Aranea was just as exhausted as Aria.
She wished she could collapse just like her.
Her Mana was low.
She was in disgusting pain.
The truth had bled into her mind, cracking it open.
Everything was a mess.
Alas, this world was anything but good to Aranea.
That's simply how it would always go. She would never expect anything else, every small hint of good that happened to her would be repaid with something worse.
That was her fate as 'Aranea'.
Yet.
Those words.
They brought her back to reality.
Aria, in a way, had saved her just now.
But Aranea couldn't express her joy.
Nor jump up and down in excitement, flail her limbs, box the air, roll around like a potato.
Even if she could, she wouldn't.
It would hurt too much.
She couldn't even smile.
It would hurt less but with Moglit around she couldn't do it.
What a shitty life.
"Moglit."
The boy in question struggled to keep himself still; he didn't know whether or not to listen to Aria's words.
'Maybe we was wrong...'
Was Aria implying something about Aranea or not?
Moglit wasn't sure.
But Moglit also couldn't trust it, who knew what Aranea could do; maybe she had hypnotised Aria or worse, controlled her.
So-
"Moglit, good night."
Aranea ended Moglit's pipe dreams on the spot.
Her flurrying, pure, blue Mana thrust out at Moglit; it instantly overpowered his Chaos, sending him slamming face-first into the ground.
Moglit's opportunity to retaliate; to figure out what those words possibly meant; to rage at Aranea...
She snuffed it out.
Aranea would not take any risks now that her Mana was running low.
"What a shitfest."
Everything happening now never occurred in [Throes of Fortune].
Even the situation with Luliya never occurred in the original.
Originally, Aranea, would meet Luliya at the Imperial Camp for the first time.
Originally, the five of them would venture out in the Abyssal Frontlines and gradually discover the cruelties of this world, of war.
Originally, Aranea wouldn't be this far ahead of the main cast.
Nor would she be here, with Reynauld.
She would be at the entrance with the 1st and 2nd Squadron.
Moglit and Aria were never caught.
Everything was going wrong.
'Fuck.'
Aranea was both annoyed and frustrated.
Because everything going this off track meant that the future was destabilising quicker than she had anticipated.
Not to mention, the Second Act, -Blighted Hints of The Future-, was directly linked to the strife between Aranea and Charles.
Initially, their conflict originated from Aranea's disdain for life and her mannerisms. He also knew of her true nature from the 12th birthday party, an event which occurred in both the game and reality.
The only difference between the game and now was her injuring his childhood friend at her 5th birthday party, which was the cause of their strife.
The 5th birthday party was an anomaly; an event created by her inadequacy as Aranea.
The real Aranea, the original one, easily coasted through the truth.
Something she couldn't do.
For the Second Act, -Blighted Hints of The Future- to go through smoothly, she had to incite a fight with Charles.
One which would be held in front of everyone.
A fight which would reach the ears of the Emperor.
That sick son of a bitch.
...It's fine.
Squeeze-
...I can fix this issue.
Squeeze-
It'll all be fine...
But.
Looking down at what she had grasped in her hand.
At Aria's changed gauntlets which had been tossed to the side.
And at the small, calloused palm which she had gripped at some point-
Was it fine?
She didn't even know at what point she did this.
When did she kneel beside Aria?
When did she take off those gauntlets?
When did she grasp her hand?
Squeeze it?
I...
[Mental Decay]
Aranea glanced at the screen which abruptly attacked her eyes.
[Warning]
[Warning]
[Mental Decay -> Mental Decay - Accelerated]
[Error!]
[Error!]
[Insufficient Evolution]
[Mental Decay -> Mental Decay - Absolute]
[Trait Evolution Complete]
[Mental Decay - Absolute]
The truth had won over her mind.
She lost.
Aranea couldn't hold a candle to the original.
How the original handled it she didn't know.
She couldn't fathom it.
But, in the first place, what was the original Aranea like?
The game never revealed the core of her abilities.
For example, the truth.
How did the original Aranea come to control it?
How did the original Aranea endure it as a child?
What was the difference between her and the original Aranea?
"Pfft-!"
A chuckle exploded from her mouth.
Someone said something funny just now.
...
I don't think so.
...
...Cut me some slack.
I'm not that stupid.
...
I am?
...
"Haha!" Letting go of Aria's hand, Aranea shuffled herself up.
A bright smile arose on her face.
An agonising, gleefully tattered smile.
"Man. Just what the fuck am I doing."
'Let's just get this First Act done with then worry about the rest later.' Her smile radiated across the cave, reflecting off the Ascension Pool.
A barren smile.
Step-
A footstep echoed from the stairway.
The smile on Aranea's face disappeared.
Reynauld had returned.
And with him was the tall, dark-haired, handsome young man, Yun.
He dragged him by the hair, pulling him down step by step, forcing his body to tumble down and smack into the next step with force.
Bruises and cuts lathered his body but he was alive.
Holding onto his breath, Yun forced his face off the ground, catching a glimpse of the innards of the cave.
The first thing he saw was that hair.
The yin and yang hair; the infinitely swirling abyssal eyes.
Aranea.
The Witch.
The Demon.
The Devil.
The Calamity.
Every title known to mankind was plastered on top of that small stature.
Yet, you shouldn't fall for that small stature, for that beautiful, enchanting face.
For those eyes, they pull you into the abyss.
Yun had grown up knowing one small fact, a fact his mother and sister had engrained into him.
If you meet the Lethraxus' Monster turn the other way and run.
If you meet the Witch of Calamities, the Cursed creature, run.
Funnily enough, he ended up meeting her.
But she wasn't as he had heard.
She was quiet, he rarely saw her, and the girl was a fleeting figure.
Until she fought Charles and almost killed him.
It was then that he understood where those rumours came from.
And now those rumours were further entrenched in his heart.
Because beneath her feet were Aria and Moglit, battered, bruised and bloodied.
"Aria-! Moglit-! Wha-"
Crack!
Reynauld smothered his head into the solid ground, "Don't desecrate the air my Saintess breathes."
The eyes on the head smiled at Aranea, satisfied with her actions.
Yun grunted into the ground, grinding his teeth as he held onto his consciousness. He couldn't pass out until the Aura coat on his dagger naturally dissipated.
If he passed out it would prematurely fizzle away and ruin his plan.
As long as it remained active they would know that he, Aria and Moglit were most likely safe.
Aranea secretly took a deep breath. Watching Reynauld come towards her with Yun in his spare hand, she began calculating her next steps.
First Act.
-The Drowned-
Aranea was a necessary factor for their success due to Reynaulds plan. Sucking in a total of 10 people including the 1st Squadron which she belonged to was the request he gave to that being.
Separating from the 1st Squadron would have completely messed up the First Act if she hadn't entered the Fragmented Realm. Ultimately, she entered via the exit so it all worked out.
As for why she was necessary?
Because he planned to absorb her powers.
Not her Mana.
But the powers belonging to the Devils and Abominations.
To Reynauld, she was simply a special cartridge filled with Abyssal Power and devilish energy.
Unfortunately for him, she was far more than that.
What he would end up accidentally absorbing wasn't that but-
Anyways, that was where the beginning of his downfall would begin.
Glancing at Yun on the ground, she thought to herself:
'That's 1 less person to fight the Deformed Demons below.' The situation was becoming tougher by the second.
She had to hold off Reynauld with a low Mana Reservoir and rely solely on Luliya, Randuin, Silvia, and Savana to deal with the Deformed Demons.
Lucas and Charles would be the only available support for that fight now.
"When will you proceed with the Catalyst creation?"
Reynauld cackled, glanced at Yun in his hand, and said, "When the rest of the subjects arrive."
Tapping Aria's unconscious body with her foot, 'You need to hurry up, I can't stall for much longer.'
Thus.
Aranea began an even fancier act.
A small play to delay the inevitable.
A welcoming ceremony, shall we say, for the 1st Squadron.
For Silvia.
-----
A chaotic maelstrom thrashed between the two girls, the combination of dark flames and sizzling red Aura clashed like two unstoppable demons.
Silvia induced her unique Attribute to fight back, but no matter how much she cut and slashed into Savana's dark flames, she couldn't make it an inch closer to the girl.
She was getting desperate.
Her unique Attribute wasn't infinite, nor was her Aura.
Savana's face looked distorted, her veins popped out with pumping black liquid.
The situation was way too sudden and Silvia had no way to understand what exactly happened to cause this outbreak.
But it didn't look to be healthy in any way shape or form.
'Can Savana outlast this outbreak?'
Drip-!
The droplets of blood leaking from Savana's nose and her blackening wine-red eyes stated otherwise.
[#!=#-#?]
Silvia could feel her heart throbbing.
She could hear the sound of her heart drumming.
And weirdly enough, she could feel that sense of danger.
And it made her wonder.
A short moment of thought processes.
Nothing important.
It was just a decision.
If Savana felt dangerous.
If her innards were warning her.
If she felt threatened by her...
[Should I kill her?]
Silvia's sense of humanity momentarily slipped away.
Ba-dump.
Was it worth taking the risk?
[I should kill her-]
"-No!" Gripping her chest, Silvia held back her outburst of negativity.
[Savana hit me.]
"No!"
Her fingers dug into her chest, pressing into the depths of her soft bosom.
[She's a danger to me.]
"I shouldn't." Biting into her lips with force, blood stained her teeth a familiar crimson colour.
Taking steps forward through the powerful hurricane-like forces echoing between the coral walls, the sword in her hand became vibrant with Aura.
Her unique Attribute and Aura mixed while her slashes grew more powerful.
[Danger to us.]
'I shouldn't.'
Taking the steps forward, Savana's flaming body drew her eyes to it.
[We will kill her.]
'I really shouldn't...'
Silvia's crimson eyes throbbed, her not-so-fun side was beginning to win.
She was almost convinced of her choice.
Step-
Silvia stood a mere metre away from Savana.
Close enough for her sword to cut her down.
[We must get rid of threats to us.]
[We mustn't let the past repeat itself.]
As Silvia's eyes brewed with maddening murderous intent, her mind continued to convince her, draw her to the temptation.
Only-
Only the temptation didn't entirely belong to her.
The eye within her glanced into the eye belonging to Savana.
And the faint hint of recognition within them urged her onwards.
The soaring splashes of crimson liquid filled the sky.
The flesh of tentacles sizzled and evaporated.
The brewery of decay emptied its coffers as it was disintegrated.
Savana's flame-engulfed figure stood alone, in pain.
The dark flames were encroaching on her heart.
Between it all, Silvia stood with her sword raised high.
[Kill her.]
Flickers of vermillion reflected off the etchings upon her sword; the glimmering dark flames echoed off the surface, covering Silvia's eyes with its ominous presence.
Schwing-!