Next morning. 9:00 AM.
Shiria walked out of her room, yawning and stretching as she took in the hallway’s blinding lights.
When she reopened her eyes, she saw Youma out of her room, in front of Kaeron, Lan’en, and Tsukasa.
Tsukasa was giving her a plate of breakfast while Kaeron and Lan’en stood by the sides, their arms crossed.
“What’s up?” Shiria asked.
“She’s a murderer, not a monster,” Tsukasa said, “We’re giving her something to eat.”
“Tsk. She could eat her own shit for all I care,” Lan’en grumbled.
Youma bowed to Tsukasa slowly, “Thank you,” she said.
“Back inside, come on.” Lan’en pushed Youma inside, and Kaeron locked the door afterwards.
Tsukasa stood there while Lan’en and Kaeron began to walk to the lobby.
“Good morning. Is it your turn?” Shiria asked Tsukasa,
“Good morning, Shiria. Yes...it’s my turn.”
“Can you even fight, though?” Shiria asked the fox woman with a worried face.
“Well, no. I cannot. But she won’t be able to escape, hopefully. These doors are sturdy and there is no way out. Besides, she looks oddly calm.”
“She accepted her fate, maybe,” Shiria shrugged with a sad frown.
“Maybe. Yes,” Tsukasa nodded, looking over her shoulder, “It’s the best thing for her. Nowadays, prison colonies aren’t that bad. Certainly better than ultimate death.”
“Prison colonies?” Shira mumbled curiously.
“Yes. Did any of the passengers you talked to mention the U.O.R? Universal Order Regiment.”
“No. What’s that?”
“Despite our modern society being an interplanetary ecosystem, which leads each planet to have its own customs, races, and laws. The regiment is an organization that holds the central core of common law. It’s driven by the only god alive and present, Tartarus. Terrorism, slavery, genocide, serial killing...and all similar crimes are usually considered bad by most planets. The U.O.R has the right to intervene with brute force as long as a universal law is broken.”
“Ohh...that’s cool. So it’s basically universal law enforcement driven by a god...that doesn’t let bad people do what they want outside of their planet.”
“Exactly. Youma, in this case, committed a murder outside of a planet. This means that the U.O.R will take over, arrest her and bring her to a prison colony. They’re usually huge space stations that hold U.O.R prisoners.”
“That’s good. It’s definitely better than just executing her, right?”
“Mhm. That is why I’m keeping her alive. Lan’en has a more...rogue approach towards criminals. Did she ever tell you that pale knights are vigilantes? They don’t break U.O.R laws, but that’s about it. They do whatever they can and want to help people. That usually can lead to disaster. I am more akin to a formal, clean way to bring justice.”
“I guess you’re right...planets would start wars and wars to each other if the U.O.R didn’t exist.”
“Exactly. A society without laws is a chaotic society. The chaos of each world would clash with endless conflicts. No peace at all.”
“What is Tartarus like? Do they look like a human?”
image [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/irvourny0z5p27whj0jkm/amazing-quality-very-aesthetic-absurdres-black-background-dim-lighting-1m-s-64858150.png?rlkey=nh7g0trohoybwpcd5h8o3vf12&st=6dez4mhz&raw=1]
“He is the only god that to this day didn’t disappear and maintained his physical essence. He looks like any ordinary man, but he is, obviously, a god."
“What about Azrael? Or Noir? They have bad, evil vocations, which are probably enemies of this god. Why doesn’t Tartarus order their deaths or capture?”
“Because as long as they don’t bring harm, the U.O.R pretty much can’t do anything because Tartarus does have a strong sense of lawful goodness. Azrael’s goddess, Erisia, is the spawn of discord. But if Azrael doesn’t have any registered crimes...she’s innocent. Tartarus isn’t after Azrael, he’s after Erisia...who decayed and disappeared in the sea of cosmos."
“Got it. Thank you, Tsukasa! I need to discover everything about the universe I live in once more. You helped me,” Shiria hugged the fox woman briefly, gifting her a sweet smile.
“Anytime sweetheart,” Tsukasa chuckled.
“I’ll have breakfast now. See you later!”
Shiria reached Kaeron and Lan’en to the dining all. The three were having breakfast together.
“Hi, girls. How are you feeling?”
“Like shit. I didn’t sleep much because it was my turn after Kaeron’s,” Lan’en yawned, munching her cookie slowly.
“Yes. I feel sore as well. Sleeping on the pub’s couches isn’t as great as I thought,” Kaeron sighed, biting into her peach gently.
“I’m sorry to hear that! Why are you awake already? You could sleep a little more, even if you’re uncomfortable,” Shiria suggested.
“Yes, I could. But Azrael and Lilin are already chugging booze at the pub. There aren’t many other places to rest comfortably other than the library...but I can’t sleep sitting, I want to lie down. I’ll just do an early evening shift and sleep at night.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
“I do have an idea...” Shiria smiled, “You should sleep in my room! You can go now that the bed is free. Go take a nap!”
“Thank you for your offer...but it will be my turn to guard Youma in half an hour,” Kaeron shook her head.
“I’ll take your turn. My room is next to yours. I’ll call you if anything happens!”
“Are you sure…?” Kaeron stopped and crossed her arms, “It’s a very tiring task. You have to sit there and do nothing. Literally.”
“I’ll be fine…”
Shiria placed her hand on Kaeron’s gently.
“You did a lot for us already. Get some rest, please.”
“Fine.”
Kaeron pouted slightly, a faint blush on her face appeared afterwards.
“Oh my god, did I just see a blush!? Ahahaha!”
Shiria and Lan’en giggled together as Kaeron looked away and grumbled. “I need your room’s code.”
“Don’t have one, hehe...I never bothered setting security on my door.”
“Wait, are you serious?” Kaeron widened her eyes, “The murderer could have gotten you!”
“Your memories are fuzzy, silly,” Shiria bitterly smiled, “It all started and finished yesterday. I didn’t even get the chance to touch the bed until Youma was caught.”
“Right…” Lan’en stretched, “It was one hell of a day.”
“It was,” Kaeron stood up and cleared her throat, “Alright then. The person after your turn, Shiria, will be Alicia. Then tell her to wake me up, I’ll take her place.”
She left, stretching, yawning, and looking forward to a good nap.
“Jeez...no kidding, Kaeron’s a boss. She helped me when I was attacked by Youma,” Lan’en commented, “She’s fast, strong, and very smart. She basically did all the work.”
“Yes. She’s amazing.”
“Let’s go to the arcade before you have to take Tsukasa’s place. I still have to beat you at GD-Ku!”
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Shiria and Lan’en were battling against each other at the arcade. Lan’en was engrossed in the game, while Shiria’s was...spacing out.
“Hey, you’re not going to beat me any soon if you play like a bot,” Lan’en chuckled. Soon enough, though, she noticed Shiria’s expression and stopped moving as well. “Hey, you okay?”
Shiria blinked a few times and nodded, smiling softly, “Y-Yeah, yeah I’m okay. I’m just...thinking about Servalia and Noir all of a sudden. I feel a little under the weather.”
“Yeah. I feel awful too. I try not to think about it,” Lan’en turned around and leaned against the booth, “But it sucks. It fucking fucks.”
“Yes. How can I even call this a vacation anymore? The two bodies were taken away...and the blood was cleaned up. That stench of death is gone but...I can see them, Lan’en. Do you see them too?”
Lan’en bit her lip, avoiding Shiria’s gaze, “Yes. I do. I wish I could have done more for them. The first time, I was sound asleep. The second, I was...also asleep. I’m a hero. I protect people. And yet…”
“Lan’en,” Shiria’s arms were wrapped around her dear friend. “I told you many times already. You did your best. You’re doing your best. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Lan’en’s breath slowed down as she hugged Shiria back, sighing softly, “I don’t think I’ve ever done my best. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have failed so many times in life. But...thank you regardless, Shiria. You’re a sweet girl.”
“Youma. She is the one to blame. I understand why you didn’t want to give her food,” Shiria suddenly stepped back and held Lan’en’s shoulders firmly, “She doesn’t deserve kindness.”
“Yeah. She...she doesn’t.”
Suddenly, the two were startled by a sudden noise. They both looked at the booth’s screen.
‘’Game over’’. The time was up.
“Let’s change the subject,” Shiria caressed her friend’s arm, smiling warmly, “What else do you want to play?”
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After her guard turn was over, Tsukasa went to the SPA after letting Shiria take her place. She didn’t get the chance to try it yet, and even if she wasn’t in her perfect mental state, she finally managed to sink deep into the hot waters and take it easy.
She took a deep breath, letting her lungs run freely.
Yesterday was a nightmare. A true nightmare.
Her mind played back to that moment continuously.
> “It’s coming…! It’s coming! Oh, Nares...please save us!”
What would have happened if she stayed there? Would she have been killed as well? Or could she have saved Noir, somehow?
No. She couldn’t have. She knew she was weak, powerless, and scared. No matter how much of an expert manipulator she was, no matter how strong her power was...in the end, she could do nothing against death itself. Youma was strong, agile, and ruthless.
She shook her head as hard as she could, wiping her head with warm water, washing away her thoughts. The sound of the hot tub calmed her mind, along with the comfortable fog of steam that surrounded the place.
She closed her eyes and breathed out, letting her mind go blank, soothed by the environment.
She tried to imagine someone else, someone different than the people aboard. She didn’t have anyone in her life to imagine, though. And so, she focused on herself.
She was invited because, as an ambassador, she managed to secure a deal between the acting party she was working for and the industry of an independent colony of a nearby solar system. It was a great feat, so great that it caught the attention of the family that owned the Elysium and its golden luxury.
Things shouldn’t have gone how they went. She regretted every single moment she spent in that place, and she couldn’t wait to go back home.
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Azrael and Lilin were drinking at the pub, chatting together, laughing, and smiling constantly.
“Ah-hahaha! Yes, yes, definitely...that was one of our best times together,” Lilin laughed audibly, “I still remember his face to this day. He thought he had everything, and then you crushed him under your thumb!”
“I miss those days, you know? I can’t seriously enjoy myself when I pretend to be a humble traveler. We should change universe.” Azrael mused, leaning against her hand as she placed her elbow against the counter.
“Do you really wanna do that already?” Lilin was both excited and surprised, “I thought you said this universe was delicious and interesting!”
“Yes. But having fun here is too hard. My vocation is not doing me any favor either. The U.O.R has its eyes on me every single time I try to have a little fun.”
“Oh, right. It really sucks that you can’t lie about your vocation. Can’t you override that rule somehow?”
“I tried. The gods here...they are way too powerful,” Azrael shrugged, “That corporation is going to catch us at some point...we can’t keep our names clean forever. Eventually, we’ll let witnesses escape and who knows what that god...Tartarus...is capable of. Fun time is almost over. We need to change universe, Lilin. We are not built to fend off gods, we are witches.”
“What a shame…” Lilin frowned, “Say, will we ever find a universe we can totally rule?”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“Though I must admit. This Elysium thing that’s going on is very interesting...don’t you think?”
“Eh. It’s okay, I guess,” Azrael shrugged, “It’s frustrating to see the others struggle when you already figure out a puzzle. Kaeron was promising but...she let me down in the end.”
“Yes. I’m mostly talking about the culprit herself.” Lilin giggled, “She’s been so good at it! Would you believe it if someone told you it was her if you didn’t know beforehand?”
“Well, no. That is true as well. Good actor indeed.”
“See? Told you. This can still be interesting! I wonder what will happen next...”
“Yes. True. Let us enjoy the rest of this show with joy…”
The two witches grinned at each other. Their glasses clinked together.
Their eyes shone with a bright, unnatural, and unfamiliar light.
As they filled the pub with that otherworldly, confusing conversation, the Elysium’s story was still ongoing below them.