Redmont, Serisis.
6:30 p.m. 19 th Banem 1092.
Atop the city rooftops, Kashi yawned as he put the finishing touches on the final painting for the day. Just as he expected, he received a prompt. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the one he wanted. The daeben took off his headphones and placed them in his inventory as he examined the prompt.
New Masterpiece Painting
Redmont Skyline (Dimension Key)
A modern marvel, a city built by hume hands. One can feel the graceful pride emanating from each carefully placed brick.
Artistic Value: 1300
Number of Masterpieces Created: 126
Trait: Dimension Protector (Immunity to Fire, Water, and Rot)
Level up: Intermediate Painting Mastery [8 9]
Level up: Beginner Dimensional Artist Mastery [3 5]
Enables you to produce more delicate and detailed works.
Unlocks Dimension Piercer
Overall Fame rises by 25 points. (+25 Fame)
Art rises by 20 points. (+20 Art)
New Active Skill Learned: Dimension Piercer
Dimension Piercer: Command Space through the use of Rosario Brush. Grants the ability to cut a path to any previously ‘key-locked’ location.
Key-lock a location by drawing your sigil with Rosario’s Brush. (Image must be at least 1 meter tall)
Warning: If Sigil is damaged or erased, the location will no longer be key-locked
Warning: Once Sigil is chosen, it cannot be changed.
Mana Cost: 1000 Mana per second
Kashi smiled as he read the prompt. As expected, he knew the Dimensional Artist class had to have a better mode of travel than burning paintings. With this [Dimension Piercer] skill, he did not have to worry about painting all the time. As long as he left his sigil in a hidden location, he could always return at any time.
Eager to test it out, Kashi immediately set to work drawing the Maggot’s logo, the howling wolf, on the rooftop. Kashi had drawn this logo so many times, it was mostly muscle memory at this point. Within a couple of seconds, a meter-tall howling wolf head decorated the rooftop.
Kashi placed his hand on the sigil and then instinctively said, “[Lock]” Vwooom! “Damn!” cursed Kashi as he was blasted off the roof by a massive gale. The daeben groaned as he crashed onto the streets below and accidentally upset a lady’s stall. “Sorry!” Without missing a beat, he tossed a coin purse to the stunned woman and then dashed into the streets. Within a blink of an eye, he was gone from view.
Meanwhile, while Kashi escaped, several brave warriors and security soldiers jumped onto nearby roofs to examine the strange phenomenon. Luckily, a learned magician quickly realized what was happening and stated, “That gale isn’t wind, but mana.” Pointing at the sigil, he said, “It’s being absorbed by that Sigil. Judging by the amount of mana it’s absorbing, it must be something powerful.”
A guard nearby frowned. “Is it dangerous?”
“I don’t think so. The energy is stable, so I don’t think it’s a bomb. But it doesn’t hurt to be careful.”
The guard nodded and then ordered his subordinates to evacuate the area. Suddenly, the mana gale subsided, which allowed them to get a full view of the sigil. The guard raised a brow in shock as he stared at the howling wolf... “…Isn’t that?”
Watching from a distance, Kashi inwardly groaned. Since the guard recognized the symbol, he was bound to receive an earful from Leila later. Ugh… well, at least, now he knew he couldn’t just [Lock] anywhere willy-nilly. The commotion would draw everyone from far and near. Such things only worked as stealth mechanics.
Kashi, satisfied with his discovery, tugged on his hood and then rushed to Redmont Manor. The daeben confirmed his identity at the gate and then made his way to his room, releasing a huge sigh of relief as he shut the door behind him.
“You look like you’ve been busy.” Kashi looked over to the dresser, where Lunette sat, working on putting up her hair. The beautiful songstress regarded the daeben with a teasing smile. “What did you do?”
“Haha…” Kashi weakly laughed, choosing not to answer. Instead, he walked over to and then faceplanted into the bed. The daeben, after a brief respite, turned around and then craned his neck to look at Lunette. “Where are you going?”
Lunette let out an exasperated sigh as she glared at Kashi. “I knew you would forget. Leila-chan announced it remember? There’s a ball tonight. I was invited to perform.”
Kashi’s eyes lit up as he sat up. “You’ll be performing?”
“Mmhmm,” Lunette confirmed with a smile as she placed the final hairpin to clasp her hair in place. “It was a personal request from three kings. There’s no way I would refuse.”
“Heeeh…” mused Kashi. “New song, or old?”
Lunette rolled her eyes as she chuckled and asked, “Would you know the difference?”
Kashi, rather than speak, took out a pair of headphones from his inventory. Then, before Lunette could say a word, he also dumped dozens of tiny cases on the table. Lunette’s eyes went wide. These cases stored the song crystals. If Kashi had this many, then he most likely had everything she’d done in recent times.
“Oh…” Lunette mumbled as she felt her cheeks heat up. “You got them all?”
Kashi nodded as he returned the headphones and cases. “I love listening to music when working, and you’re the best I’ve ever heard.” If it wasn’t for Kashi’s straight face, Lunette would have been sure he was throwing empty flattery. But the daeben’s gaze was earnest and true, not brokering the slightest doubt. Oblivious to Lunette’s thoughts, Kashi flashed a thumbs-up as he said, “Really, you’re the best. I guess it helps that you can play every instrument perfectly.”
“Yeah, it does,” Lunette replied with a sheepish smile. “I was designed that way. Along with Shadow. He doesn’t like singing, though.”
“Heeeh? Shadow can sing?” Kashi’s eyes lit up with a sinister light as he began to imagine a thousand ways to use this information to his advantage.
Lunette rolled her eyes as she rose to her feet. “It’s almost time. Are you going to escort me… or?”
“Give me a second.” Kashi quickly switched his outfits to the dinner jacket from the previous night. It was much more formal and befitting a ball. He gave himself a once-over and then, satisfied with what he saw, walked over to Lunette and held out his hand.
Lunette blushed as she linked her arms with his and then made his way out of the room.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, a tense Syèl knocked on a door. The halben took a deep breath, steeling his nerves as the door opened with a slight creak. On the other side, true to character, Shokō appeared dressed in a handsome, noble attire.
On a typical day, Syèl would have thrown a friendly jab at her dress choice, but not this day. This time, both he and Shokō wore complicated expressions as they knew they had reached a critical moment in their relationship.
Syèl, realizing it was not too late to turn back, suddenly hesitated. Why was he here? Did he really need to know the truth? What if he couldn’t handle it? What if the truth broke them? However, just when he was about to walk away, he suddenly heard her voice, ‘Live.’
That’s right. Syèl knew he couldn’t keep running away from the truth. He owed it to Henri. The halben took a deep breath and then looked at Shokō. “I saw it in your eyes, back when I told you about Henri and after we fought. You feel guilty. I recognize it because I have that same look in my eyes every morning.” Syèl breathed in and then asked the dreaded question, “What do you know? Why do you feel responsible?”
Shokō trembled, hesitation and fear apparent in her eyes. “Come in.” However, she steeled her resolve and stepped aside to let Syèl in the room. Once Syèl entered, she closed the door and then leaned against it as if seeking support from the hard, immovable wall. Moments later, she released a sigh and muttered, “I knew I would have to tell you everything eventually. I just hoped I would have a bit more time.”
Syèl kept quiet as he watched her tense expression. He knew how difficult it could be to get the truth out. Especially when it involved a painful past you wanted to forget. All he could do to support her right now was wait.
After some time passed, Shokō managed to bring herself together. She wiped a tear from her eye as she said, “Admin Code: RD06072012, Requesting System Override.”
Syèl’s brow shot up. “Did you say Adm—” Before he could finish, a disembodied voice suddenly echoed around the room.
‘Genesis Acknowledges Request. State Reason for Override Please.’
“Whose voice is that?” Syèl asked as he glanced around, pondering on the voice’s origin. “And that name: Genesis. I know it from somewhere.”
Shokō glanced at Syèl and then bit her lip. “Requesting Temporary Real-Body Simulation.”
“Real-body simu—what’s that supposed to be?”
‘Genesis Acknowledges Request. Reason Determined Not to Affect Surrounding Gameplay. Temporary Real-Body Simulation Approved. Duration: 30 Seconds. Do you require a time extension?’
“No,” Shokō confirmed, and then added with a downcast sigh, “That will be more than enough.”
‘Acknowledged. Please Standby for Physique Alteration. Warning: This Might Sting a Little.’
Shokō looked at Syèl and sent him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. It’s just joking.” Following those words, she was enveloped by a bright light that prevented Syèl from seeing the transformation. Eventually, the light receded, and Shokō reappeared.
Shokō, like Kashi and Syèl, did not bother with the character creator. As a result, the differences between her real self and her avatar was negligible. Unfortunately, this only made Syèl more uncomfortable because it meant that the reason she switched to her real body was far beyond a skin-deep resemblance.
Syèl had a thousand questions, but he just settled with, “Who, or what are you exactly?”
“What…” Shokō muttered with a bitter smile as she looked at Syèl. “What indeed.” She took out a blade from her inventory and hovered it over her palm. “When you were experimented on, you stated the scientists used a dark-green solution to inject you guys. A virus, you called it.” A sad, dejected smile played on her lips as she said, “Have you never wondered how they made the virus?”
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Pa!
Syèl grabbed Shokō’s right arm without thinking. His heart violently shuddered, beating so loudly, he swore the entire Serisis could hear it. Syèl did not know why, but he was suddenly scared.
How long had it been since he had been scared? Yes. It was the first time he had to contemplate a life without Henri. A life without the sun, forever trapped in the shadows.
Gritting his teeth, Syèl said, “Stop. I don’t want to know. Our pasts don’t matter anymore.”
“No, Taiga,” Saeko said as her eyes welled up with tears. “It does matter. You need to know the truth. You all do.”
“No! Wait!”
Schlick!
Before Taiga could react, Saeko grabbed the blade with her left hand and violently slid her hand down the hilt.
Drip… Drip… Drip…
“No.” Colour drained from Taiga’s face as he stared at the green blood draining down the sword’s blade.
Drip… Drip… Drip…
“No.” Taiga staggered backward, disbelief coloring his features as he stared in horror at the silently weeping Saeko.
Drip... Drip... Drip…
“No. No. No. No. No. No. No.” Taiga repeatedly chanted in denial as he grabbed his head and paced around the room. “This can’t be happening.”
“I’m afraid it is,” Saeko weakly confirmed, her words nearly choking in her throat.
“No.” Taiga violently shook his head to fight off memories of those mechanical arms stabbing into his friends’ brains. Their screams as the virus wreaked havoc throughout their bodies.
Saeko suddenly looked so fragile, like a passing breeze could topple her. By this point, she could barely see through her tears as she affirmed, “This is who I am, Taiga.”
“No. You’re lying. You are lying.”
Saeko violently shook her head, nearly breaking down as she asserted, “Remember when you asked how I could control multiple bodies at once? This is how. You can do it too, so you should know. That’s not something a human should be capable of.”
Taiga suddenly froze. He then turned to Saeko, a dangerous glare in his eyes as he asked, “What are you saying?”
“You already figured it out,” accused Saeko as she rested against the door, lest she collapse. She balled her hand into a fist, squeezing out the blood, and then regarded the halben with a self-deprecating smile. “…I’m not human.”
“What!?” Taiga shouted in disbelief. “What does that even mean?” He paused, then added with a sardonic laugh, “What; are you saying you’re some kind of mutant? Alien? Is that it?”
Saeko buried her head in her right hand, her voice cracked from subdued grief as she replied, “…I do not know.”
Taiga scoffed and spread out his arms in disbelief. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means I Don’t Fucking Know, Okay!?” Saeko screamed as she finally snapped. She shot to her feet and then shouted as she glared at Taiga through tear-filled eyes, “Do you think I asked to be born this way? A freak of nature!? Do You Have Any Idea What My Life’s Been Like!?”
“No, I Don’t!” Taiga yelled back, his anger and frustration rising with each passing moment. “I don’t know a damned thing about you!” The halben’s eyes turned red, burning with equal parts rage and pain. “You know who I am; Where I’m from; What I’ve done! All I know about you is that you’re some rich, pampered girl who’s used to getting what she wants. Oh. And apparently, you have admin privileges to this damned game. So, I know you work for Genaco.” Taiga paused, his gaze turning hostile as he walked toward Saeko. “Is that it? Did they send you to watch me? Keep little, old, deranged Taiga in line. Make sure he doesn’t do anything crazy?” Taiga pressed up against Saeko, who instinctively shrunk back against the door. BAM! In his rage, he slammed his hand against the door and demanded, “ I asked a Goddamned Question!”
BAM! Crash!
Taiga coughed as he was sent flying across the room. He crashed against the dresser but then shot to his feet, the rage in his eyes turning even worse. However, perhaps, because of the time he’d spent with Saeko, he could not bring himself to attack.
Saeko glared at him, her expression a mixture of pain, remorse, and rage. “I will answer your questions, but do not think for a second, I will let you intimidate me. I may have never taken a life, but I have been surrounded and trained by the world’s worst assassins and drill sergeants since I was five. You do not scare me.”
“HAHA! I don’t fucking believe it!” Taiga could not help but let out a crazed laugh as he looked around as if in hope someone else could confirm what he witnessed. “See!? This is what I’m talking about! Who the fuck trains a kid to kill from the age of five? Who, or What the Fuck Are You!?”
“I already answered you,” Saeko replied in an even tone. Somehow, Taiga’s combative tone and attitude helped her regain herself. “I do not know.”
“Well, then. What do you know.”
“I know that I had to kill my mother to be born.”
“What?” Taiga froze. He searched Saeko’s gaze but could not find a trace of deceit. “What are you talking about?”
Saeko sarcastically chuckled as she shrugged her shoulders and then said, “Apparently, I was a freak from the womb.” She hugged her arms as if to protect herself from the memory as she confessed, “Turns out freaks need a lot more nutrients to survive than the average baby.” Her eyes welled up once again as she looked at Taiga. “She tried her best; my mother did. She didn’t give up until I was born. The nurses said she passed with a smile on her face like she was relieved. Think about that. She was so relieved to finally be rid of the parasite sucking her dry, she happily passed away without ever laying eyes on me.”
Taiga opened his mouth but then shut it right after. His brows furrowed, pain and discomfort in his eyes as he muttered, “I… I’m—”
“Sorry?” Saeko laughed and shook her head. “Do not be. According to my father, my mother died to save the world. A modern-day Mary he called her.”
“Mary?” repeated Taiga in confusion. “Sorry, I’m lost. Who’s your father?”
“James. James Shouyou.”
“Shouyou? Genaco’s Shouyou? That guy?” Taiga’s eyes widened in shock, but he then realized the signs were all there. Saeko was a Blond, blue-eyed Japanese woman. How rare was that? How did he not suspect this before? “Wait. So, if he’s your father, that means he isn’t human either?”
“I honestly do not know,” Saeko replied with a weak smile. She sniffed and then said, “He always says the time is not yet right when I ask.”
Taiga grabbed his head as he let out a loud, frustrated groan. “What the hell is even going on?” He took a deep breath to calm himself and then turned to Saeko. “Okay, from the beginning… Explain Everything.”
Saeko, likewise, composed herself with a deep breath and then explained the truth in its entirety.
Apparently, Saeko achieved full cognitive and motor abilities just a few weeks after her birth. As a result, she remembered every moment from when she was just five weeks old. By the age of 1, she could solve complex mathematical equations, and by 3, she began exhibiting strength on par with grown men.
James Shouyou, her father, seemed to expect this, however, as he supervised every moment of her growth. When Saeko turned 5, she started training for something he called ‘The Final Test.’ Along with getting flung around by killers from all around the world, James sanctioned a series of medical examinations to turn her blood into a serum that could enhance the physical and mental prowess of other humans.
Saeko had no clue at the time, but the serums were tested on numerous people. After multiple deaths and mistakes, the scientists realized the serum was more toxic to grown-ups than children. After a few more improvements, a final working version was finally concocted. That version was used on Taiga and his friends.
“These people they tested,” questioned Taiga, “Were they kidnapped like us?”
“No,” Saeko replied with a shake of her head. “The clinical testees signed an agreement which sent ridiculous amounts of money to their families in the event of death. They were mostly either death-row inmates or people with only a few months to live. You people were different. There was supposed to be no risk of death, and the company wanted a squad with no traces.”
“No traces…” Taiga let out a sardonic chuckle. “Yeah, no one would mourn or look for us.” He then looked at Saeko and then asked the most burning question on his mind, “So, what role did you play in making the A.I? Did you design them with your genius mind?”
Saeko frowned in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“The A.Is,” asserted Taiga with a frown. “Did you have anything to do with their production?”
“No,” Saeko denied with a firm shake of her head. “I had nothing to do with that. As far as I know, some programmer in Iruma developed them.”
Taiga’s frown deepened. “So, you had nothing to do with the A.Is?”
“No, I did not,” she firmly confirmed. “Why do you keep asking?”
Taiga sighed and then ran his hands through his hair. His eyes were suffused with guilt and pain, and he said, “Because I can’t blame you if you had nothing to do with the A.Is.” The young man walked over and then stopped in front of Saeko. His chest burned as he looked into her tear-filled eyes, and he instinctively grabbed her hands.
Saeko panicked and made to pull her hands away, but Taiga firmly held on. “What are you doing?”
“Apologizing.”
“What?” Saeko blurted out. She stared at the halben in disbelief. What the hell was he on about now?
Taiga sighed once more and then looked into Saeko’s eyes as he said, “Listen. All this stuff about who you are… where you’re from… I never really cared about them. I got pissed because I thought you had something to do with Henri’s death, but it turns out you didn’t.”
“Wanna know the fucked up part?” Taiga revealed a bitter smile as he admitted, “I’m actually thankful you’re… well, whatever you are. If you were human, then I would probably be dead right now in some ditch back in Hadet.” Taiga paused and then said, “I don’t hate that we were experimented on to become stronger. We all made our peace with that. I hate the A.Is that killed my friends and the idiot programmers who designed them that way in the first place.”
Taiga brushed the tears from Saeko’s eyes as he said, “I’m not the smartest guy out there, but I’m not stupid enough to blame you for something you didn’t do. I’m sorry I took out my anger on you. Guess I’m not as over their deaths as I thought I was.”
“No,” refuted Saeko with a shake of her head. “I should have told you the truth from the beginning. My father has too many secrets. I don’t know what he’s planning, but I do know that Suzuki is somehow a part of it.”
Taiga’s brow shot up. “Sukki-chan? How is he a part of this?”
Saeko shook her head. “I do not believe he is aware of the situation. I was tasked with getting close to and then monitoring his every move.” She then let out a wry smile as she looked at Taiga. “…but then you happened.”
Taiga coughed, quickly let go of Saeko’s hand, and then turned around to hide his embarrassment. Both parties quietly looked at the floor to avoid eye contact as the room’s atmosphere turned awkward.
Pfff...
Eventually, Saeko squeaked as she rested her back against Taigais, “So, what does this mean for us?”
“What?”
“Us?” Saeko repeated, her eyes trembling as she stared at the ceiling. “Can we still be friends now that you know the truth about me?”
…
A long silence followed, with each second feeling more unbearable than the last for the poor girl. Her shivers traveled from her eyes down to the tips of her fingers. Eventually, just when Saeko wanted to retract her question, Taiga dropped a bombshell.
“No.”
Saeko’s heart sunk to the pit of her stomach. Bile rose up to her mouth, and in her fear, she could barely ask, “Wh-what did you say?”
“No,” Taiga repeated. “We cannot be friends anymore.”
The color drained from Saeko’s face as she turned white as a sheet. However, she fought to maintain her dignity and instead, shakily squeezed out, “I-I understand.” She then began to walk away, but a firm hand grabbed her wrist and spun her around.
“What more do you want!?” Saeko screamed as she angrily glared at Taiga. “I got the message. We can’t be friends, right? Don’t worry. I’m used to being by myself. I don’t need you.”
“Well, congratufuckinglations then,” Taiga sarcastically praised, and then said, “but I do need you.”
Saeko froze, confusion in her eyes. “What?”
“Fuck.” Taiga cursed and then pulled Saeko into his embrace. Before the swordswoman could react, he raised her chin and planted a hot kiss that sucked out her living soul. Saeko’s eyes went wide, and her legs nearly gave out from the shock, but luckily, Taiga kept a firm grip around her waist.
Taiga eventually freed her lips and then looked into her eyes. “No. We cannot be friends, because I know the truth now. The past couple of minutes, the one thought that kept popping through my mind was, ‘Please let her not be responsible.’ Over and over again, I prayed. Because I knew that even if you were responsible, I would inevitably justify it to myself that you couldn’t possibly be at fault. Because at the end of the day, no matter what, I did not want to lose you. And now I know why...”
Taiga pulled Saeko close as he confessed, “I love you, Saeko Minako. Not because you remind me of Henri, but because you are you. I love your smile, the way you insist on dressing like a prince in here; the way you willingly seek out fights; your love for fashion; your beautiful heart. I love all these things about you and many more. I’m sorry it took me this long to figure it out, and I’m sorry to spring this on you out of the blue, but I don’t want to waste any moment. I’ve learned to appreciate every second we have on this earth.”
Taiga hesitated, then asked, “What do you think?”
Saeko wiped her eyes and then said with a teasing smirk, “What do I think?”
“Well... ye—”
A passionate kiss cut Taiga short. Saeko wrapped her hands around Taiga’s neck and pulled him in as if seeking to drown herself in the halben. Both Saeko and Taiga gave each other all of themselves as they sunk deeper and deeper into the kiss, often forgetting to come up for air.
The couple’s kiss grew hotter and more passionate by the second, eventually turning into restlessness as they grabbed each other and pushed themselves around the room. In a moment of heated passion, Taiga slammed Saeko against the wall.
BOOOOM!
The ground and walls trembled as the sound of a massive explosion reverberated throughout the manor.
Saeko and Taiga froze in disbelief as they stared at each other. ‘What in the hells?’ The duo sensed danger and immediately shot out of the room. Within seconds, they zoomed through the hallway and then arrived at a dance hall on the fourth floor. The duo’s gazes traveled to the massive hole in the ceiling through which moonlight was currently shining.
But more importantly, their eyes narrowed at the familiar winged figures proudly hovering over the hall.
Taiga gritted his teeth as he glared at the smug Adjudicators, “Now, what do they want?”