None's POV:
Somewhere in a dark forest, soft footsteps could be heard. A blanker took his time walking towards a tree.
This wasn't just any tree, it was the same tree that had killed the blanker attacking Mea.
The same crazy blanker was still there. Though, his body was motionless and his head still impaled through.
The passing blanker grabbed the crazy blanker's head and pulled the body off the tree branch with one hand.
"Kekeke."
The crazy blanker had regained his consciousness and began giggling.
The other blanker gave no thought to this and only impaled his other hand into the blanker's anterior neck.
The giggling stopped and the crazy blanker is dead. No title disappeared, he didn't have a title to begin with.
The mysterious blanker tossed his body away and continued walking.
Not exiting his current location, but deeper into the darkness of the forest.
~~
Hades' POV:
In front of me stood someone I had not expected to be meeting at this hour. Clearly, I was expecting for it to take at least a night before we have our fun.
"How were you able to get here?" I asked him, the fight can wait.
He grabbed a sharp piece of glass and cut off four of his fingers in one swift motion. The fingers fell but inside his fingers came small flames that doesn't exist anywhere else.
Blue flames, the only source of lighting here in The Lobby. It has one and only one source of fuel.
"Interesting. You used your own body as fuel for the light source. But doesn't it hurt? The pain is equivalent to piercing a third degree burn with cold needles you know?"
"I'm not here to have a chitchat with you. You'll pay for what you did to Mea."
This guy seemed different from before. Like he's angry, really angry. It won't be an exaggeration to say he wants to tear me up from the inside out once given the opportunity to.
"You do know those two were the ones who hurt your precious girl, right?"
"Shut up, you caused it."
"It's not me who came up with the idea. This was suggest by a superior ones. All 15 of us Game Masters simply followed orders.
"Then I'll kill you first, then them next."
"Aren't you simply blaming it me to hide the fact that you are weak? Otherwise you should be able to protect her without problem."
"Shut up!"
"Having someone else there to save your girl must be really frustrating, won't you agree? That task which only you should fulfill was taken by somebody else. Isn't this just your way of—"
"I SAID SHUT UP!" He snapped.
His self-centered attitude was getting on my nerves.
"I'll give you an advice from someone who's lived longer than the average human. Right now you are completely swayed by your emotions. You should know how hard it was to fight me even with the two of you, much less just you alone. Continuing at this point is suicidal."
"Like I care!"
He shredded a big piece off his arm with the same glass shard. Inside his hallow ligament revealed an even larger flame. He continued peeling off his arm on every side until all that's left of his arm was a rod of blue flames.
He had more flames burning inside his body? What kind of lunatic would want to constantly burn their arm?
He charged at me without warning and cut the sofa I was on in half with his burning arm.
I leaped away and landed on my feet.
He's using his arm like a katana.
He made more advances towards me with his flaming arm sparkling in the air.
I reacted by tapping my foot and sending a blade of wind to his direction.
He dodged it easily. As if he could see them. Which should be impossible because these aren't so easily detected my the average human.
I positioned my blades this time, attacking him without leaving him space to dodge.
He didn't bother and charged right through it. The blades made a cut on his abdomen and sliced his cheek.
Only dodge fatal blows, huh?
He slashed his arm sideways aiming to cut off my skull. But my gust of wind stopped his momentum and pushed him back.
He changed his strategy this time around. He dug his hand into the floor and knocked the fragments towards me.
The projectiles flew towards me in a scattered shot. Even if he could throw them, they don't hurt.
I blew them away easily with my wind. And just as I direct my gaze back to him, he was gone.
So he intentionally did that to distract me.
He was right behind me, ready to pierce that burning thing into my body.
I released a series of smaller blades towards him in a tornado fashion which made even more cuts on his body.
Using blue flames will definitely hold an advantage against another blanker. But I'm not a blanker.
I pushed him away with another wave of black wind.
He fell on his body and got up, again.
His persistence is annoying me. Especially when I've been going easy on him this whole time. I had way more thrill when the other guy was with him. This one has talent but he's simply predictable.
"Aren't you supposed to be protecting that girl especially now that everyone's broken loose? Why are you here fighting an unnecessary battle?" I asked him.
"She's safe with the others from Eternal Flare. She wouldn't be hurt in the first place if not because of you!"
"What if those people are just the same? Humans would do anything to live, afterall."
"DON'T BADMOUTH THEM!" He dashed at me without a plan, completely swayed by his emotions once again.
I let out a sigh, this is my limit.
Strong blades of wind cut both his feet off and one sliced a chunk off his chest.
He immediately lost balance but I pierced a rapidly spinning drill into him from underground.
This went through his chest enlarging the hole and bringing him higher into the air. The wind dissipates as he slowly descend.
"That attitude of yours... I truly DESPISE IT"
I formed more large black needles and shot at him one by one as he fell.
One pierced his leg, another to his body, his shoulder, then three straight into abdomen. The needles exploded into tiny wind blades slicing even more of his body up. He is now like a tattered rug.
The only part I left untouched was his head. As long as his head doesn't get damaged, he will not lose consciousness no matter how much I torture him.
His torn out body fell on the ground. None of his limbs were in the condition to move. And he had multiple holes on his body. Since the blue flames could not be extinguished, it continued burning.
"People like you should know your place."
I shot a small bullet into his chest with the point of a finger. It didn't take long before tiny spikes came out of every surface of his body, creating hundreds of tiny holes.
He screamed out in pain, as he should be.
"And one is just not going to cut it."
I shot another one. Then another. Each shot made his scream louder than the last.
It wouldn't be wrong to call him a human beehive.
A gust of wind picked him up by the neck and I brought him to my face as I sat down on my sliced up sofa.
"So, what have you learned today, blue-string boy?" I crossed my legs and waited.
"You'll pay..." his voice was low but his audacity to still taunt me pissed me off. Especially in his current state.
I cut his leg off. It was already barely hanging so it shouldn't hurt too bad.
He cried out in pain. He doesn't sound apologetic at all. He's just gotten weaker.
"We'll keep this going until morning if your answer doesn't satisfy me. I even gave you multiple chances to turn back but you insisted on fighting me alone. I consider myself pretty merciful compared to the other Game Masters, you know? You're quite something if you managed to piss me off like this."
This was proceeded by silence.
"Silent now, are we?"
I cut his other leg off to which he reacted by screaming. Unlike how we first met, this time I didn't just cut off the leg. No, it didn't just end with his limb detached from his body, I cut every fiber of it into microscopic pieces the moment it separates from his body. Like shredding paper.
"So?"
"Hades." A familiar voice of a girl echoed in my head.
I shot a hypersonic bullet through the blue-string boy's head and toss him to the side with my wind.
"What brings you here, Master?" I knelt down with one leg and bowed my head.
A dark mist formed in front of me distorting the space around as she walked out.
"I've been watching you. Why are you not killing that boy? Did you forgot how?"
"Of course not, Master. I know full well it's the area beneath the mandible of a blanker's head."
"Then why do you toy with that boy?"
Do I tell her? She won't know about the other guy if I just cut out the details. I can pull this off.
"You see, Master. Before the operation begun, I found two users with exceptional talent that exceeds those of an average human. It felt it too wasteful to kill them off so I wanted to pass the time by giving them a goal.
"What goal is that?"
"I wanted to give them the chance to defeat me."
"Chance? I didn't give you immortality for you to be easily defeated, Hades."
"I have some plans for it, Master. And I believe one of them will be able to inherit your law."
"While I don't mind you doing what you want and transferring the Law of Death to any potential holders, you mustn't forget your duty. I'm expecting you to hold on to your responsibilities, Hades"
"Yes, Master. My goal have not changed."
"And if you do die, you better make sure you gave it your all down to the very last cell of your body. Otherwise, I will not welcome you to the Underworld."
"Understood."
"Is he one of the two?"
...
I did not anticipate Master to ask such a specific question. Does she have such high standards for that other person? What should I do?
"No, he is not, Master."
"Good. That is all the business I have with you."
She disappeared through the black mist. The black mist fades leaving not a trace behind.
It's about time that blue-string boy start regenerating. I stood up from my position and went back to sitting on the sliced up sofa.
I waited for him to regenerate. It didn't take over 10 minutes before he regained his consciousness.
"Have you awaken?" I asked the boy as he sat upright to look at me.
It's still midnight. I get the feeling he'll run at me again.
He stood up and stared at his hand. His only weapon in The Lobby, the blue flames, is nowhere to be found in his newly regenerated body.
The blue-string boy and I stared at each other for a while as his dissected arm continue to burn of blue flames on the floor.
"So, do you still plan on fighting me?"
He didn't answer and charged at me. I suppose that is his answer.
I pushed him away with my wind.
He got back up and made the same desperate move.
I pushed him, again.
This exact process was repeated four more times. Dirt begun to gather around his body every time he hit the floor.
Frustration built up inside him. His movements are becoming more and more desperate as he realizes he's powerless in front of me.
The real question is how long it'll take him to accept reality and keep his mental stability under control.
About time I start inflicting some pain, again. He has abnormally high tolerance for pain, which I suppose is a good thing.
I moved a finger up and sliced his hand off with my signature wind blade. I motioned my finger around as more segments of his arm get sliced off.
He screamed in pain while still aimlessly charging at me, to which I pushed him away just like I did the many times before.
Now that I think of it, the person Master is so fond of didn't react at all when I sliced half his neck off, nor when his body was cut to pieces. It's hard to tell whether he actually feels pain or not.
The blue-string boy stood up and continued his fruitless attempt at assaulting me. This time I cut off his other arm piece by piece and pushed him away when he gets close.
He's like a beast at this point. A beast that lost all rationality. A hungry beast willing to jump off a cliff to catch a bird.
I created a black spear and shot it at him.
He was able to predict my aim and easily dodged it. He didn't dodge the next one though so it pierced his shoulder with the momentum bringing him with it.
The spear struck the wall behind him and pinned him there.
He continued to walk forward even with the spear pinning him. He didn't care even if the wound worsen.
The spear exploded into wind blades completely destroying his left shoulder.
There was no reaction this time. He only stood there, completely still.
After some moments, he fell forward and collapsed on the ground.
I guess that's his limit.
It was then I noticed a faint blue light in the corner of my eyes
I turned my gaze to a figure standing in front of the entrance. The blue glow from earlier emitting from his flaming hand.
I recognized him instantly. It's the other boy. Master's favorite.
"Rye!" A girl's voice came from behind him. Judging from her reactions and the crimson string on her wrist, I could tell they're a couple.
"Rye! Are you okay?!" She rushed to his motionless body.
The blue string boy didn't reply.
The red string girl sneaked a glance at my being before she turned to Master's chosen one.
"Hajime, what do we-"
"Take Rye and leave. He won't attack us." He cut the girl off with a calm tone.
So his name is Hajime. And the blue string boy is Rye.
"Am I correct?" He made eye contact with me as he asked for confirmation.
"I never intended to attack him. It was merely self defense."
The red string girl wasted no time to grab her boyfriend by the shoulder and carried him out. Master's chosen one followed after her.
His back is completely defenseless.
A loud noise echoed throughout the room as a weapon is seen impaled into the floor. It's long handle sticking out. There appears to be three tipped edges.
"That's the God Killer. It's your only chance at ever coming close to defeating me."
Thats right, I threw it.
He glanced back at me. The other girl already shielding her boyfriend with her own body.
I must say... he didn't react at all. He's confident I wouldn't attack him?
"A trident..?" the red string girl mumbled.
"That's is correct. There is more than one God Killer, and each of a different weapon type. What you have there is a trident."
I wonder if they'll discover the weapon's ability on our next meeting.
The boy calmly pulled the trident off the ground and pierced it through his wrist. Cutting off the hand that has been on fire throughout this whole time.
"A clean cut wouldn't you say? A normal "blanker" can easily be sliced in half.
"You could even use it to collect all the titles you want and have it easy once the official Worlds launch. Getting the Genocide title would be a walk in the park."
He took the trident with him and left without a word.
I couldn't help but laugh. He really is different.
~~
Rye's POV:
I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. No, that's not the ceiling. That's the wall of the toppled building.
Why does my chest feel so heavy?
It didn't take long to notice Mea. She's lying right next to me, her head on my chest and her hand next to her face.
I turned back to stare at the ceiling.
I realized something yesterday. My irrationality might have led Mea into danger. I wasn't mad at Hades. I was mad at myself. Hades was merely someone I tried to shift the blame to.
Instead of protecting her, I got too caught up on my petty feelings. The more beat up I got the more I get reminded of my own powerlessness.
I let out a sigh.
Man, I suck.
"It looks like you're awake." A strange voice came from the window.
Why the window? That's a dumb question. Using the door on a building flipped on it's side is just plain stupid. I doubt anyone could even reach it in the first place.
Back to the visitor. He's got a tall figure and broad shoulders. His voice emits of confidence and passion.
I watched as he slowly walked towards me. I would usually get up in this situation but I don't want to wake Mea up. Not be the one responsible for it anyways.
"Nice to meet you, Rye. I'm Kenji, vice captain of Eternal Flare. I would like to request your aid in defeating Hades tonight."
"Aid?"
"I have heard everything from Mea. We intend on using the weapon given by Hades himself to defeat him tonight. We also know the location is in Room 5543. As this is an important task and a foe we all want defeated, I am requesting for help from everyone possible."
"What weapon?" I asked.
"While you were unconscious, Hades threw a trident name the God Killer. He claimed it to be the only weapon capable of defeating him. We currently have it under our surveillance and my crew is inspecting the material."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"We are unsure if what Hades said is true or not regarding the trident. But we are willing to take any chance we can get to avoid bloodshed among ourselves. If anything, I personally would rather die than betray one of my own people."
Why would Hades give us a weapon that can potentially pose a threat to him? Rather, what happened while I was passed out?
It was then I felt a slight movement from Mea as she snuggles her head into me.
"I'm glad you're okay," she looked up at me.
I couldn't help but hug her. She's been through too much in one day.
"Count me in, Captain Kenji." I gave a swift response.
"Great, then we shall meet together later on in the evening. The location is the dining hall."
And with that, he left the room.
"Does it hurt anywhere, Rye?" Mea wanted to confirm.
"Not at all. I'm still impressed by how easily our bodies in The Lobby can regenerate. I'm full with energy once again."
"That's good"
It's like I could see her smile.
"Mea… I thought you're bad with physical contacts?" I mentioned.
She looked down to her arms warped around me and raised her head again with a red face.
"Idiot…"
~~
None's POV:
A group of blankers gathered in the dining hall. All listening to the three currently standing in the front.
"Welcome everyone," Kenji greeted, "We shall commence our attack in 3 hours. And in that time, we will be devising strategies to defeat Hades."
"According to the informations we have gathered, Hades appears to be a mage who specializes in wind magic. I know this is everyone's first time hearing about wind magic, and it is the same for us, as well. If we were to be asked how prepared we are, I would say we are far from it."
"This will be the hardest raid boss we will ever encounter. We do not have the luxury to gather information in this particular raid battle. Our opponent is too mysterious and we are running thin on time."
"However, like every raid boss, there will always be a weakness. And this weakness is even easier to exploit when we have numbers. And it just so happens that we a weapon that can defeat the one holding us hostage. And because of that, I would like to thank Riria for this massive contribution to today's fight.
Riria stood up. The crowd stared in silence as she made her way to the center.
"Riria here possess knowledge from the archives. It is thanks to her that we are able to understand what is currently happening in floor 9. It is thanks to her we are able to learn of disaster monsters and the phantom sharks."
"As for her contribution…"
Kenji removed the clothe to reveal the bright crystalline trident in the center.
"This is the God Killer. Riria herself has confirmed it's materials and assured it capable of inflicting damage against Hades in our upcoming fight. With this, we will have a significantly higher chance of winning."
The crowd cheered but amidst that, Riria seemed to be troubled by it.
"And the person who will be wielding our God Killer will be the Queen of Spears from the Battle Dragons clan. Tao Tao, please stand up."
A skinny figure stood up among them and walked to the center. She has a distinguishing red mark on her neck the form of a petal of flower.
Tao Tao is known for her quick movements and weapon mastery of the spear. As we do not have trident wielders even in Worlds, she is the most fitted to wield the God Killer. Our strategies for this battle will be centered around her.
As for our opponent. We know he has ability to materialize dangerous weapons with his wind. He is also capable to creating a shield that repels anyone who gets close. We do not know the range of effectiveness for Hade's wind magic, but it is estimated to be around 4 meters by a survivor I interviewed who has fought with him before.
And the black mist. Hades has yet to reveal what it does but just in case make sure to never get close to it. There is also the case of the mysterious scythe. It has only been witnessed once and it was used to split the building that we are currently residing it.
~~
Kenji finished his remaining speech. Reminding everyone of the plan and sharing more informations on their opponents arsenal.
After that everyone gathered into groups to discuss strategies when Riria came up to Kenji.
"Sir, why did you lie to them? The God Killer does not exist in the archives and for all we know it might just be a trap set by Hades to lure us into his hands. I believe I have already told you that." Riria seemed visibly upset.
"I know, but I can't tell them that. I don't want to them to lose hope, not after we've finally gotten even the slightest bit of chance of winning."
"But sir, this will potentially get everyone killed!"
"I know that, Riria. More than half of us will die either way once the remaining 5 days are over. If I waited any longer, the urgency to survive will only become stronger. The group we have now will fall into chaos again. I have to lie even for the rest of my life if it means gaining everyone's trust and winning this battle."
"I don't like it, sir"
"Neither do I, Riria. It's the decision I've made as the vice captain. I hope you can understand."
"As much as I hate it, this is our only chance for a counterattack. I will place my trust in you, sir."
"Thank you."
~~
None's POV:
Hajime opened the door to the library and quietly walked in. He walked to the fireplace to confirm his theory.
Hajime dusted the soot away and gently pressed on the darkened floor. It was soft, almost too soft. It's as if it'll collapse with just a small amount of pressu-
The thin lining crumbled revealing a tunnel underneath the fireplace. Hajime couldn't help but smile inside as he made his way to the archives.
Sure enough, he came face to face with the old wooden door and the ever lovely bell.
He opened the door and walked in. Everything the same as before. All the books piled up and scrolls scattered together.
He spent the day there until the raid.
~~
None's POV:
Finally the time has come. A large group of blankers gathered in front of the entrance of Room 5543. Totaling to an amount of 120 blankers.
There stood a large black figure, the area around him covered in black mist as his neck crackled.
For the first-timers who's just witnessed this being, they can only describe it as meeting the Grim Reaper.
"Quite a lot of uninvited guests, I see." Hade's eyes shone red.