*Ring ring ring!*
The familiar sound of the alarm blared, waking me up with the same sense of dread as usual, signaling the start of yet another tiring Monday.
"Oh man... So sleepy... I want to sleep more..." I mumbled, struggling to lift my heavy body out of the soft bed, my vision blurred with lingering drowsiness.
Suddenly, a sharp pain surged through my body. "Ouch... That really hurts!" I looked down at my missing left arm, only a small part of it remaining. "Missing an arm is seriously inconvenient..."
Glancing at the clock on the table, it was only 6:05 AM. "Might as well brush my teeth and prepare breakfast along with lunch to bring."
I stood up, heading downstairs, and started going through the daily routine that any student would follow each morning.
Sitting at the dining table, eating a simple cup of instant noodles while staring at the TV screen broadcasting the morning news. "Today is February 6th, the weather this morning will..."
Finishing the last bite, I sighed and stood up. "Time to go to school."
I slung my backpack over my shoulder and headed out the door. Before leaving, I stopped in front of two framed photographs placed solemnly on a small altar. A gentle but sad feeling washed over me as I looked at the faces of my parents.
"Dad, Mom... I'm still doing fine. Don't worry about me... I'm off to school now." I bowed respectfully, then quietly closed the door and left the house.
The road to school was as peaceful as always. Walking along the familiar path, I sighed, recalling the strange dream I had last night—a dream that was odd, but now I couldn't remember any of the details. All that remained was a vague feeling of unclear images and intense yet disoriented emotions.
"What a weird dream... I hope I can meet my destiny soon, hehe..." I chuckled at myself, continuing toward school, leaving behind the morning's wandering thoughts.
"Hey, do you want to grab something to eat after school?"
"That sounds great! Let's do it!"
On the way to school, I saw groups of students chatting and laughing cheerfully. Everything looked like the usual everyday scene that I had grown so used to, I was almost bored of it. Yet deep inside, I couldn't deny a feeling of loneliness, as if I were being pushed to the margins of this normal life.
"Good morning, Watano!" A cheerful voice called out from behind. I turned around and saw Tohka approaching, her face as bright as always.
"H-Hi..." I replied awkwardly.
"Are you okay? You look a bit tired," Tohka asked with worried eyes, always full of concern, which I still couldn't understand why.
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine,"
"I just didn't sleep well."
"Then make sure to get more rest," Tohka smiled softly, quickly changing the subject. "Are you free after school today? We're practicing for the performance at the upcoming school festival!"
I blinked, remembering that there was indeed a rehearsal today. "O-Oh right... I'll come," I said, wondering if I could actually be of any help to everyone.
When we arrived at the school gate, we saw Shido and Origami already waiting. They were discussing the festival and the activities planned for the upcoming week. Shido waved as he saw us approaching.
"Watano! Good morning!" Shido called out, his face as energetic as always.
"Hey, S-Shido..." I muttered.
"..."
Origami stood silently beside him, her cold eyes always watching me, as if there was something she wanted to say but never did. I could sense the unspoken tension between us, even though we hadn't had any conflicts. Maybe it was just the suspicion Origami always carried.
Honestly, I didn't understand why Shido and his friends cared so much about me, or why they actively wanted to befriend me.
Perhaps they felt pity after seeing me lose an arm along with my parents in the spacequake incident?
Whatever the reason, it sometimes left me confused. But still, I couldn't deny that it made me happy.
The school bell rang, signaling the start of class, pulling me out of my thoughts. I walked into the classroom with a slightly lighter mood, trying to forget the clutter of thoughts in my head. My classmates were already seated, preparing for another long day of lessons.
*Yawning.*
"I don't want to study anymore~" I mumbled.
"Hang in there, Watano. Lunch break is coming soon," Shido encouraged.
*WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO----*
"Wait... A spacequake alert?!"
"Oh no, I thought things had been peaceful for months with no alarms!"
"Whatever, we need to evacuate!"
"C-Come on, kids, it's a spacequake alert! Quickly head to the shelter!" Tama-chan-sensei urgently instructed.
"I should go too, Shi—" I started to grab Shido, but...
"Sorry, you go ahead," Shido interrupted, his voice urgent.
"Hey, where are you going? And Tohka and Origami too... Hey!" I hesitated, but they were already running off.
This was happening again. Every time there was a spacequake alert, Shido's group never evacuated with the class. Their repeated actions made me suspicious. Something wasn't normal... And this time, I decided to follow them. I ran as fast as I could, leaving the school grounds and heading straight toward downtown Tenguu.
"How are they running so fast, even though we're all students?"
"Damn it... I've lost them!" I grumbled, running around without any sign of Shido's group in sight.
"Great, I should've evacuated with the class..." Regret started to creep in as I turned back to return.
"W-Wait, what is that?! A GIANT WHITE SPACESHIP IN THE SKY!"
Looking up, I saw a massive ship floating in the air, casting a dark shadow over a large part of the city.
"Wait… There are even more black spaceships over there?!"
The sight before me made me freeze, my heart racing wildly. Everything was beyond extraordinary, like a scene from a science fiction movie.
"What is happening?" I thought, my mind in chaos.
At that moment, a thought crossed my mind. "Shido, Tohka, Origami… could they have known about this?"
Clenching my fists, I bit my lip. "I need to find them... I need to know what's going on."
"SHIDO! TOHKA! ORIGAMI! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
I ran down the empty street, shouting their names, but the blaring alarms drowned out my voice.
"So tired... I can't find anyone..." I gasped for air, my back drenched in sweat.
Just then, a few figures appeared, hovering in the sky.
"W-WHAT THE HECK… FLYING PEOPLE?!" I stood in shock.
"Today is the craziest day of my life… or am I still dreaming?" I slapped my face hard, feeling the sting, reminding myself that this was all real.
"But... they're too far away, I can't see their faces clearly…"
With nothing left to lose, I decided I had to get closer. Looking around, I spotted a tall building with its doors still open. Rushing inside, I headed for the elevator to reach the top floor, but the power was out due to the spacequake warning.
"Damn it, in that case… stairs!"
I took a deep breath and began sprinting up the stairwell, feeling my heart pound in my chest.
I kept pushing myself up the stairs with all the strength I had left, even though my legs started to ache and my breathing became ragged. Each step felt like it stretched on forever, but I couldn't stop.
Finally, after a long, exhausting climb, I reached the top floor. Pushing open the heavy steel door, I stepped out onto the rooftop, where the strong wind blew my hair and made my uniform flap wildly.
"I-I made it…" I gasped, barely able to speak as I tried to catch my breath. Sweat dripped down my forehead after the long run up.
From here, the whole city of Tenguu spread out before me, and in the sky, the massive ships hovered without a sign of movement.
"Oh my... there's even a pair of binoculars up here!" I quickly grabbed them, trying to get a clearer look.
As I looked up at the sky, my eyes squinted as I recognized the figures floating in the air. The more I saw, the more my heart pounded.
"Is that... Shido? Tohka? Origami? And Kaguya and Yuzuru from the class next door…? Wait, is idol Miku here too? Over there are two girls who look about three or four years younger than me... Could they all be... gods?"
"And their outfits… they're so dazzling!"
I rubbed my eyes, unable to believe what I was seeing. Those people… were they fighting? But with whom?
Swinging the binoculars in the opposite direction, I saw two girls wearing strange outfits, holding weapons unlike anything I'd ever seen.
"Who are they? And why are they fighting my friends?"
Everything was becoming too absurd, like a scene from a sci-fi movie, yet it felt so real, impossible to deny.
"But… there's something about this... AHHHHH!" I mumbled, my head pounding as I struggled to recall something, gripping the binoculars tightly as my heart raced.
Just as I was about to leave, a blinding light exploded in the sky, forcing me to duck for cover. The deafening explosion and intense tremor made the entire building shake violently.
I looked up, my eyes wide with horror as cracks spread across the walls, and the floor beneath my feet trembled fiercely.
"I… I need to get out of here, now!" I turned to run, but I heard the sound of cracking right below me.
Everything happened too fast. The building couldn't withstand the impact of the explosion and began to collapse. I lost my balance and plummeted, free-falling along with the debris of the crumbling structure.
"AHHHHH! HELP ME!" I screamed in panic, reaching out in vain as my body fell through the air, the wind howling in my ears.
*Thud!*
"
"Huh? W-Wind?"
A powerful impact momentarily paralyzed my body, but instead of hitting the ground, I found myself suspended in mid-air. It was as if an invisible wind had caught me, preventing my fall.
"What are you doing here, Watano?" A familiar voice called out from above.
"Shido? What is going on? And why am I floating like everyone else?"
Shido glanced down quickly, his face serious, but he couldn't hide the worry in his eyes. "I'll explain later. For now, I'm going to get you to the ground safely. Head to the shelter immediately, it's too dangerous here!"
"I-I got it," I replied, still dazed by what had just happened.
After setting me safely on the ground, Shido immediately returned to the sky. He looked tense, completely different from his usual calm demeanor at school.
"After all this, I'm definitely getting some answers."
I sighed, watching as Shido flew back up. The massive ships still hovered above, motionless, while the figures in the sky continued their rapid movements.
"What on earth have I gotten myself into?" I muttered as I started heading back to the shelter. The alarms continued to blare across the streets, but the atmosphere was eerily quiet and empty.
Suddenly, a sharp sound came from behind me, making me spin around. Before me stood a girl with long, flowing blonde hair, clad in gleaming armor, standing just a few steps away. Her cold eyes stared at me as if I didn't belong there at all.
"W-Who are you?" I stammered, unable to hide the fear in my voice.
"The once 'Merciless' now reduced to something so ordinary?" Her cold voice echoed, dripping with mockery.
"H-Hold on, there's a misunderstanding! I'm just... I'm just a student, I don't know what's going on!" I tried to explain, hoping she would stop.
She didn't respond. With a slight movement of her hand, a strange weapon appeared in the air, floating as if it were a part of the atmosphere.
"
I gasped in shock as I saw the massive laser sword materialize, my heart pounding in my chest. It seemed like she wasn't joking around.
The girl slowly approached me, and the space around us was cloaked in a deadly silence.
"What's the matter? Why not use your proud demon lords,
"Demon lords? What are you talking about? I don't even know what those things are!"
"Fine. I'll take both Qlipha crystals from your body at once. I'm sure Ike will be delighted to receive them."
"DAMN IT!" I screamed in despair as she rushed toward me, her laser sword ready.
"Watano!" Shido's voice suddenly rang out from behind.
I turned around to see Shido, along with Tohka, Origami, and the others, rushing toward me. Tohka immediately stepped in front of me, her eyes filled with determination to face off against the mysterious girl.
"Are you okay?" Shido asked, his face showing clear concern.
"I'm fine... but she... she's after something in me, talking about weird things I don't understand!"
"Ellen Mathers…"
"You know her?" I asked in surprise.
"Ah... no... she just looks... kind of familiar…" Shido replied awkwardly, avoiding my gaze.
"Why do you know so many girls?"
Ellen smirked, her gaze sharp as a blade. "You even save your enemies, Shido? Why not let me deal with him for you?"
"Enemy? What's this about? I've never fought anyone to have enemies!"
"Quiet, he's not an enemy!" Tohka's firm voice cut in, defending me.
"Miku, can you help?" Shido turned and called out.
Miku stepped forward with a gentle smile. "Alright, leave it to me."
Before I could understand what was happening, Miku began to sing, her voice soft and soothing.
"W-What... Idol Miku? You're... getting too close..." I stammered, feeling my mind slowly fog up.
"Sleep now, Watano... just sleep…" Miku's voice lulled me, and darkness swept over, pulling me into a deep sleep I couldn't resist.
"N-No, Mi—"
◊
When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a strange, hazy place. I was no longer standing in the middle of Tenguu City. Instead, before me was a surreal scene, filled with twinkling stars and streams of light twisting across the sky, with no beginning or end. This clearly wasn't the place I had just been. It felt like I was floating in an infinite void.
"Where am I?" I muttered, glancing around, but I couldn't see Shido, Tohka, or anyone else. I was completely alone.
Suddenly, a voice echoed from behind me.
"Welcome to our world, Watano."
Startled, I whipped around and saw a shadowy figure. He was draped in a tattered cloak, his face obscured in darkness, but his glowing eyes sent chills down my spine.
"Who are you people?!" I took a step back, my voice filled with caution.
"Look at you, how pitiful. They've pushed you to this point." The man spoke slowly, then sat down on a nearby chair. Around the round table, I noticed several other people seated, and one empty chair—right in front of me.
"What... what are you talking about?" I stammered, feeling the situation grow stranger by the second.
"Tch, can't believe the 'version of me' from this universe is so useless!" Another voice chimed in, this one belonging to a fierce-looking man dressed in a bloodstained, ragged cloak.
"Don't say that,
"Alright, enough, everyone keep order!" A commanding voice boomed from the head of the table, stopping the argument.
I stood there, bewildered, trying to process everything. Who were these people? And why was I here?
"Perhaps introductions would help," said the voice of
"Let me go first," he said with a smug tone. "I'm the one who brought you all into this DAL world,
Next, a young boy with a friendly smile stood up. "I'm
A raspy voice followed. "
Another person sat silently, and
Finally, a regal voice came from the figure seated on an extravagant throne. "And I am
I still couldn't grasp what was happening when suddenly
I flinched, eyes wide: "Me?
"H-Hey, what are you going to do to me?" I backed away, feeling a surge of unease.
"There's no need to worry. It won't hurt. Soon, you'll remember everything…" His voice was cold but certain, showing no signs of stopping.
"
Light burst from where the key touched, rapidly spreading throughout my body like a rushing torrent of energy.
"This is…?!" I couldn't comprehend what was happening.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" A scream of pain tore from my throat as a flood of memories suddenly surged into my mind, crashing in like tidal waves. Blurry images, chaotic memories, filled with darkness and fear, flashed one after another, making me feel suffocated and nauseous.
---
"No, what exactly are you, Watano?"
"…"
"So… Am I really that frightening in your eyes, Shido?"
---
I collapsed onto the ground, trembling, drenched in sweat. Everything around me began to blur, but my mind was still in turmoil.
"Hey, are you alright?" A voice called out, but I couldn't make out who it was.
I gasped for breath, my eyes gradually lighting up as the truth dawned on me. "So that's how it is… so everything was like this…"
"The Merciless?" the other voice continued to ask, but I no longer cared.
My gaze had changed, no longer soft or lost. Instead, it burned with more fury than ever before as I learned the true nature of everything.
"I… AM BACK!" I roared in a mix of rage and authority, feeling the pent-up power within me about to explode.
After my furious shout, I felt a dark energy surging through my body, as if all the suppressed strength was now fully unleashed.
I was no longer just an ordinary student; I had become the embodiment of the terrible power once held by The Merciless.
The Chronicler stood opposite me, smirking with a cryptic smile. "I thought something was wrong with you… but in the end, you've returned to who you truly are. To *The Merciless*."
I stood up, feeling the power in my body surging violently, as though all barriers in front of me could easily be crushed. Yet, one question still haunted my mind.
"That feeling… it was disgusting… letting the other half take over my body and being powerless to do anything…"
"But what I don't understand… is why, when Shido used *Michael* to seal the two Qlipha crystals inside me, my soul was sealed along with them? Why did it make way for my other half in this world?"
The Chronicler raised an eyebrow, looking at me with patient curiosity. "You still haven't realized?"
"Realized what?" I frowned.
"The power of the Qlipha crystal bearing the Demon King *Nahemah* has been bound to your soul ever since the moment you reincarnated into this world."
That statement left me stunned. "Is that so? How could that be?"
He sneered. "Didn't I already tell you? It was I, The Chronicler, who brought you all to this world. How could I mistreat other 'versions of myself'?"
He paused for a moment, then continued with emphasis.
"But there's something special about you… With the other 'versions of me,' I only fused their souls with the Sephira crystals. But with you, I replaced that soul with a Qlipha crystal, to create a unique distinction."
I began to understand something, but I still needed more clarification. "So when Shido sealed that Qlipha crystal, he accidentally sealed my soul as well, right?"
"Exactly."
"That seal locked away not just your power but your very soul."
"I see…"
I glanced at the others before turning back to ask The Chronicler. "You mentioned 'other versions of me.' So, those people… and you… are all me?"
The Chronicler gave a faint smile. "Precisely. We are all different versions of 'you,' but from alternate universes."
"Hey, all of you, my other selves from the DAL world, are you all happy there?" I asked, my eyes sweeping across each of them.
The LooP gave a faint smile and shrugged. "Same as you, The Merciless. But it seems some people here are enjoying their worlds quite a lot." He pointed toward *The Murder TRIO* and *The Emperor*, both standing on the opposite side.
The Murder TRIO gave a twisted grin. "Yes, I've had a lot of fun. Slaughtering those I once cherished… Just the thought of it sends shivers of joy down my spine!"
"Disgusting, you pathetic The Murder TRIO*. You don't even have the dignity of a man," The Emperor scoffed in contempt, slowly sipping his tea.
The LooP glanced at The Desperate, who had remained silent the entire time. "And as for The Desperate, he truly lives in despair in his world."
I frowned. "What happened to him?"
The LooP sighed. "Well… he doesn't like to talk about it, so give him some space."
"I see…"
The Chronicler stepped forward, staring at me intently. "So, The Merciless. Now that your seal has been broken, what will you do next?"
I clenched my fist, my eyes gleaming with determination. "What else? I'll take revenge. I'll make those who pushed me to this point pay… to fulfill my purpose."
"Is that so… I thought you might give up."
"Give up?" I narrowed my eyes. "I never thought 'I' would even consider that word."
"You never know," The Chronicler shrugged. "But with the way you're going, you'll never defeat Shido's group, let alone face the Primordial Spirit, Takamiya Mio."
I tightened my fist, a brief flash of helplessness crossing my mind. "Then what should I do?"
"Maybe The Murder TRIO can teach you a few strategies—"
"I refuse. It's pathetic to rely on someone else's tactics."
The Emperor closed his eyes, shaking his head. "There's nothing more to say to you."
The Chronicler stepped even closer, his voice lowering. "Alright, let me tell you, The Merciless."
I looked at him, waiting.
"The truth of mana, the energy that created the Spirit of origin,