Carefully listening to Dungeon Master 18's explanation, I immediately noticed the clear feelings seeping from her about Dungeon Master 08.
Naturally, I was more or less aware that just like some Dungeon Masters respected Dungeon Master 07 while others absolutely looked down on Dungeon Master 20, which I guess, considering what he did, was understandable, Dungeon Masters' attitudes toward one another varied depending on their own point of view. I mean, it was already the case since there were sides, but out there, in Fiendfell, where several other factors were to be taken into account, it was even more so the case.
Here, while she did not openly mention it, it was very clear that Dungeon Master 08 had some distaste toward Theta, the name and persona which Dungeon Master 08 goes by in Fiendfell, and that for reasons that, while I did not relate to at all, I could still somehow imagine. And yet, ironically, yes, very ironically, in fact, most of what she described—how dissatisfied she was with living in the shadow, how she decided to have a vessel that would serve her better than her current one and was willing to sacrifice what would be her current child for that goal—was clearly a Dungeon Master 08-like behavior.
Aside from Dungeon Master 05 and, of course, Dungeon Master 07 and Dungeon Master 02, the fourth Dungeon Master who had reincarnated in Fiendfell I was most familiar with was Dungeon Master 08. I was particularly familiar with her previous incarnation, and I knew for a fact that while she may or may not be aware, the strange, no-fucked-up plan Dungeon Master 18 came up with was something inspired by Dungeon Master 08. They were alike not just in mind, but in body as well. I'm not very well acquainted with Dungeon Master 08's current incarnation, but from Dungeon Master 07's description, I was told that Dungeon Master 18 was a literal copy of Dungeon Master 08, which I guess motivated Dungeon Master 07 to have Dungeon Master 18 remain in Dungeon Master 07's shadow.
If I were to name a difference between Dungeon Master 18 and Theta, it would be just as she said: she was not Theta because she was not able to go through with what had been her initial plan. That was the only difference. What she did instead for the next three years was raise the kid, as her own, for I guess it was.
***
"Why did I do that?" I'm sure you all wonder that. And I do as well," I truthfully said to the others. Thinking back, I guess my stance back then was that I related to the little frail being that was small enough to be held up in my hand. He was as useless and purposeless as I was, in spite of how special he was born. Being one of the Dungeon Masters who were only sent to Fiendfell much later on, I was very much aware that what I did violated the tacitly acknowledged code of conduct expected of a Dungeon Master.
There have been instances in the few hundred years of Dungeon Masters having children and raising them, but even then, it was done with a greater purpose in mind. In my case, there was none. If perhaps I nonetheless gave it one, it was that perhaps "he" might grow up into something different, something that would achieve what I could not. After all, he was born from the masterpiece of the HMC-Prototype series, he was bound to be special—he already was. But once again, that was something I knew was only what I was wishing for. The fact is that I knew what I was doing—running away from Dungeon Master 08, giving birth to a child somehow, then raising it alone in the woods—was going against my nature as a Dungeon Master and was useless in the grand scheme of our endeavor to acquire all yet-to-be-acquired authority, which we believed would allow us to unseal the goddess.
I knew that the day would come when the other Dungeon Masters would come for me. And they did.
"As for how I reacted back then," I said, casting a glance at Dungeon Master 02 and Dungeon Master 20, mostly at the latter, "I'm sorry." I wanted to provide an explanation as to why I reacted like that, but I felt like whatever I said would only worsen my situation. It was already dire enough as it was, so I kept my mouth shut. Neither of them replied; they simply acknowledged my words and awaited Dungeon Master 00's next words from the eldritch spawn. After a short but tense while it finally came out.
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Echo-13: I cannot say I understand. However, there’s something I want to know.
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Echo-13: How did you end up like this, in the body of “Baby”?
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Ever since I awakened in this state, with my body missing and my consciousness entwined with Baby's in his vessel—a body over which, akin to a clone born from the Ethereal Echo's authority, I possess the ability to vie for control—I anticipated Dungeon Master 00 posing the same question as Dungeon Master 07 and those preceding him.
And yet, in spite of expecting it, I still struggled to find the right answer to that question. Looking in the direction of the guardian, I repeated, "Just like I said, Dungeon Master 07, I don't know how this happened." Knowing that this wasn't going to be a satisfying response, I went on to explain, "After parting with Dungeon Master 20 and Dungeon Master 02, I headed for somewhere into the woods. After everything that happened, I wanted to round things out myself." Without having to voice it, it seemed that I was understood well enough for them to figure out what I meant by "rounding things out" myself. "I intended on doing it myself, I remember that clearly, but anything after that..."
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Echo-13: You can't remember?
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I nodded. "I just know that my next memories were of me regaining consciousness in this body."
After that addition of mine, a strange silence settled into the closed room, with the eyeball-shaped eldritch—it was hard, if not outright impossible, to read anything from Dungeon Master 00. So, in that moment of tension, I wasn't able to tell whether or not he believed my words, or if he believed that I was lying to him straight in the face. This left me with no other choice but to anxiously wait for what he was to say next. After a tormenting while, he eventually did.
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Echo-13: I'm still processing how we came to this, but since we're here, I ask you, the one at the center of it all. What should be done with you—both of you?
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This was to be expected. After all, with all that happened, which is something without precedent, I was most likely, in their eyes, no better than Dungeon Master 20. So no wonder he would ask that.
"I know I've done something that none of us did before,” I preemptively said, casting a glance at Dungeon Master 07 as half of my words were directed toward him. “I did something that I'm sure makes you all question if I hadn't become corrupted like many of our fellow reincarnates have. I am not... Or at least I know I still believe that the sole reason for which we exist is to carry out what Mighty K.R.U.L brought us to Fiendfell for. I have never questioned that nor have I ever entertained the thought of betraying that purpose. But even so, I did wrong. I did something that I shouldn't have, causing trouble to everything, so yes, I believe I have to be punished."
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Echo-13: If that's what you believe, then tell me how are you to be punished.
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As strange as it was, we now, much like Tusko Vagar with his other variants, shared the same fate. "However, if I may add, while my body is gone along with my experience points, status, and my skills and abilities were seemingly reinitialized, leaving me with only my title untouched, I believe that I can grow back into the one I was before what happened happened if not become stronger than I was.."
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Echo-13: So if I get it well what you mean is that even in this body, you can still be useful in the future?"
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The worst outcome would be for me to be deemed a traitor, which could–no would lead Dungeon Master 07 to have the other sent me back to Dungeon Master 00's side—there was only one simple way to do that: to off me. But if that were to happen, it would also happen to "him." So in spite of my reticence to even plead for my cause, I nodded vigorously and solemnly declared, "If I'm given the opportunity to, I will work hard to regain my lost credibility."
However, at that moment, he went on to ask a question that took me a little by surprise,
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Echo-13: And him? What will he think of this? Can't he even see or hear any of this?
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I took a moment to gather myself before answering, "From the little I understand of our predicament, we both wield the same level of control over this vessel," I explained.
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Echo-13: Wouldn't that be a hindrance?
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"No," I immediately refuted. "Just like how it is me who stands here, not him, I, most likely because I am far stronger than he is, can suppress him to a point where he would have no control. At this moment, he is with me within this vessel, but he is unable to see or hear any of this because I don't allow him to. So no, his existence won't be a hindrance in any way."
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Echo-13: I see.
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—he said without any emotion attached to it.
"As for what he would think of this, he has no say in it. I had him for a purpose, now "he" may fulfill that purpose," I explained.
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Echo-13: I see.
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—he repeated before calling out a name,
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Echo-13: Dungeon Master 07.
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I just processed what his words were when I found myself being seemingly transported elsewhere, not once but twice. The first time brought me to a seemingly green forest, then the next to a place similar to the Guardian chamber. With a glance at the missing Dungeon Master 07, I immediately understood what happened: Dungeon Master 00 wanted to have a private talk with Dungeon Master 07.
***
It was some time later, apparently after "he" finally digested what had happened, that Dungeon Master 20 voiced out disappointingly, "Man, they kicked us out. I wanted to hear what they had to say." We all glanced at him, but none of us bothered commenting on what he just said. Seemingly oblivious, he casually added, "What do you guys think they're talking about?"
"Don't know," Dungeon Master 02 replied dismissively.
"Oh," he said, before casting his glance toward me, as if wanting to hear my opinion.
Don't look at me, Dumbass, I commanded internally.
Perhaps he got what I meant, the words I didn't voice, or perhaps he was tired of staring at me; he looked to the last person in the room before almost instantly retracting his gaze away. Following his gaze, his eyes briefly met Dungeon Master 14's.
She was already standing by Dungeon Master 07's side as Dungeon Master 02 teleported us to Dungeon Master 07. I was very well aware of her strength and standing in Fiendfell. She simply wasn't someone Dungeon Master 07 would casually summon. Among the Non-homunculus Dungeon Masters, she was one to wield "violence" in its purest form; she was an absolute overkill against anything weaker than a fully established angel or monarch, or anything of that equal level.
Her simple summoning just tells how exceedingly problematic Dungeon Master 07 deemed the situation I'd placed us in. If things had worsened, there's no doubt Dungeon Master 07 would have unleashed her, likely sealing my—no, our fate. I reached out to nudge at the glasses that I only then remembered were missing, having lost them in my confrontation against Dungeon Master 20, leaving with no other choice but clumsily retracting my gaze, but nonetheless, I still felt myself being intensely sized up by her.
It was then, as a strange silence settled in, that Dungeon Master 20, seemingly wanting to strike a conversation to break the silence, asked, "Since we're on our own, there's something I would like to ask, Big Sister."
That emphasis on the "big sister" he just made and the expression allowed me to make a guess regarding what outlandish question he was about to ask, which made me promptly internally beg: don't. That obviously did not stop the lunatic. "You didn't explain in there, so I'm curious. How did you do 'it'? How did you have him—you called him Baby, right?"
This bastard!
"Shut up, Dumbass," Dungeon Master 02 voiced out after an exasperated sigh.
"What, don't tell me you're not curious? I am. I very much am. So Ari—" He was seemingly about to repeat his question when he heard a single command from Dungeon Master 14, "On your knee." Much like an automated reflex, Dungeon Master 07 was on his knee, his gaze fixed on the ground.
At that moment, I saw Dungeon Master 14 walk over to Dungeon Master 20 and ask, "Out of pocket as always, aren't we?"
"Hahaha, I guess, huh. Sorry," Dungeon Master 20 responded.
Standing in front of him, staring him down straight at him, she said, "I think you know that I think it's fine to be out of pocket. However, I also think that with you, it's often too much. Always in excess, that's your trademark, isn't it?"
"..."
"I heard that you tried to use that ability back then. Did you forget what happened the last time you used it?"
"I did not. I’ll never forget."
"Good. Great. Now do you remember what we said about those abilities of yours?"
Like a scolded child, he feebly replied, "—to not use them."
"Why is that?"
"Because I'm out of control when I do."