopped in the shopping district, a new Quest popped up. Looks like someone was in trouble. How would he handle this? The last time he helped someone, he died, so maybe he'll just run away and Michael will realize he isn't worth the trouble and she can go home and wallow in comfort.
But no. Turns out he wasn't a heartless bastard. But she did notice his hand shaking as he ran off to save her. Guess he was pushing through the fear. Maybe there was more hero in him than she thought. Just because he didn't look like a typical hero didn't mean his spirit was any less heroic.
She watched as he beat up the first two assholes with the greatest of ease. But that's when things took a turn for the worst. She felt herself gasping in concern as he was stabbed, but immediately chastised herself for it.
Who cares if he gets stabbed and bleeds out again? That would just mean she gets to go home early. And yet, she couldn't help but root for him. Maybe it was just because he was protecting Karin, who was completely innocent in all this.
Yeah, that has to be it.
And of course she was extremely sarcastic about the whole thing. No need for him to think she cares. Because she doesn't. Not one little bit.
And then the big guy appeared. Toma.
Ok, maybe she cared a little, but that's it! She watched as the two exchanged banter before starting to fight. Ushio was doing pretty well, but his Stamina was at an all time low. All that running around he did dropped it next to nothing.
Maybe there was something she could do. Just this once, you know, for Karin. Not him. Quickly going through the System, she found something that could prove useful. Second Wind, an Ability that would restore his Stamina. It came with a price, but it was the best she could do.
Sending off the request, she got a confirmation, and Ushio now had a brand new Ability. Sarah gave a sigh of relief, watching as Ushio got back in the fight, and eventually won. And no matter what you say, she did not cheer for him.
After that, he met up with Ichigo, who beat the hell out of every other thug in the vicinity and helped Ushio to their clinic. And look at that, he finally figured out where he was. Good for him.
*Line Break*
Sarah chastised herself as she explained some of the Games mechanics to him, namely the reason for the Quest updating itself and a few other things. She didn't need to be such a bitch about it, but she was.
Maybe it was for the best. Considering what happened during her last quest, perhaps making things more difficult than they needed to be was the answer. Heroes needed adversity to grow after all, something she didn't provide last time, so she would make sure his life was a living hell. That way, he'd be the strongest, and therefore, would not be tortured to death.
She may have changed her mind a bit about him dying early. After seeing him go so far to save Karin, pushing past his fears even after he'd been stabbed again, made her want to keep him alive.
It also made the guilty feeling in her chest go away.
She also pretended to be some sort of Ai. It helped keep the distance between the two if he never realized she was a person. Or at least, not a machine.
She then watched as Karin entered and invited him to dinner. And wasn't that just the cutest thing? She had a bit of a crush on him. Guess he was her hero, after all. Didn't help when he called her a beautiful princess either.
Dinner was going off without a hitch, besides Ichigo being a boy that is. Sarah couldn't help but snicker at seeing the new Quest come in. Looks like he was in for a rough time. Poor guy.
She also started laughing hysterically when Isshin accused him of trying to steal his daughters away. Besides that, dinner was rather uneventful. Ushio might have made an enemy, but it was worth it.
*Line Break*
Sarah snickered as Ushio stared at Tatsuki like a slack jawed idiot. Looks like the big guy has a crush. Isn't that cute.
She watched as he followed her inside, staring at her ass the whole way. Honestly, boys… Not that she had much room to talk, considering what she stared at every time he took his clothes off, but she did in secret!
That makes it better, right?
She watched as he flirted with her, giggling at how red she was getting from it. Guess that's his type then, huh? He would probably love her sister.
Thinking of her brought her mood down considerably. She still hasn't forgiven her for forcing her to do this, even if she was enjoying it a little. She would find some way to get revenge.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a ping. Looks like he gained a bit of Wisdom and Intelligence. Good, cause he needs it. But thinking about her sister put her in a bad mood, and she took it out on him, claiming he was her ticket to a promotion.
Honestly she just wanted to go home and flop down on her bed. He also wasn't that bad to put up with. A bit conceited, but considering his muscles and the bat he keeps between his legs, he had a reason to be at least. He wasn't overly arrogant about it anyway.
She then watched as he accepted a sparring match with Tatsuki. Not the smartest thing to do, but hey, to each their own right?
But to her immense surprise, he actually won. Sort of. He used a move not legal in a regular Karate match so it was technically a draw. But at the same time, they never said it was a Karate spar, so… yay for him?
He also scored some more brownie points with the tomboy. At this rate, they'd be fucking long before canon started, and she wasn't sure there was a rubber invented that would fit him.
Then Karin appeared and invited him for dinner. The look of horror on his face was pure perfection. He knew he was about to spend the night sitting on the toilet, but he just couldn't say no to her face. Big softy…
When he got home, he started thinking about the him from this world, but I assured him as kindly as possible that he was completely alone and that nobody loved him. His only purpose was to serve as entertainment for a higher power.
Not completely wrong, as gods loved to watch the lives of mortals, but his true purpose was to grow the Hero's Seed inside him to awaken as a True Hero. But she didn't tell him that.
She wasn't being a total bitch this time. Telling him that could affect the Seed. Doing heroic deeds simply for the sake of Awakening would have the opposite effect. Best to just let him plot the downfall of heaven.
Actually, that wasn't very heroic either, was it? And it was kind of her fault too…
*Line Break*
Sarah watched with horror the thing Karin was supposedly cooking. If that was food, then she was an imp. What the hell was this, some kind of gag manga? She could hear it moaning for goodness sake!
She wished him the best, but it looked like she was going home early after all. And she didn't even do anything this time! She didn't alter anything at all about Karin's cooking. That was all natural, and that scared her more than anything.
She watched as he made small talk with Yuzu and Tatsuki, but it was clear their mind was only on the so-called curry fermenting in the kitchen. Before long, Karin informed them that it was done.
She then went to find her brother which gave Ushio ample time to flirt with Tatsuki some more. But a tomboy is a dangerous creature, and Ushio took an embarrassed Critical hit to the gut.
Did she laugh? Yes, but it was funny. It's his own fault for being attracted to the violent ones.
She also giggled at watching a jealous Karin interrupt a moment between the two. It was just so darn cute. But all good things must come to an end. He eventually took a bite of the stuff, and red alarms started going off. Even the Program didn't know what he just ate.
And oh great, he's hallucinating now. Isn't that just perfect. It shouldn't surprise her that he saw Tatsuki's clothes melting off. But what did surprise her was him finishing the whole bowl Karin provided.
He was very much Poisoned now, and there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell he survived. Crap, crap, crap, wasn't there anything she could do? She wasn't ready to lose another one.
You see, this is exactly why she didn't want to do this! Now she has to watch him die and just prove to everyone what a failure she is! She was just starting to like him too, and was even looking forward to seeing how things developed with Tatsuki. But it looks like that wouldn't be happening!
But then he brought up something interesting. This was the world of Bleach after all, and the afterlife was a big part of that. So did that mean he would just show up in the Rukongai if he died?
So of course, she told him to die so they could find out. Why would she do that! No, he has to live, damn it! No matter how upset she was at her sister and Michael, she didn't feel like taking it out on him anymore. Her bitchiness at this point was mostly reflex, her way of preventing him from getting too close and herself too attached.
Sarah watched as he joked about his impending death, trying not to let the others know what was about to happen. But she knew he was scared, even if he was hiding it well. He was actually terrified to die again, just like she was terrified to get close to someone again.
They were just two peas in a pod, weren't they?
He then ensured that Karin was unlikely to cook again in the near future, saving humanity in the process. Something like that is fertilizer for the Hero's Seed. He also gained the Poison Resistance Skill, but it wouldn't save him.
But then he decided to get his stomach pumped. If she could have, she would have jumped for joy. That just might be enough to do it. Now if he could just make it to the hospital without collapsing…
He was making good progress too, and for a moment, Sarah thought everything would be ok. But then he saw a body lying on the ground, and the big dicked idiot couldn't stop himself from checking it out.
And of course, he fell flat on his face. Sarah was practically screaming in frustration at this point. This is the problem with heroes, even the bad boy ones, they want to help everybody!
Normally such behavior would be praised, but not when he was dying from food poisoning! Didn't he know you had to take care of your own house before taking care of others?
That's when his spirit left his body and Sarah felt herself have a heart attack, even if she didn't have a physical heart. She sighed in relief when she realized he wasn't really dead, just very near it. So there was still a chance.
He then started goofing around. Who does that!? Even if he was doing it to mask the dread he felt, it was still too much. Think about other people's feelings!
Oh right, he thought she hated him, didn't he… That's depressing, even if it was her own fault. But she couldn't stop. She was too scared to. If she made things too easy for him, if he didn't grow as a hero, he would die, just like him.
No, it was best to maintain distance, for both their sakes. That way, neither of them would get hurt. But if that was truly the case, why did her chest hurt so much when she thought about him dying?
Must be the effect of Big Dick Energy luring her in and trying to seduce her.
When he started to freak out a bit, she let him know that he was technically still alive, albeit barely, and that he should check up on the body. The faster he does that, the faster he could get some help.
Maybe that weirdo Kisuke could do something? He was pretty smart.
So caught up in her own thoughts, she almost missed him getting stuck in the body on the ground. That's not something you see everyday. It actually brought a smile to Sarah's face. Or it would have if she had one.
He then cursed out Being X, better known as Helel, for him turning into a little blonde girl. Guess that means he's from a world where that's a manga, huh? Bet that arrogant ass hates that.
Ushio then started to grope his new found female features. Because of course he did. And just as he was giving himself one hell of a boob massage, the owner of the body showed up. It was none other than Hiyori, another violent tomboy, who Ushio started to flirt with.
Sarah was starting to see a pattern.
She wasn't happy about the way Ushio was fondling her, and to take revenge, she jumped into his body. Ushio tried to stop her, but she didn't listen, paying the price for it by vomiting all over the ground.
Poor girl, it was not her night.
However, Hiyori jumping into his body did have the benefit of saving his life. The enormous amount of excess Reiryoku purged the poison from his body. Sarah felt her nonexistent body sag in relief.
Thinking about it, stealing Hiyori's gigai technically saved him as well, didn't it? Well, she preferred his original body better, along with everything it contained, so she was glad it ended up this way.
After flirting with her some more, they made their way to the Visoreds, which made Sarah nervous again. There was no telling how they would react. Also the Quest he received was mildly concerning. Just what was Aizen scheming? But it did explain why Hiyori wasn't in her body.
Things were going fairly well, with Ushio getting some more Affection points with blonde haired menace, but it didn't last long. He just couldn't prevent his foot from entering his mouth. Or is it her mouth, technically?
Hiyori was about to knock him out, her face full of rage, but she hesitated for a split second, flinching back. Sarah wondered what that was about but didn't have much time to process anything as the cat and mouse game ensued.
He managed to hide, but was quickly found by a talking cat. At least this one didn't want to eat him. After he insulted the great Ewan McGregor with his Obi-Wan impression, he was off running again, Hiyori hot on his heels. If his life wasn't in imminent danger, it might have been funny.
There was something strange going on, but Sarah couldn't put her finger on it. She knew Hiyori was a bit violent, probably why Ushio had a thing for her, but this was a little extreme.
Little did she know it was only the beginning.
After managing to hide himself inside a warehouse, Ushio was quickly found. Mostly because he's as clumsy as he looks. He was trapped, with Hiyori stalking ever closer, when he did something that no one saw coming.
He chucked a rock into her balls. Yup, that's a thing that happened. This was a weird universe.
But this only ended up making her angrier, which was understandable. Ushio ran away while she was screaming in a combination of pain and rage, hiding amongst the shadows.
That's when the sound of the chainsaw started. Sarah had watched a few scary stories in her time, but they had nothing on this. All she could do was watch with bated breath, chewing on nonexistent nails as Ushio was stalked through the gloom of the warehouse.
She felt relief when he seemingly found a way out, but of course, that's when Hiyori came bursting through a bunch of boxes, chainsaw in hand. Ushio tried using his Silver Tongue Title to talk her down, and it looked like it was working, when her whole being erupted in rage.
Ushio asked her what was going on, and she may have sprouted a bit of nonsense about some Big Dick Gods. Sure there were some who were well endowed, but as far as she knew there weren't any with that particular domain. Fertility, maybe, but not actual dick sizes.
It was probably just her Hollow going out of control or something. She could have just said that, it was the perfect chance to start taking their relationship in a less toxic direction. But instead, she decided to pour some radioactive waste all over it.
She may have also fibbed about his Skill acquisition. She claimed it was because of the interference of the Big Dick Gods, but really, she just messed up. When she saw the Skill pop up, she intended to simply not allow it to ping, so he wouldn't get distracted, but she accidentally rejected the Skill itself.
Whoops…
Not that she would admit her mistake.
But then Yoruichi appeared again, and Ushio managed to make it to the second floor, with Hiyori the Hulk after him. He dove out of the window to freedom.
And ran right into Lisa's boobs. They sure were springy…
He was quickly surrounded by the rest of the Visoreds. Or at least, most of them. Which of course, started an argument. Then he accused Sarah of interfering with their ability to sense Hiyori, which was just rude.
It wasn't her, but that didn't mean someone else wasn't meddling. But that was a problem for later, first she needed to address the accusations against her. By giggling. That should clear things up. Just an innocent little laugh to show her innocence.
But apparently, her totally adorable giggling was considered creepy. Then the chick with the springy boobs let the cat out of the bag about Hiyori being possessed by her Hollow and not any Big Dick God.
So she gave another giggle, though this one was a bit more nervous. But that just made him mad, and he then accused her of preventing him from getting Skills. And while technically true, it was an accident! But her pride wouldn't allow her to admit that, so she just quickly sent in a request to restore the Skill, and that there was some kind of mistake.
The email she got back, sent by her sister of all people, chastised her and told her to be more careful. Not like she wanted to be here in the first place! Maybe they should have sent someone who was prepared for this!
Either way, Ushio then called her an asshole. She couldn't lie, that one hurt a bit. He just didn't understand, she couldn't let him rely on her. If he did, then…
No, it was better if he hated her. It was for the best.
But then that bald asshole went and made himself bait. His tendency towards suicide was more than a bit worrying, and this definitely counted! He just had to put up a brave front for the world, didn't he? Couldn't let them know how scared he was.
And yes, she chose to ignore the hypocrisy of her statement.
Much to her anger, the Visoreds agreed, and Ushio got another Quest, this time to save Hiyori. She knew he wouldn't turn it down, he wouldn't leave her to a fate he blamed himself for getting her into.
She told him she got in trouble for withholding his Skill, but really she was just chastised by her sister. Still, he didn't need to know that, so she just took the blame anyway, making up some excuses along the way. But when she said she was allowed to lie, that was the truth, or else things would be very different between the two.
Imagine that, being honest about her fears, her doubts, her insecurities… Him wrapping her up in those big, strong arms of his to comfort her. Then they would kiss and he would push her down and claim her body for his own…
What was going on again?
Sarah snapped out of her X-rated fantasy just in time to see Ushio begin shit talking the angry Hollowfied girl in a boy's body. Predictably, she burst out of the warehouse, charging right for him. Sarah held her breath as she watched the monster get closer and closer.
Luckily, the Visoreds came through and didn't let him get squished. Hiyori was restrained, and all was well in the world. That is, until Kisuke showed up.
And basically said Ushio needed to enter her head and save her ass. He shouldn't be able to enter a Dungeon yet, but it seems things have changed. Something was wrong with the Game. It felt like someone was interfering. She even tried to send a message to her sister but it was blocked.
Something was very wrong, but she had little in the way of options. She would simply have to observe and investigate what she could.
They then entered the Dungeon, which was apparently ogre themed. Makes sense if you think about Hiyori's Hollow mask. And he apparently needed to get two orbs. Shouldn't be too hard. Especially without a timer. That was something she was able to do, albeit barely. She didn't know what the Program was thinking when it gave him a 30 minute time limit to complete the Dungeon, but that was clearly unbalanced, so she was able to use her executive powers to change it.
She did hesitate in doing so. After all, didn't she want to make this Game as difficult as possible so he could grow strong enough no one would ever be able to hurt him? But at the same time, difficult didn't mean impossible, and with someone meddling in things, it would probably be more than difficult enough.
So in the end, she removed the countdown.
Ushio was also thrilled to have his own body back. So was she. Her eye candy has returned. Almost made being forced into this situation worth it.
After checking his Menus, and purchasing a new Ability with his Perk Point, he made his way into the Red Ogre's district.
And hid inside a barrel. Sarah shook her head with a snort but watched as he managed to sneak up on the first ogre, thinking about Soifon, another violent tomboy, the whole time, and managed to beat it. She cheered as he did so.
He then proceeded to kill several more before stumbling onto a new enemy, the Shadow Ogre. Who was inside of a closet of all things. Sarah grew a bit concerned at the brutal way in which he killed it. Actually, there were a few murders he committed that she was worried about, but passed it off as blowing off some steam.
She started running a diagnostic on the whole Dungeon and discovered something that didn't belong. An Area of Effect produced by the Red Ogre that caused those under its effect to become increasingly violent and bloodthirsty.
There was also one connected to the Blue Ogre that did something similar. But instead of violence, it was cold detachment mixed with bloodlust. Neither one was a particularly pleasant effect.
Sarah was confused, as those weren't in the current Game, but made sure to double check, ignoring the way Ushio killed the horny ogre tied to a bed. That was just plain weird.
Turns out, she was right, they weren't in the Game. That means someone else added them in, after she approved of the Quest. That shouldn't have been possible. Not only that, but she couldn't remove the thing either, her executive power was being blocked as well.
Shit, that means someone high up was interfering. Not good. At this rate, she wouldn't be able to do much at all.
She turned her attention back to Ushio, who just kicked a spiked wall trap for some reason. The face he made had her bursting into laughter. It wasn't his pain she found amusing, it was his stupid face.
It was almost identical to the one Eneru made in One Piece when he realized he couldn't hurt Luffy.
She then noticed a Shadow Ogre sneaking up on him and gave him a warning. She watched them struggle a bit before Ushio impaled him on his own trap. She gave an excited "whoop" sound at that, not that he could hear it.
Then he decided to Meditate in a barrel he named Samantha, before falling asleep. Then a couple of Shadow Ogres showed up and started to cart him off. She couldn't help but sigh at this. He really needed to bump up his Intelligence and Wisdom.
Eventually, he was taken to the boss, who was having a party. Sarah became nervous again at seeing how many there were. But it turned out Ushio was more conniving than she thought, using Hiyori's curry to poison the leader and pit them against each other.
After a fairly one sided fight, Ushio finished off the surviving Shadow Ogre Boss. Sarah was genuinely impressed by his ingenuity, and told him as such. But he thought she was being sarcastic!
Ok, so she may have called him stupid again, but it was just a reflex at this point. A reflex! She didn't mean it! No matter how low his Intelligence Stat was. And she especially didn't mean it when she told him to game over. Not at all! So why did she say that!?
He then proceeded to loot the corpses of his fallen enemies, or as he took to calling it, recycling. He even asked about a Unique piece of armor he got and she replied with barely any sarcasm at all.
Afterward he ate their food and went to rob them of their remaining treasure, cutting one poor ogre in half. Looks like he was getting stronger. Maybe her plan of being a bitch was actually working?
Too bad she hated the way it made her feel, but as long as he came out of it alright, it would be worth it.
Once he was done in the Shadow Ogre's Lair, he proceeded to hunt down and kill every remaining ogre in this part of the Dungeon. He was pretty clever about some of the ways he did it as well.
But then there was only one. The Red Ogre himself. Sarah could freely admit she was nervous. Or perhaps scared would be a more appropriate term. The Red Ogre had way higher Stats than he did. It almost wasn't fair.
But as she listened to him come up with a plan, some of her nerves abated. Now as long as he could pull it off, everything would turn out alright.
It started off pretty well, with his Shadow Duplicate severing the tubes to the flamethrower. That was good. But the Red Ogre was far from defenseless. But Ushio was clever, and seemed to always be one step ahead.
That is, until he got punched in the face. Sarah felt her heart stop as the Stunned Status settled in. "Come on, come on, come on," she uttered to herself as the Ogre grew closer with every step it took.
When it swung its massive club down, she thought for sure that was it. Game Over. But it turned out the Stun dispelled just in the nick of time. Her joy was short lived as he was almost immediately backhanded by the massive brute.
Luckily he wasn't Stunned this time, but his bell was well and truly rung. Thankfully he had some Health Potions, which brought him back nearly to full, making Sarah sigh in relief as he leapt back into the fight.
From there it didn't take much longer for him to defeat the Red Ogre. He used his Kusarigama to rip his sword out of his jaw, and then his Duplicate tripped the massive ogre with its own Kusrigama, allowing Ushio to launch a Shadow Strike right at his neck.
"Woo! Hell yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Sarah cheered. Ushio was covered in blood as it sprayed from the neck of the decapitated ogre. It was pretty gross, but also kind of hot.
He roared to the heavens, but his joy was cut short. Sarah had just started to congratulate him, completely forgetting to use her bitchy personality. But as she stared at him she noticed something was wrong.
He was staring at his bloody hands and shaking. She tried to ask what was wrong, but she should have expected how that would go. Poorly. She watched as he continued to spiral, trapped with the memory of his death. If she had a lower lip right now, she would be biting it.
Should she do something? He would probably just snap out of it himself, right? But the more she stared at him, watching him claw at his beautiful bald head until blood poured out, the more she realized something.
He needed her. Like it or not, she was the Administrator of his Game, and it was her job to ensure he could play it properly. Just because she was mad at her sister and terrified beyond belief of screwing up again, didn't mean she could sit back and do nothing.
So she did her best to help him, reminding him of the little girl he died for, how her life was saved due to his actions. It took a while, but he was able to calm down. Once that happened, it was time for a talk, even if she didn't really want to have one.
After their heart to heart, she guided Ushio to a house where he could rest. Her mind went back to their conversation, feeling lighter than she has in a long time, even if she did accidentally reveal her status as a neet.
She was glad they could clear the air a bit, even if they had a ways to go. She'd have to make sure she didn't instinctively insult him. She didn't want to go back to the way they were. She was given a second chance and she didn't intend to blow it.
She didn't tell him everything, she wasn't ready to, but she got the impression he had an idea of what was at the core of all her actions. Because he himself wasn't so different. Perhaps someday she'll tell him about it, the mistake she made and what they cost, but for now, she was content to simply see where things led.
Sure she was a bit terrified of getting close to him and losing him like she did her previous hero, but that was something she would just have to overcome. Ushio deserved better than a scared little girl constantly putting him down to mask her fear. It was time to move forward.
But what was most surprising was his name for her. Sarah, the same nickname her sister gave her. She pretended to be annoyed, but really, it made her heartbeat quicken. Even though she didn't have a heart.
But she was serious about the harem thing. She needed all the help she could get in keeping him grounded and alive. She had a few candidates so far, including Tatsuki and Hiyori, and considering the way he was thinking about Soifon she also made the list.
She may also want to see just what kind of damage he could do with that thing between his legs. For research purposes of course. Purely scientific in nature.
Once they got to the safehouse, he almost immediately stripped naked. Not that she particularly minded that fact, but it was very distracting. Especially when he hopped into the shower and got all wet and soapy.
Good thing she didn't have a mouth, or she'd be drooling right about now. If she wasn't still mad at her sister, she'd be thinking of sending her a fruit basket as thanks for introducing them.
Hmm, maybe she should add her sister to the list. She was a violent tomboy as well after all.
Also, the face he made when he thought he was touching her naughty bits was pure gold. Maybe if he played his cards right he'd get to twiddle her teacups, but for now, he'd have to settle for a screen.
After his shower, in which he caught her staring, he made dinner, which made her cringe. That was not what she would call a quality meal. But then again, she's been locked in her room for a hundred years, so what did she know?
They talked a bit more and she explained a few more things, and she managed to hopefully bring him out of his funk. He really didn't think he deserved to be here. Well, he wasn't the only one.
Maybe this is why Michael chose him for her. Because they were alike in their self deprecation. She hated to admit it, but maybe this is exactly what she needed. Not that she'd tell them that. They completely ignored her autonomy as a sentient being. That demanded satisfaction.
But she could contemplate her revenge later. She watched as the naked form of Ushio tucked himself into bed. She was a bit disappointed that everything was hidden away, but she was looking forward to the next day.
But her thoughts drifted off to who it was that could be interfering. Come to think of it, who was the one who selected Ushio in the first place? And how did they get away doing so without his consent?
Back in the Heavenly Realm
A lone figure sat in front of a computer, glaring at the screen. She bit her nails in frustration and anger. "You bitch! It should have been me! I was the one who chose him so why? Why do you get to be with him!? It should be me! It should be me! IT SHOULD BE ME!"
Her breathing was ragged as she stewed in anger. "It's just like last time! If they had sent me with dear, sweet Arthur, he would have easily saved the world. Instead, he was saddled with this bitch! And now she's going to do the same thing with him!"
Her eyes stared at the screen unblinking, watching as Ushio fell asleep. She rubbed the screen with an obsessive affection. "Don't worry. I'll save you from that whore. I just need a little more time. Then, we can be together. Hehehehe. Soon, very soon. I just need to show the rest of them how worthless she is. But first…"
She pressed a few buttons on her computer, making the screen shift to Ushio in the shower. She gave a creepy, insane grin as she spread her legs and began to pleasure herself. "Yes, that's it! You know I'm watching you, don't you!? Ahh! That's why you're putting on such a show! Mmm! You know I love you! I'm the only one who can satisfy that big fucking dick of yours! Oh, fuck I'm so close! Ushio! Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me, fuck me, fuck me; yeees!"
The woman sat there, basking in the afterglow of her release, giving a psychotic giggle. She gave the screen one last, longing look before deciding she too would go to bed. Getting up from her chair, she made her way to her bed, passing by poster after poster of previous heroes, each of them with red X's over their eyes. Only one didn't have that mark…
And it was Ushio's