The back of my head feels soft and warm. There were also two big half shaped stuff that covered the sky and a wall like stuff that covered my right, blocking my view to the balcony.
The window's white curtains were being elegantly moved by the wind, softly.
I spoke to my mind
"A dream?"
"No... those things can't exist in a virtual world.."
However, the dream i had on the second day in this world flashed before me.
"I see... Virtual world.. can even simulate a dream."
"Or is it just my brain dreaming?"
"How long are you going to stare at my breasts, Sen-san?" It was Kaede
"Nope.. i think I'll savor it more."
Kaede raises her hand and dropped it into my stomach, like a move from a karate
Gah!
My body reacted instinctively, it bended itself forward
"Okay! Okay!"
"So, how long was i out?"
"Five minute, perhaps?" Her face sounded aloof.
"Phew! I'm glad it didn't took an hour! This is the first time I've ever passed out like that! Not to mention i had a recollection memory of.. last month.. i guess?"
Wait a minute.... Kaede wouldn't hit me in the stomach like that.. Also, perhaps? I don't remember Kaede using such word like this!
"You're not Kaede, aren't you?"
"The Kaede i know doesn't have big boobs like that!... not to mention, she wouldn't hit me in the stomach like that! Instead she'll shove me away and kick me in the face!"
Kaede rose up from her sitting position, she pushed herself upwards while constantly letting a gaze into me.
"You're as sharp as ever, Sen-san"
The surrounding stutters and distorts into a wooden room. But it was different from the rooms we were presented into at the mansion.
Tamotsu stared into Sen with his arms crossed, he sat in a wooden chair near the doorway. Rio's chest was over Sen's face, she was doing picking up something near his head, but it turns out that she was doing something to his forehead
Ah, Mind Magic.
"So? Mind explaining me what happened while i passed out?"
Seems that everyone knows it, jeez.
Well, that's Kaede for you, I'm sure she overreacted because this is the first time i passed out due to a symptom outbreak. Don't tell me i got the faulty HyperDive VR headset?
Rio's voice was filled with anger, she replied
"Coming from you? Why did you have to hide THAT from us?! That issue concerns not just YOU but also all of the HyperDive Players, which we, 12 Oracles are!"
Oh? I never thought she'll be that worried to me
"At first i thought it wasn't serious. The second attack happened after we've arrived at
She slapped me
"Idiot!... moron!"
Her voice gradually softens
"We can't summon him anymore, we're already at Cenaria."
"I see. Sorry, for making you guys worry"
"Oy, Sen-san. You're still Sen Satou, aren't you?" It was Tamotsu
"Huh? Of course i am! Why?"
"Also, what's with these rope restraints? What am i, -"
"Monster? Perhaps?" A shadow lurked in the wall, it changes from thin air, a human boy came out. He came outside from the shadowed area of the wall.
I was surprised to hear that from Mitsou.
"Huh? Well that was what i was about to day, seems that you watched the movie too, Mitsou-kun"
Tamotsu jumped off from his chair, he raised his fist against me, landing a blow into my cheek
"What the hell T? What was that for?"
Grabbing me in the clothes with his two hands, he scared me.
"Where's Satou Sen?! What did you do to him?!"
Tears out of fear slowly creeped it's way outside my tear glands. However, it only moistened my eyes.
This is... the first time.. i experienced such..fear before..
"What do you mean, where's Sen Satou? But you're literally talking to him, right now.... Right Now!" I looked to the three gazes, they all looked wary of me. Even Mitsou held his katana in his back, like he was preparing to attack me.
"Prove it." said by Mitsou
"Prove it?"
"Mitsou-kun, we used to play cards before! But we rarely get to do it because i wasn't interested at it!"
"Tamotsu-kun, we've met at our 7th grade, since then, you were my friend at then!"
"Rio-chan, I don't exactly... remember.. my memories with you.. but you and Kei used to be along! You even forgot to bring extra undies at the camp before we got hit by the White Flash!"
"What happened to you, Sen-san?" asked by Mitsou
"Huh? You guys are giving me an headache! Just spill the beans already!"
He followed
"Since we've arrived here, we never had headaches before"
"....Not to mention, we never even vomited blood either. Be it either getting slammed into a tree or getting beaten in a practice combat"
His last stances was most surprising
"I don't know.. what's going on..."
"You're probably thinking that the Sen you know was kidnapped by me, and had his memories stolen. But he won't fail that easily, he'll think of a way and eventually use his Reserve Skill- Blood Demon if necessary."
"Not to mention, i was with you all this time, why would I get kidnapped in the first place?"
"There's a lot of possibilities, Impostor"
The door opened to life, outside i saw a glimpse of Masao, Kaede and Hiroki in a hallway intersection. Masao caught my eye, but he refused to look me in the eye.
I said to her
"If you're playing a prank with me, go to hell"
It was Kei who walked inside.
She raised her fingers in respect to the numbers she yelled out
"No. 1! You could have escaped with your Quantum Leap when you sensed this would come"
"I got carried by the pressure, also i don't even know what causes my symptoms, so i figured that the Medical Echelon knew something."
"No. 2! Arcaea is surrounded by the ocean! That means an elf or an enemy would have sneaked in and abducted Sen and whatchacha!"
"No. 3! Why is Kaede the only one who knows this? Well in fact, her weapon of choice is the Ring of The Fallen and the Rapier of Zelta. Those weapons were meant for self defense and are inferior to the other Terran Weapons we've found-"
However, Kaede was peeping at the near closed door and was angry, sounding like a kettle.
Sen interrupted
"Kaede was part of the Western Exploration Squad. Those weapons were her own blood and sweat, she hand crafted it using Creation Magic and the Dark Souls left out by her brother."
"Not to mention, that Kaede was never meant to fight! she's a member of the Medical Echelon, her healing powers far surpass Kei and Asami in terms of speed and precision! What else am i supposed to say, huh!? Answer me! If you guys are playing a joke, it's not even funny!"
Kei was bit hurt by my words. She started to back off from me and her enthusiasm was lost.
"No. 4..."
"You..."
"You've changed... Sen-san"
"The Sen we knew was the quiet one. The one who couldn't even lead his group mates in a presentation."
"The one who used to be the recluse, refusing to leave his house unless when related to school activities."
"The one who we used to order around."
"But right now, you're the one whose ordering us around-"
"-So i was like a servant to you all?"
Sen Leaped, standing in the rough bed.
"I thought you were proud of me."
He Leaped into the doorway, shoving it with force and Leaping into the hallway as he gets noticed by the bystanding Oracles.
He ran to the hallway, it was like a basement.
"So that's what i am to you? Damn! Going to a fantasy world is better of alone!"
Tamotsu sat on the bed and said
"You went too far with that one, Kei-chan"
"Sorry. I got carried away."
He ran outside in the mansion with his hooded uniform on, he jumps high at the gate and jumped into the city houses.
He kept running and running at the edge of the houses, feeling every ceramic footstep of it.
He came into the end of the houses, he jumped but the roof had it's parts moved. He fell flat into the city road, causing panic into the citizens
"You're! You're the swordsman that escorted the princess!" said by the man
When we've arrived at the city, they didn't even greet us with a welcome back festival. Something is going on with this city! Or maybe... they didn't want to do it...
"Sorry... i slipped in back there.. did i happen cause any trouble to you, citizens?"
I looked into the citizens that piled in.
"I see! I'm glad that nobody was hurt! Well then, I'm off!"
He Leaped into the roof again
Do i have to run away like that? Damn it Sen! You're too pathetic!
Well, it's their fault for scaring me like that!
I looked into the horizon and saw a park. It was a green park. But it wasn't some park, in the first place it wasn't a park. It was a church grounds.
He leaped right into it, forming a back flip and landing with his hands and feet. He walked into the gate and pushed it lightly with his white gloved hands.
He walked right in, and saw the church, each side had a pointed side, like a star.
Seems that i get the attacks when i get to soft about this world. Like for Lei and Kaede's. I wanted to change in this world, and that's what you'll call me, Kei?!
You guys never had an headache in this world? Strange. You don't even vomit blood if you get get struck multiple times. But i do..
Still, he managed tot read my mind. Wait, that cliché is in movies, but.. Mitsou rarely watch movies back then
Sen gasped, he sat at one of the sides of the flat star shaped church and felt it's nice ceramic coldness. He continued talking to himself,
Don't tell me... i turned into a Terran?
What a pain. Mitsou can't read minds of the other Oracles, what if I'm an exception? Don't tell me The Creators nerfed me!
"It's nice meeting you here, Blade Oracle" said by the nun. She was old, still even carried one sprinkler and a bucket
"This flowers require lots of water to maintain a barrier to protect this Church from Demons. That's why I'm watering it."
Sen stood up, he felt the gaps in his medieval style boots on the stone-grass tiles. He laid his back against the walls and asked the Nun
"This is the Central Church, isn't?"
"Yes, Oracle-sama. Did you come here to check the scrolls?"
The sound of kids appeared into his ears. He saw outside the gate, five children playing on the yellow colored bench and bench table. They were outside the church grounds, playing on a yellow bench.
"Behold! Allow me, to show you my supreme magic! The power to make someone invisible!" said by the kid
The short haired kid raises a stick like a wand, he chanted
"Supreme Magic: Invisibility!"
A kid sat on the table, and was applied by the fake magic
"You don't have any magic! Though...I'd be impressed if you had one!" said by the tsundere like female kid. She sat on the table with her legs crossed
"Wow! She literally vanished!" said by the kid
The other two kids started mocking the girl as they looked on the horizon with their hands on their heads
"Mwahaha! That was my magic, Invisibility! Because i am someone from the Relic User bloodline! Mwahahah!"
The girl was flustered. She stood up and raised her hand to the boy
"You're not from a Relic User bloodline, you fraud!"
"Did you hear that? Faint voices of our friend? Very well then! I shall return her to our senses, in three!"
"Fraud Mage!" yelled by the girl
"Two!"
"One!"
"Return to me, Fiona!"
Fiona misstepped, her back aimed at the ground, making her fell on her butt from the yellow long table.
"Mwahaha! See? I returned her to our very senses! Mwahahah!" laughed by the boy
"You're not a mage! That's just scripted magic!" the girl was flustered, her hands on her butt, massaging it.
Seeing them reminded them of my past life. Such warmth I hadn't felt in this world. I wonder if they're players ordered to do that scripted act. Well, that kid is already doing scripted art.
Just a beautiful world. But a simulation.
It wasn't real in the first place.
He looked to the Nun, the nun looked back. She saw darkness inside Sen's hood, his uniform specialty's. What she saw is nothing, only black.
Sen smirked, he asked the nun.
"Is this world, beautiful?"
"Yes. Why do you ask, Oracle-sama?"
"Is it worth it to save this world?"
"That depends on the person. Not everyone likes this world, instead they wanted to go to heaven...Where the Creators reside"
She looked up and reached the falling sun
"The Creator's World. A utopia. Far better than on this world. Where magic... is something that can take Humanity to the stars"
I already thought of that multiple times on my stay here on this world. Our home is indeed a utopia for an inhabitant here. He replied
"As long as you're conscious, you'll experience pain and suffering."
The nun gasped
"But in darkness, there's light. In pain and suffering, there's joy and happiness."
"For me, it's better to be a rock. Not conscious and will never feel pain, but isn't alive. Heh, pathetic isn't?" He looked to the ground, and picked a rock, and threw it into the tree, breaking it, he followed
"Human emotions."
"That's why we have friends and family to share our pain with. Humans are social creatures, Oracle-sama. There's an ancient saying No Man's a
An Island, or so what they say"
"No Man's An Island? Seems that it also expanded it's way here."
"We're you once human, Oracle-sama?" asked by the nun
Sen replied
He stood up, his hands on his hips, he removed his hood and mask that covered his face.
"I was once a highschool student in our world. Now, we got dragged into this Demon War." He looked the nun in the eye, his glasses slightly glared the sunset light and said, "I was once human".
On the guest mansion of the Oracles. a group of three carriages arrived. They were in black and had beautiful golden stripes that flourished it. On the leading carriage, a woman in armor came out from the carriage. It was General Charlotte.
On the balcony, was Kei, her hands covered the rough ceramic balcony edge. She lets go if it, and crumbles of the cement falls out of her hand and made her hand white. "Fresh cement?" she muttered. She walks back and saw Ryuu dragging his gloveless hands into the intersection hallway "What are you doing, Ryuu-kun?"
"The wood, the carpet, everything..is fresh. Was this mansion made three days ago? Something's fishy here."
"Maybe they had a mage with the same Skill set as Kenji-kun?, anyways, is Sen's squad here?"
Ryuu pointed to the staircase and said "They're at the living room. But they said they wouldn't accept anyone's order until he gets back."
"When did he order it?" she asked
"After the battle with the Burrower"
At the frontyard, the Oracles greeted Charlotte. "Is everyone here?..."
"Where's the swordsman?"
Hiroki stepped in close to Kei, who was guilty of her actions. Her right hand grabbed the left arm, and refused to look Charlotte in the eye.
"Apparently, someone had a loose screw and made him ran away"
Charlotte replied bluntly with a stern voice
"He does know the time when he'll be having an audience with the king, doesn't he?"
"He probably doesn't care. After all, e doesn't like social gatherings and similar, i doubt he'll even attend this time"
Tamotsu stepped forward and walked to the carriage "The pressure of meeting His Majesty must be too much to handle for him, and SOMEONE even added another pressure to him, she probably triggered a pressure type landmine."
Hiroki opened the adjacent door to T, and followed
"Anyways, he doesn't like talking. I guess I'll take his place then. Especially he's the leader."
"I don't really understand, but i see."
"Sen ran away"
The interior of the carriage had four seatings in it, and the seats was red and fluffy. Masao, Hiroki, and Rio was inside the first carriage.
Charlotte maintained a keen eye on Hiroki and Rio, she frequently tapped her fingers on her leg, making a metal sound.
"This city is called, Residential City One. This is where most population reside in. You can't see the Magic Academy of Cenaria.... and the Castle Palace here "
On Masao's perspective, he asked himself.
"..Seems that we still don't know much about this world. And wait a minute, why did she pause at the Academy part?"
Meanwhile on the Castle Palace..
"Ohh? The deadliest He-... Oracle ran away? Good. You may leave now."
A voice of a girl appeared, she was kneeling and wearing a ninja outfit.
"Milady, that Oracle also suffered some unknown disease. The best i can describe is, a... mental disorder"
Milady laughed, she covered her face with her fan. "Mental disorder? I don't recall Forerunners having mental disorders! They must be a fake. Or perhaps..."
"Not only that, Milady.."
The girl opened her bag on her back, and pulled a picture and raised it to Milady
"What is that thing... Huh? Is this..."
On the church, Sen was escorted by a group of priest and nuns. They escorted him into a doorway behind the statue that lead to darkness. He asked the nun earlier
"Am i going alone?"
"Would you like me to accompany you, Oracle-sama?"
"Nevermind. Thank you for leading me here." He stepped forward into the dark basement.
The nun worriedly asked "Blade Oracle?"
"Yes?" He replied
"There's a high possibility of war with the Elves. Are you Oracles, going to aid the Human-"
He interrupted
"Of course we will. We Oracles were once humans. We'll help, because it's our job."
The nun nodded with a smile, he proceeded to walk inside the basement. "Be careful, Oracle-dono"
A white magic circle formed on his glove's palm, it was a rotating small disk, then a flame lit in the circle, shining light in the basement.
*Thud*
*Thud*
Metal? And the... construction... it can't be!"
The basement slammed shut. Shocking him, he looked to the the slammed door.
"I hope this isn't a trap. Damn"
He kneeled down into the metal staircase, and saw bolts and screws in the ends of it. His face showed shock, muttering
"Don't tell me, Technology has evolved this far!"
He looks into the darkness and lit it with light, and an opening, on the top of it was boulder that looked like it would crush it at any moment. He walks down, the coldness of the metal staircase shivered through his body as he felt the last step.
He felt that his feet slightly sludge in, it was mud and continued then felt another cold feeling into his feet.
"Water?" he looked down and saw a reflection of his masked face. He removes his mask and breathed.
Upon nearing the boulder, he saw a metal doorway that somewhat stopped the boulder from falling in.
He steps inside and felt a cold liquid sensation.
Water again huh?
*Thud*
Metal?
He shone the fire in and saw a metal railing that went into the dark alley, he looks to the walls and it was made up of natural stone.
On the surface, Masao was asked the same question.
"Masao-dono, if a war happened with the Elves, what would you do?"
Underground, Sen saw a neon light at the end of the tunnel.
"Light?" he muttered. He unsheathed his Japanese sword and ran towards it.
Thud, Thud, Thud! The metal sound sounded louder and louder as he gained speed.
At last, he rammed the metal door and found himself in a room. The white light blinded him, it was blurry.
His vision clears up, took off his glasses and wiped it with his uniform deliberately, and saw.... a computer panel?
Water also dripped from above, slowly it drips into the pudding
A red text appears again. But this time, it wasn't painful. The words were in English, as the same with earlier attacks.
[ Memory Reading]
What is this? Oh...
His surroundings turns pitch black, and saw images of Ryuu, Kei and Tamotsu on their first night at this world, riding in a horseback. They arrived at a facility deep at the forest. The facility had metal walls, and was hidden in the mountain, like a cave.
"Tamotsu, stay on guard. Ryuu, watch my six." said by the past himself
Am i... revisiting the past?
Another image appears again.
Ryuu was tapping in a yellow keyboard, they were inside a room. Inside the room, was a big screen at a wall, similar to that of a Demon Hunter Bunker.
There were transparent glass monitors across the room, all of it was blank.
The empty big yellow screen turns to life. It showed camera feedbacks from each room.
"Oi. Are we inside a military base? Alfred-san said this place is an ancient facility, so i expected to see ANCIENT architecture" said by Kei
"Same here." replied by Sen
"Seems like we got sent to the future, instead of a parralel world" replied by Ryuu
Oh... this is.. our first night at this world. I remember.. Alfred sending us to scout a northern Ancient Facility. Oh.. and, we utilized this facility as Yuki's main production site.
Another red text blinks into view, saying
[ Memory Defragmentation Complete]
Memory Defragmentation? What am i, a robot?
Sen found himself again in the same room he was before. He looked into the room and turned back, scanning the room. The room had the same lightning as the ancient facility, the only thing that lighted the room is the yellow transparent monitors. The floor were made up of metal and everytime he steps, it thuds. He saw a square shaped transparent monitor, connecting a virtual like yellow gridded keyboard and a... printer.
What the hell? Don't tell me... the Ancient Scrolls are.. PRINTERS??
He went closer to the monitor and saw Japanese words in it. He read it, and gasped. He muttered
"Yep, that thing is the Ancient Scroll thing." He yelled at himself
"I was expecting a big PAPER with copper on it! OOR atleast a ROLL OF PARCHMENT with some HOLY DIVINE WORDS ON IT. AND WHAT I FOUND IS....THE THING THAT HAUNTED ME BACK ON MY HIGHSCHOOL DAYS. A DAMNED PRINTER" He angrily pointed at it, showing regret.
A paper slammed his face, he takes it off slowly and read it with his own two hands, he reads it, it was in English.
"GAH! I ALREADY KNOW! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO REMIND ME!"
He sighed and took a deep breathe and placed the paper on the desk. Upon placing it, he saw a square shaped webcam near the keyboard.
"A web cam?" he muttered
On the surface, on the carriage where the Oracles rode in.
Charlotte asked them once again "Are you going to aid us when a war breaks out with the Elves, Oracle-sama?"
"That... that should be the Commander's decision..." replied by Masao
She replies with a sinister, soft tone
"Are you really...the Heroes the gods sent?"
Yuki, the Engineer Oracle gazes outside the window, and said
"General Charlotte, we're Arbiters. First of all, we we're kidnapped and had our peaceful lives stolen away from us."
Charlotte muttered "Peaceful lives?...Kidnapped?"
She frowned and gripped her hands like wool being stretched, stealing the attention of the spaced out Hiroki.
He sat in the left side of the carriage, his head laid with his cheek rubbing against his fist that supported his head. He looks to Charlotte with a suspicious gaze.
Underground, Sen began tapping the blank yellow keyboard. He speaks to his mind, saying "If i remember correctly, this is a WASD keyboard, that key is W, that one is A, and S, and D" He tapped accordingly and followed "and this... would be the escape button"
The blank yet lit computer opened to life, English words marked the screen, saying "DreamAI"
"Identify..."
No box was shown, he figured it was a voice type identification unit.
"Sen Satou"
"Sen Satou... ID Found"
"Status: unknown"
"Admin: No"
"Class: Assassin"
I guess that's why Deus stopped helping us once we've reached Yuezenia. But... why did he.. he could have at least told us sooner! Heh, they must be enjoying back there, toying with us.
"Would you like to open a channel with the outside world?"
"Y/N"
...
...
"Y"
"Opening channel... Please wait..."
Sen laid back with relief and cracked his fingers. He looks to his right and saw a puddle of water, and saw a small wave that originated from his back.
Then he remembered.
He turns back, heartbeat pounding faster and faster, he unsheathed his sword and maintained a guard.
He stares into the dark tunnel and saw a figure.
Footsteps gained closer, the silhouette grew more clear. The figure walks inside the room and wore a black cape, it was a woman, her cleavage was visible and half of her body wasn't covered. She removes her hood and saw pointed ears and a sinister smile alongside a machete on her left hand.
"An elf?!"
---TO BE CONTINUED---