"Uh. . . Alice?" I ask, confused why the Guardian Angel is shedding its armor and becoming an entirely new monster.
"Stay back, it's my time to shine." Her greatsword is on her shoulder as she walks past me and towards that thing.
Finally, I can step back and feel at ease. She glows as she takes a stance. Her sword is pointing at that monster. It shrieks so loud as it finally becomes a demon. Blood and stitched flesh are all it is made out of. The stench is unbearable but I can't avoid smelling it even though I'm covering my nose. I have to breathe air anyway.
"What is this?" I ask. "I thought this thing is like an angel of some sort!"
"It's just the way it is," she says, smirking. "And it's going down so hard." Everything trembles as if she's absorbing the power of light. She says to the monster, "You shall not see the dawn of tomorrow. Angel of Light: Exorcism!"
She explodes at a blinding speed with a flash of light and a soundless fashion. It's like she teleported behind the monster. After a second, rays of light burst out from the monster's body before it explodes, splattering flesh and blood across the place! Disgusting!
I cover my face at least but I'm confused why nothing landed on me. They just. . . faded like burning paper before it turns into ash. And it looks like nothing happened in this place. Then there is this grey dagger floating in the middle of this massive ballroom.
"Come here," Alice says as she walks there.
Now that we're in front of it, I ask, "What is this?"
"It's the Angel's Bane."
"Is this what you wanted all along?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"As the name suggests, it's the Bane of angels. It multiplies the damage you deal on Angeli."
"Angeli?"
"Plural for Angelus. Duh. . ."
"Okay, can I go now?"
"Hmm. . . not yet."
"Why not?!" I shout at her and she laughs at me.
"You have to wait for a hundred years before you can log out."
"What?! My body is going to die! Yours too!"
"Nope. We spend a hundred years here but our real bodies will only experience an hour. If I count, I have lived at least a thousand years."
"Wait, wait, wait. . . you're joking, right?"
"Wrong again." She grins, delighted about my trouble.
"According to regulations, this game should not exist!"
"Listen, this game is not a game anymore. Unlike other games, this game doesn't have a server. It just exists like a different universe. It cannot be taken down but we are free to access it."
"But that app—"
"Was a quantum-formatted application so it bypasses any security. Systems couldn't detect that it is one of the applications that have been banned. It's a small file but it is enough for you to access the vast world of Shannia."
"So, am I. . . stuck here for a hundred years?"
"Pretty much."
"But that's ridiculous!"
"I know, right? And it's awesome!"
"No, it's not! You have to get me out of here."
"Why?"
"I don't want to be stuck here forever—that's why!"
"No, a hundred years is not forever. In fact, it's a short time."
"Well, I'm not crazy like you!"
"You'll be, soon enough." She laughs.
"Is there any way I can get out of here?"
"Other than killing yourself here and in real life?"
"Obviously!"
"None."
"I can't believe this!" I hit my face hard with my palm. "This is what I get from trusting a stranger!"
"Okay, okay. Now, just pick up this dagger."
"You get it. I don't want to be part of anything you do anymore."
"I can't wield this. Only an Anthropa can use it."
Oh, that's right. The race she made me choose was Anthropa. I see. . . she's only using me to get what she wants.
I have to know what she's planning to do. So, I ask, "What are you planning to do? Explain to me, everything."
"Everything, you say?" Her smirk as she transforms into a Daemon is making me uncomfortable.
"You heard me."
"Alright. Don't touch that dagger yet. I'll explain to you the most important thing you need to know before we get out of this place."
"Go on," I say, folding my arms.
"I admit, I brought you here so that this dagger can finally be unleashed."
"Unleash it for what?"
"To wage war against the Angeli."
"They're literally peaceful angels. Why would you want to wage war against them?"
"Peaceful?" she scoffs. "Don't make me laugh. I'll give you a fact. You're the only Anthropa left in this world."
"Why?"
"The three kinds are like rock-paper-scissors. Angeli can easily beat Daemons, we Daemons can easily beat Anthropae, and Anthropae can easily beat Angeli."
I remember the gate and that Guardian Angel. "So, that's why I easily destroyed the gate and that Guardian Angel's first phase."
"Yup. They thought Anthropae don't exist now. So, they are much warier about a Daemon with an Angelus frame and made the gate and this boss highly resistant to Angelic and Daemonic attacks."
"Back to the question, why do you want to wage war against the Angeli?"
"After they eradicated the Anthropae 18,000 years ago, they plan to eradicate us Daemons next."
"You had chances to not return. Why did you return again and again?"
"I have friends, family, and people who are counting on me. I cannot leave them."
"NPCs?"
"No, they're more than that. I told you, remember? This is another universe that is existing apart from ours."
"The more you talk about it, the more I think you're fooling me or simply you're just crazy."
"I swear, I'm telling you the truth."
She looks at me with her puppy eyes. It's unbelievable that such a demon could put on this adorab— no, irritating. . . face.
After clearing my throat, I say, "I still have doubts, however. You put me through all of this without my consent, after all."
"Well, I'm sorry, hehe," she grins, scratching her head. "Will you help me?"
"What's in it for me?"
"You get to live."
I sigh. "What? You're going to kill me?"
"I'm not joking," she utters with a serious stare. "I could just kill you right here and make an Anthropic frame out of you. Then I will level it up until it becomes powerful to beat any Angelus. But I'm a good girl, you see." She smiles very wide, showing her disgusting fangs. "I don't want to kill someone who I met in the universe of my origin."
"Fine!" I lash out, turning my back. I don't have a choice anyway. I have no proof that I will die for real or not. It's best to be cautious while in this conundrum. The truth will soon float above the sea of lies. I just have to wait and see things through carefully. So, I turn to face her again and ask, "Can I get this dagger now?"
"Before that. I just want you to know what we're all about."
"What is it?"
"We are going to do the hardest quest that nobody has ever completed: The Divine Trinity Quest."