A detective opened the door. He looked overworked but flashed a friendly smile. Either this was good news or there was another long interrogation ahead of me. “Alexander Shen?” he asked.

I waved. As best as I could given the cuffs. “Yessir?”

“You’re free to go.” He took out a key and unlocked them. “Never thought I’d see a ren take down four C-Ranks. It’s true what they say about this city: you never stop meeting freaks. What are you? Counterforce?”

“If I was CF, they'd be dead."

The cuffs dropped.

“...Right. You have good friends, boy,” the detective said with an odd wink—yeah, I didn’t like that. “C’mon, I’ll escort you out.”

***

The outcome was expected, let’s be honest. There was no way in hell that Husk and Fujimura could get away with this shit. If anything, the stunt Husk had pulled added several charges onto his already long rap-sheet. It was mildly annoying because it took hours for everything to be squared away. The badges didn’t believe a random ren took down four swords, which led to endless and repetitive questioning and interrogation. However, once details started coming in and credible statements were taken and Encampment agents got involved, the ball started rolling.

Though, what really sealed the deal was my “good friends” vouching for my innocence—in other words, corruption.

For once, I left a police station without any bruises.

By the time I embraced sweet freedom, it was three in the afternoon and my stomach rumbled like nothing else. I adjusted the small dufflebag on my shoulder, containing my belongings and bloody clothes. Thankfully, they had a plain t-shirt and sweats for ruthless criminals like myself.

On the sidewalk, a familiar woman was waiting for me: the outworlder. As soon as she saw my ugly face, her pointy ears sank toward the Earth’s core. Made it quite clear that she was here for business, not because she cared for my well-being.

Silverhonor crossed her arms, impatiently tapping her foot. How long had she been waiting for me? “What compelled you to waltz into System Articles knowing it was dangerous? If you had gotten injured or worse—“

“Good afternoon to you too, Slayer.” I cracked my knuckles, rubbing a finger over the hardened skin.

“Shen—!”

“Retribution,” I told her as clear as day, for every badge to listen even. “Let’s face it, SH, those fucks wouldn’t learn a thing. They’d claim what they’re doing is the norm and act like victims. ‘That’s how the world works,’ they say.”

Her viridescent eyes were as narrow as a line. “So you enacted vigilante justice?”

I admired the police station and every one of its chipped bricks. Inside, the gears of the Law clicked and spun; sometimes they were greased to pull in the opposite direction, other times the gears stopped moving altogether. I said, “Preventative. Words can’t reach these people, not even when the judge rattles off their tickets. But pain can. Pain does.”

She scoffed, tugging on her collar. She was nervous; this wasn’t a conversation you had in front of a police station. “You believe justice as it stands isn’t capable of doling out ample punishment?”

Unwanted memories flickered through my vision: countless news articles, online posts, phone calls and text messages in the middle of the night, the steps of a courthouse, and smiling lawyers. Even an ocean away, the beautiful United States was still whispering inside my ear.

Silverhonor took my silence with a frown. “Shen—?”

“I trust the law as much as you trust the malies,” I said, staring eye-for-eye.

Mentioning that single word turned her pale skin gray. She clenched her fists, her eyes staring beyond me like how I had moments earlier. “Had High Home made you this cynical?”

I laughed, and the memories persisted. “You did your research on me. I mean, watching Oasisgate unfold the way it did…” I whistled to release some bad energy. “That’s… That’s a genie you can’t shove back in the lamp.”

“It’s no wonder why you threatened Glory. You must despise castles and everything they stand for.”

“You make me sound like a punk.” I cleared my throat a couple times, counting the number of skyscrapers and monuments scratching the clouds. “It’s not that simple. I am standing in the Slayer Capital and talking to one of the most well-known outworlders in the city.”

Silverhonor huffed and marched to the curb, watching the busy streets. A few distant pedestrians were looking in our direction but she didn’t seem to care. She was contemplative, either thinking about my words or trying to unravel the mystery of Alexander Shen. Both, most likely.

Sorry to disappoint, but I’m far less interesting than everyone hypes me up as. I’m just a miserable jackass trying to carve a little peace and quiet for himself.

I sighed and sat down on a nearby bench. “Look, SH, let’s just—“

“I pity you, Shen,” Silverhonor said, back turned.

“Pardon?”

She faced and leered down at me. “I cannot imagine living my life like how you do: perpetually miserable and cynical of nigh-everything. For such a gifted man, you’re hopelessly confused, trapped between two worlds. Whatever you’re seeking, you'll likely never get it—much like how I may never recover my memories.”

“...I guess that makes two of us.”

“I suppose so.”

An annoyingly luxurious silver car rolled into the parking lot. At a certain point of the day, the light bounced off the paint in a certain way that blinded everyone in a one-mile radius. It was outfitted with all the cool features that I never bothered learning, but damn, if that wasn’t the most beautiful (and shittiest) car I had ever seen. Too bad the driver was circus-freak ugly.

“Alex, sorry I’m late!” Vic hopped out and leaned against the door. “We’re—oh shit, hi?”

Silverhonor stood off to the side, arms crossed. “A friend of yours?”

“My chauffeur.” I got up and threw the duffle-bag around my shoulder. “This is my cue to leave. See you tomorrow, SH, at the Encampment. I’ll be there on time.”

“For your sake, you will,” she shortly replied as I got walking.

Vic awkwardly smiled. Even an oblivious idiot like him could sense the bad blood between us. “It’s, uh, it’s good meeting you for the first time, Silverhonor! I’m a big fan.”

Never mind, this dumbass was already infatuated.

I said, “You might see him and my friends soon. They’re signed up for the First Wave; in fact, Victor here is shooting for Glory.”

“I am—? Oh yeah, I totally am! Yeah, I’m uh—yeah, mhm.” Vic was physically incapable of playing things cool. He was scratching his arm way too much, painting himself as a restless drug addict and not an anxious, upstart sword.

Silverhonor gave a friendly, hospitable smile like a hotel receptionist. “How wonderful. I wish you the best of luck. You as well, Shen. I hope you remember my words.”

“I might.” I settled into the passenger seat as Vic flopped behind the wheel.

I recognize that look on his face. That, right there, was the look of a man who had his whole world rocked. For a lonely, hopeless guy like him? Getting blessed by Silverhonor herself? He was sleeping great for the next month.

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If we survive the drive, because he was driving like a robot. Not a super-intelligent bot you’d find in chess, but a shitty, dollar-store AI that had the memory of a goldfish. He nearly rear-ended the first car we saw, spent a whole second at the green-light and got the entire cavalcade honking at him, and missed a turn and didn’t realize it until I told him.

I punched his shoulder. “God, you’re such a loser. You folded immediately. You’re doomed whenever a pretty girl smiles at you—”

Vic clung onto the steering wheel. “I’m gonna drive us off a cliff.”

“If you can find any…” I murmured. “Anyway, thanks for doing this. For picking me up and holding down the fort. I owe you several.”

In our plan against System Articles, we created a schedule where the Three Musketeers took turns shadowing Althea and watching my apartment in case Yoshita attacked. And hey, they did. This morning, Chunhua had tasted action while the other two unfortunately had to house-sit. Then, all three of them babysat Althea as her big brother got himself detained for hours.

It was a simple idea, but coordinating three busy swords was harder than I thought.

Victor, though, didn’t seem to mind the lack of action. “Don’t mention it, man. Whatcha talk ‘bout with Silverhonor anyway? She, uh, she doesn’t seem to like you.”

How she felt about me didn’t matter. We were going to be strangers after the investigation anyway, no use trying to get on her good side. Still, her words rang in my head. Cynical, two worlds—as if I didn’t already know that. She might’ve done her research on me, but my lifestory was more than two defining tragedies. At least, that’s what I told myself. After living through Hangzhou and Oasisgate, what other options did I have? What lifepath was waiting for me, one that wouldn’t turn my heart black?

I couldn’t simply pick a world and stay in it.

“Alex?” Vic called me. “You good? Not gonna die, right?”

I realized I was leaning my head against the window. I kept it there. “Let’s stop by, ugh… Some drive-thru or something… I’m starving.”

“I gotcha.”

***

I lost my suit and tie, becoming an unemployed bum who depended on his uncle. Sporadically throughout the rest of May, I attended meetings regarding System Articles with Silverhonor. They were formalities, nothing important. It was almost guaranteed that Fujimura and his lackeys were going to prison for a long time, if not for the evidence I’d gathered but the fact they tried to off me and Thea.

Other than the meetings, I had never met with Silverhonor. There was too much distance to establish a genuine rapport, not that I was looking for one. Same for Celestial Empress after that fateful day. I never bothered Angels, and they never bothered me even after I gave them my number. I’d told Thea and Uncle Ali about what happened on the day of—just another thing to keep at the back of our heads as usual.

So what did I do with my newfound freetime? First of all, graduation. Althea passed her finals and walked the stage. As promised, I recorded every second for Uncle. I’m proud of her; she graduated high-school with minimal incidents. Really, I thought they’d expel her after she fractured a guy’s skull, but this city was full of surprises.

I had another graduation party, this time for the swords. Vic, Chunhua, and Kotone celebrated their finals with drinks, cake, and tears. Their college life, like mine, was officially over. Now it was time for the big leagues, but on that night, they could forget about the future and spend time laughing and singing along to whatever bad music was on the speakers.

On the very next day, they went to work despite their hangovers. So did I. I had no reason to not take up Professor Jeon’s offer. Class A3 needed extra hands to prepare them for First Wave where they’d compete against freaks and prodigies from Antarctica to Switzerland.

It was a way to keep myself busy and get some money in my pocket. It didn’t pay as much as System Articles, but income was income. It meant, however, being surrounded by Slayers day-in and day-out: watching them train, analyzing their performances, picking out holes and pointing out shortcomings, helping proctor exercises, even teaching a thing or two about the artform of combat—basically, whatever Professor Jeon wanted me to do.

But Ordo University didn’t only have Class A3. There were other third- and lower-years too; hell, Systemic Works was its own little world on-campus. Everyone knew everyone, and everyone wanted to be included.

Which meant I suddenly had to consider other students in other classes other than A3. It was one thing lending my middling expertise to third-years—they were heading to First Wave too—but for the juniors? Who had at least a year until then?

Not fun, let me tell you.

“—yeah, who are you to tell me to leave?” spat a first-year. He came with his little entourage wanting to check out what their seniors were doing. Spoiled little bastard, the definition of daddy’s money.

I focused on writing notes down on my clipboard. “I am. Your seniors need to focus—”

“I mean, look at this.” The first-year grabbed my shirt and threw the fabric back. “Looks like the ren went thrifting recently, eh?”

I rolled my eyes. “Leave, or—”

The little shit slapped my clipboard but I managed to hang onto it. “Or what? You don’t know who you’re talking to. I can kill you with a single flick—”

He shut up. Forcibly. Slayer or not, getting a clipboard jammed into your throat was painful. He dropped to his knees and started gasping for air. Before his friends tried anything funny, I waved the deadly weapon at them.

With the clipboard, I pointed at the open door. “Walk, or you’ll crawl there.”

They got the message. Unfortunately, later that day, I was chewed out by administration for “assaulting a highly-valued student.” By that, he complained and his father complained. No punishment, though. OU didn’t want to scorn one of their most popular alumni.

This wasn’t the first time someone wanted to bully the ren, and despite my efforts, no one seemed to catch the hint. At least this wasn’t Baekyong (백용) Academy, because that place? Shit, it resembled an unethical psychology experiment more than an actual campus. Regardless, helping Class A3 wasn’t terrible. I had free lunch, spent more time with my friends, all while getting paid doing so.

The days went by.

System Articles felt like it happened yesterday, but when I opened my eyes… It was already the end of May.

First Wave was starting in a few days.

“Thank you for your help, Alex,” Professor Jeon said while we were in her office. The blue-haired sword was in her late-thirties but looked a decade younger; the power of good genetics. “I think my kids will do just fine in First Wave.”

“Either way, I earned my check. Unless I’m getting a commission for every student who gets an offer.”

Professor Jeon laughed. It was a fake laugh. “No can do. The department is running low on funds.” (“That’s bullcrap.”) “But I have something better than commissions: good news. Next academic year, we have new positions in Systemic Works if you’re interested. I know you prefer several degrees of separation from systemics, but it pays well.”

I had a feeling she was going to offer a more permanent position. She was right; OU was a little too intimate, but I wasn’t exactly in an optimal place in terms of employment. “Send me the details,” I said. “I’ll give it a serious thought.”

She smiled. A real smile, this time. “Great! And one more thing.”

From a drawer, she produced a lanyard with a laminated card attached. It had my name and face on it with the word “VISITOR” written at the top.

“This.” She tapped the card. “Is a visitor’s pass for First Wave. In other words, it’s a golden opportunity to network with the Big Four and other major guilds. And you’ll get to cheer your friends on too!”

For most people, this was basically like having the winning lottery ticket. Some would pay thousands to have an opportunity to deliver their elevator pitch to the Big Four, but I wasn’t most people. Don’t misunderstand, it was a great opportunity to network and job-hunt, but…

“Why don’tcha do it?” Thea asked when I got home that evening. “Look, Alex, you’re not exactly in an optimal spot in terms of a job.”

“That’s literally what I thought.” I slapped her leg, making Thea move her lazy ass so I could sit on the couch. “But there’s a problem—”

“You’re terrible with women?” (“Yeah—”) “You’re basically an eunuch?” (“Yes—”) “You can’t talk yourself out of a mugging to save your life—?”

“Shut up.” I whacked the lanyard against her thigh.

She scowled and slapped me away. “It’s not my fault that you pissed off Glory and Angels! Like, seriously, that’s on you. But hey, they’re both castles. You prolly won’t meet Silverhonor or Empress while working there.”

I squinted at her. “Thea.”

She was focused on watching her anime. “What?”

“Knowing our luck, you think that’ll happen?”

Thea sighed and rubbed her eyes. “Right, our track record doesn’t exactly, y’know, track. Either way, you got a free invitation to First Wave. Opportunity’s an opportunity. You never know what’ll happen. Just gotta avoid Martials Guild and you’ll be fine.”

“Yeah…” I held the lanyard in my hands, rubbing a thumb on my unflattering picture. “Plus, everyone will appreciate me being there.”

“Sounds like you talked yourself into it.”

I pressed the card against my forehead. “Guess I have… Shit, this will either be the best decision I’ll ever make or the worst.”