Heads.
Heads.
So many heads she couldn't even count them.
None of them, attached to their owners.
All of them, devoid of life.
Each one took it's own expression. Some of surprise, others of horror, and others of pure disgust.
'Heads....'
'They...'
Hailey felt a horrid wrenching in her heart as the scene before her sunk in.
What she was seeing was reality.
This wasn't some nightmare.
This wasn't some dream which she could awaken from, happily heading to school the next day with the comrades she had fought alongside.
This was real.
The smell of flesh and blood was real.
The vomit which thrusted it's way up her throat, covering the platter in front of her, was real.
She could taste the acidic bile as she threw up, unable to handle the scene of death.
"Blergh!! Blergh..... urgh..... ungh..... urg.... urf.... blergh!!!"
Hailey had not eaten a large lunch, but every last bit of the contents of her stomach were thrusted out as she was overtaken by pure repulsion.
"Blurgh!!!"
Falling forward, Hailey grabbed her own stomach as she continued to eject the thick fluids.
Her eyes twitched, tears streamed from them, and her skin became pale.
Her hands jittered, trembling at the scene, and she looked around as she wiped her lip with the sleeve of her camouflage outfit.
"Ngh....."
Holding her hand to her forehead, the girl sat forward, her lips moving in an attempt to say something.
Yet the words didn't come out.
The pure horror at this scene was enough to rob Hailey of the power of speech.
Her eyes went wide with madness, and her mouth went agape, opening and closing rapidly as she begun to whisper to herself.
"No no no no no... no no no no no..."
Denying herself of reality, the girl begun to smile.
"Hah..... no no no no no... heh..... no no no.....hahahah..."
And then, the laughter begun.
She looked around at all the heads, and begun laughing.
"Hahaha..... hahahah!!!!"
And then, more tears.
"Ahhhh.... wahhhhhhh...."
The girl hid her face into her elbow, having devolved into nothing more than a scared child, crying endlessly.
All the while, the spiderling girl watched this scene with boredom, as if waiting for the girl to come to her senses.
"Wahhhh.... why... why did..... why did you do this.... Why did you do this!?!?!?"
The girl looked up to the spider like a child who had a toy taken from them, begging with her own tormented expression.
"Why did you do this!?"
The girl then stood up from her seat, wiping her tears as she continued to sniffle.
"Oliver..... he.... he was strong..... even with his parents.... even after they kicked him out and told him that athletics were worthless..... he kept persisting..... he kept on training, and was able to become much stronger than before."
As she got up, she started walking around the table, placing her hand on the head of the muscular high elf who she once fought alongside, brushing his hair to the side to reveal his eyes.
"Gary.... he was a monster..... he was so strong I couldn't even see him when he moved against those criminals.... yet..... he died so easily....."
The girl moved around the table, placing her hand onto one head after another, stroking each one gently.
"Serina..... she..... she never followed me..... she always knew that she was better than me..... but even so..... even so!! She still stuck around."
With each person's head, she would place her hand on it, running her fingers through the hair of each person as she spoke her thoughts on each person.
"Natalia.... she was almost too cheerful..... sometimes it pissed me off how happy she was all the time..... I always thought 'ah, she's from a poor family. Lucky her. Her parent's loved her, and she wasn't sent here because they didn't have a choice.' But.... maybe I was just jealous... maybe.... probably.... she had just as many problems as me..... and she was just good at hiding them."
With a painful expression, the girl turned away from Natalia's head, placing both hands on the next two.
"Sarah..... Theo..... they were a strange couple, and they were super strong as well.... why didn't they fight back against you!? Ngh.... I didn't know them long, but.... between Sarah's ability to read people and Theo's ability to read the situation so logically, they seemed to always know everything. I guess... they didn't."
The spiderling watched with thinned eyes as the girl continued her way around the table, still speaking in a choked up tone as she looked at each person.
"Charles..... he was from a big noble family and came here to make a name for himself..... I never really talked to him, but he was working hard I'm sure. He was like me..... and he was selected to be a 3rd division..... so I guess we really were similar. Only I'm even more useless than him."
Her lips quivering, a single tear drew a line down the wrecked face of the girl as she continued walking along, placing her hand on the next head.
"Raphael.... he was a wimp. He was scared of everything..... and it kinda pissed me off. Look at him even now.... his eyes are filled with....."
Hailey gulped, wiping her tears with her free elbow and forced herself to continue speaking.
"Fear."
At this point, the girl was walking along, her own legs and hands shivering like she was freezing to death.
"Victor..... he was cocky and always trying to do things on his own..... but when it came down to it, he would help everyone around him."
At this point, the girl had reached the opposite end of the table, and had to walk around behind the spider girl in order to continue her ritual.
She stopped, looking the spider in the eyes as her cheeks puckered with emotion.
Taking a deep, quivering breath, she stepped forward and walked around the spiderling girl, who kept one of her four eyes directly on the elven girl.
And then, placing her hand on the next head, she continued.
"Griffen..... he was the smartest kid in the class. I wanted to be good at something.... anything..... it didn't have to be magic.... it didn't have to be athletics.... so I thought to myself, maybe I could be the smartest.... but he was smarter. Even if I don't count Theo, who was a freaking genius, I couldn't have ever surpassed Griffen."
Holding one hand to her mouth, the girl gagged once, but this time was able to stop herself from throwing up again.
And then, forcing herself to continue, she looked at the next student.
"Edward..... he was a jackass..... he was loud and annoying.... he was always trying to be the best..... hahaha.... and he was able to at least do well, though he was pretty pissed that he couldn't beat everyone around him. I guess.... he was just as competitive as I was..... but at least he had some talent."
The girl then froze.
Closing her eyes, she took another deep breath, unsure if she could force herself to continue.
'I can't..... ngh.... I can't.....'
She opened her eyes, looking towards the rest of the heads.
Biting her lip, she took another step forward.
'No..... I have to.'
Laying her hand on the head of the green eyed girl with pale skin, she looked down at the girl with sadness.
"Ally....You were so powerful that our first teacher became obsessed with you. Even our 2nd teacher was interested.... and you were able to beat everyone in magical power and ability."
Frowning, the girl slammed both of her hands on the table as she looked the girl in her dead green eyes.
"I thought you were supposed to be the strongest ever!! If you couldn't beat this thing, then what was the point in us even trying!? Did you even try!?"
Turning away, Hailey turned her back to the girl.
"No.... that's not what I meant to say.... clearly you had your hands tied.... it's not your fault.... we all messed up.... and everyone paid for it....."
Turning around with remorseful expression, tears once more covering her face which was wrinkled with torment, Hailey let out a squeaking whisper.
"Everyone except me...."
Walking once more, she approached the next head.
"Alexa.... you were one of my best friends..... I....."
Lowering her face, Hailey's heart was filled with pain as she was forced to accept that her own friend had died.
"I let you die.... because of how useless I am...."
And then, slowly, she continued walking over to the final head.
The female head of a once cheerful yet powerful girl.
A girl who Hailey had known all her life.
A girl who had looked up to Hailey for all her life.
And a girl who so easily surpassed Hailey in everything.
"Vivian...."
She was blissfully oblivious to the jealousy which Hailey held towards her all her life.
Hailey was forced to watch as her friend surpassed her over and over.
"You were always better than me.... and yet.... and yet..... you kept on looking up to me..... why!? What is there to look up to!?!? TELL ME!! Look at me now!! I'm babbling, crying, throwing up, and more than anything.... I'm going to keep my pathetic life because of how weak I am!!! Do you see me now!?!?!? This monster doesn't even consider me to be a threat, and that's the reason why she hasn't killed me!!!! That's the reason why I'm alive and you're not!!! It's because everyone here..."
"Is better than you. That's exactly right."
The crackling voice of the spiderling completed the enraged sentence of the high elf, who turned to look at the spider with irritation.
"Why are you doing this!? To torment me? Why are you just letting me go like this!?!? Why are you just.... why did you just kill everyone but me!?! Kill me too!!"
With a desperate plea of madness, Hailey appealed to the monster who merely smiled her way.
"I am a Host. You are my guest. How could I.... as the host.... kill my guest?"
"Are they not your guests!?!?!?"
Hailey shouted while pointing to the others, however the spiderling merely laughed, bringing one insectoid limb to cover her mouth.
"You are my guest. You are the one who her eminence was interested in. Do you know why?"
"Her.... eminence.... do you mean the Determined?"
"Exactly so. See, her eminence has selected you. I myself am not sure what her interest in you is, but it is without doubt to fulfill her own desire."
"Fulfill..... her own desire?"
Looking back with irritation, Hailey spread out her hands, notioning around the room.
"What kind of twisted desire requires this!?!?!?"
"Her eminence holds great hatred towards a certain man. And she will do anything to get her revenge on that man. Even if it means....."
The spiderling smiled wickedly as she imagined the possibilities.
"Killing everyone on this planet."
As the spider said this, Hailey felt a chill.
For all this time, the overwhelming fear she held towards this creature had temporarily left her as she was empowered by a desire to give her comrades a proper sendoff, but on seeing that horrid smile she was reminded all over again.
She was in the lair of a monster.
"I.... I don't care about her desire.... I don't care about what she wants.... you said that I was a messenger, right? Then I'm leaving!!!!"
Turning around while breathing raggedly, Hailey felt the desire to escape.
'I need to get out of here.... now.... or I'll.... or that thing will....'
"Don't think you can run from her. There is nowhere in this world which is safe."
As Hailey was halfway through the door, those were the last words spoken to her by that spiderling.
Hailey stumbled along, making her way through the cave and then out into the hills.
'I.... have to get back.... to the base....'
She walked and walked.
She walked to the point where her feet were in pain, forcing herself forward even while fear tore away at her mind.
So broken by fear, Hailey didn't even realize that the webbing which once blocked the entrance to this cavern was no longer obstructing her path.
'I have to get..... somewhere..... I.....'
It was as she was walking through the forest that she realized it.
'I..... am all alone.... aren't I?'
With eyes widened, yet another feeling of dread overcame the girl.
'I.... don't wanna be alone..... no..... no.....'
[It certainly is terrifying to be alone with nobody to help you. Good evening, Hailey. Or should I say..... Hero.]
----
Sitting at the head of a table, of which all the guests had their heads lopped off, the girl with the form of a human yet the features of a spider let out a long sigh.
"That was..... certainly tiring. I cannot believe you do this sort of thing all the time, your excellency. Hosting a dinner is so much work, and I wasn't even the one preparing the food."
In the next moment, four of the figures whose heads were on platters transformed, as if the whole thing had been nothing more than an illusion.
Now, sitting in their respective seats, were four beings.
A spirit with exhaustion in her expression, a crimson demon with a nostalgic smile, an elven figure with an arrogant smirk, and a turquoise succubus with a smug grin.
"Finally..... ahh... ahh!!! It was so annoying having to act like a goodie goodie that whole time!!!!"
Stretching her arms, the spiritual girl yawned as she spoke with joy.
"You ended up tormenting that one instructor before the mission was even completed. That forced us to come up with an excuse for killing, and convince the others around us that killing was acceptable. And yet, you claim that you were holding yourself back?"
Trevor rolled his fingers on his temples, in awe that Ashley could say such a thing given the circumstances.
"Hahaha..... however, I suppose if you were doing nothing more than listening to your intuition, then it did indeed end up as planned. The Determined will be very pleased.... and with this, our final piece will be put in play."
Sitting up straight, the elven figure pushed up his glasses.
"Excellent. It would seem that the board has finally been set up, and all that is left is to wait for the appropriate time. Then we make our movements."
"But until then..... why don't we take it easy?"
Placing her arm around his shoulder, Samantha flashed a fanged smile at the elven man.
"Absolutely not, woman. I will continue running simulations until the day I die. While everything has more or less gone according to plan, the situation is far too dynamic to perfectly predict. There have been minute discrepancies.... though we've been able to compensate for them with appropriate measures, one way or another."
"I see.... but if we can't crush the insects yet, what more is there to do?"
"Nothing for you. Just sit back and wait while I figure everything else out."
"Ahh..."
Sticking her tongue into her cheek, the succubus placed her head on the table in pouting manner.
"Hmph. Fine. I won't do anything then."
The elven man glanced down at her, lightly smiling.
"How strange it was..... that the girl performed those actions on seeing the death of her comrades. No?"
"That was weird as fuck. What the hell is wrong with her?", Samantha asked.
"Not like she's any more messed up than we are.", Garett commented with a laugh.
"Well, you guys were the ones who fucked her up like that. Just look at all these dead people. If I actually cared about those around me and saw so many dead, I'd probably be go nuts too. Maybe.", Ashley mumbled.
"Heh."
With a single giggle, the girl smiled as she buried her head into her hair which was laid across the table in front of her.
"It's good to be back in the monster realm."
Garett looked over to the girl, planting his hand on her own head.
"Yeah. It is."
----
Hailey looked up to the place where she heard the voice from.
It was the beautiful voice of a woman, and the voice was filled with both kindness and malice, if such a thing was possible.
"Hero?"
'Am I hearing things now? Am I.... am I really going mad? Have I already lost it? Am I having delusions? Am I....'
[Oh, you've lost it alright. But my voice is real. I'm up here.]
'Up?'
Hailey looked into the trees around her, but saw nobody.
[I said up, genius. Like, up.]
[Don't tease her so much like that. After all, what will you do if you scare her off?]
[I still can't believe you're even talking to her in the first place. I mean, I may be evil, but man.... you sure aren't pulling any punches.]
[Of course not. This is for the sake of..... heh..... killing off justice.]
It was then that before Hailey, a creature landed.
Hailey's eyes went wide, and she slowly stepped back, completely taken away at the figure.
It was an angel.
A beautiful woman with silver hair, dressed in a black gown.
Her wings were pure white, and a halo floated above her head.
She looked at Hailey with a cheerful smile, though behind that smile was a horrible and demented malice.
Her eyes held sadness in them, and yet that sadness was also mixed with a chaotic insanity.
"Hello, hero. I know that I took quite the long way around just to speak with you, but I felt that doing so without breaking you first would be... problematic. I won't ask you to forgive me, because the things I ordered my subordinate to do..... the suffering I put you through.... they are unforgivable. Even so, there is a reason for it. One that you may not understand. Therefore.... I will not ask you to understand. Rather, I will only ask one thing of you."
In the next moment, a horrid smile came across the angelic woman.
Her expression was filled with a sadistic joy, and two fangs grew from her mouth.
Horns grew from her head, though they were white and as small as nubs.
"Please make sure that your death is useful to me, sweetheart. I'll reward you and all your friends once everything is over."
And in that instant, the woman placed both of her hands on the shoulders of Hailey.
One was black and demonic, and the other white and angelic.
"What.... are you doing?"
[Determine Path]
[Set Condition: Anti-hero]
Stumbling back, Hailey looked around with fearful expression.
The woman merely smiled, waving as she flapped her gorgeous wings.
"Thank you! I'll remember this! Ah.... this goes without saying, but let me tell you one last thing."
In that moment, Hailey felt something within her.
Power.
Power was flowing through her body.
"What..... is happening...."
The previously white skin of the high elf became a dark grey, like that of a dark elf.
Her hair became streaked, a 50 50 mix of black and white strands, and her eyes changed their colors- one white and the other black.
"What..... is happening to me!?"
Hailey asked this in fearful surprise as she watched her own body change, nervously stumbling back.
And then, the woman disappeared.
"Where..... did she go?"
It was then that the voice returned, and the woman spoke to Hailey in a tone which made her choke up, realizing the difference in power between her and the existence of chaos which she had just come into contact with.
[Go ahead and use that power to get revenge on the people in your nation that led you to this corrupt place. I don't mind. But let me get one thing straight, hero. If you so much as dare to use the power which I have given you to harm any of the people of my nation..... then I will determine a future for you so grim that killing all your comrades will look like a Saturday picnic. After all..... I am the Queen of Evil..... and the origin of suffering.]
It was then, that a sinister and feminine laugh played in the mind of the girl.
[And making people suffer.... is what I do best.]