A battle had raged on for hours in an obsidian palace. Six heroes, young men, and women sent on an infiltration mission while their predecessors dealt with matters back in their homeland had finally triumphed.

Three hours fought, three hours rewarded, with one of the most feared men in the world sitting at their fingertips, dying from blood loss and starvation after using his power too much. It was sad.

But they couldn't stop.

"Where is the demon king?" Neo, a young man with dirty blond hair and bright blue eyes, asked. His knight's sword was stained with demon's blood, and his eyes were deathly serious.

He felt pity for them, the sins, but he couldn't stop now. Not when they were so close.

"Tell me." Neo pressed.

"Fuck off," the Seventh sin, Gluttony, growled. His eyes bulged in anger as his stomach howled in vengeance. His powers granted him extra strength the more he starved himself, and just for that battle, he hadn't eaten for three weeks.

He was the strongest sin with such a boost.

But even then, it wasn't enough. He still lost.

What monsters, Gluttony thought, watching as the boy, Neo Dauntless, considered to be humanity's future, stepped on his head, squishing it closer to the ground, aggravating the gaping slash across his nose.

"Where is he?" Neo asked.

"Go to hell."

"I'm already here." Neo ground his teeth, applying pressure as Gluttony's head seemed to creak under the weight. He felt it.

The pain he felt when his parents died at the demon's hands. The loss he felt when the sins began infiltrating human defenses and sacrificing settlements. He hated it.

Neo hated every ounce of sympathy he felt for these people and wished he had never felt it at all.

"This is hell. So come on, tell me where the king is so I can give him my greetings," Neo said, clenching his fists as he saw the sin close his mouth religiously. The stubborn silence stretched as Neo kept his boot on the man's head.

He needed to kill him. He had to.

There was no path to forgiveness for the sins. They'd cashed far too much suffering.

But even then, he tried one last time to appeal to their humanity and asked, "Abraham..."

Neo watched as Abraham Hester, the sin of gluttony, stiffened. His eyes were wide as he looked up in panic, and then he met Neo's eyes—sympathetic eyes.

"Please help me end this."

Even though they'd tried to kill each other, Neo could only feel sympathy for Abraham. A man who watched his family starve because the lord of their territory jacked up the price of goods. All because the rich ate their whole and the poor got the scraps.

Neo had searched far and wide, looking for clues on every sin's life before they fell, and in doing so, learned why they chose to betray humanity.

Sometimes, he wished he didn't. Even if it helped him discover their weaknesses and gave him and his team an edge during their battles, it would've been easier to kill them when he still believed they were monsters in human skin.

Not humans that were forced to become monsters.

It hurt every time he defeated one.

Every time, he had to kill one because they wouldn't stop until they killed him and his friends. They wouldn't stop until humanity suffered for what it did to them.

It hurt—every time.

But watching the light slowly fade from Abraham's eyes, his face sunken as blood poured from his lips, he gave Neo some solace—a fleeting hope that it was all worth it—learning about these humans who had become monsters, even if it hurt.

"Two doors down... to the right..."

It was nice to know there was still some humanity left in them.

------------------------

Abraham Hester's burial was quick—a silent and hasty funeral. Neo didn't have time to carry him to fresh soil, so he asked his best friend, Ren Talis, to handle the procedures.

"Can you handle this?"

He was physically the strongest in the group, with lean, densely packed muscles that had never missed a day of training. He would have no problem getting through the floor and to the dirt beneath it.

"Sure, but you shouldn't feel the need to do this." Ren sighed before quickly punching a hole into the ground, shattering the obsidian floor easily. He slid the body into the crevice once it was deep enough. It wasn't a problem for him, since his dad trained him in martial arts since he was a kid, but still, it was a waste.

Wasting time, they should've been using to hunt the demon king felt wrong.

"No matter what caused it, he was a sin," Ren muttered as he tossed dirt over the man's face, as Neo had asked him to.

"He doesn't deserve a burial."

"I agree," Cerci said flatly. Sharpening her stained Dao swords, she scowled, "Why do you always do this, Neo? It's a waste. They made their choice."

"And I've made mine," Neo said, sharpening his gaze. "I will choose not to abandon them. They've already felt that enough."

"More like they've earned it." Cerci grumbled, crossing her arms and looking away as Neo sighed.

He turned the rest of his teammates. His first friend back in the academy, Elijah Storm. His greatest rival, Angelica Warren. And his long-time companion, Lilah Lockhart.

"What do you guys think?" Neo asked.

"I guess I feel bad for them." Elijah shrugged, fine-tuning his weapons with the same wiry precision he'd kept hidden in the academy.

Elijah was one of the smartest people Neo knew.

So it hurt a little when he didn't seem to care.

"But I'm not gonna cry over it." Elijah said, "What's done is done. No point in crying over spilled milk."

"I couldn't care less," Angelica added carelessly.

"I," Lilah said, stopping as she sheathed her bow and gently put a hand over Neo's. "I'm glad you care for them, Neo. That's why we follow you."

"She's not wrong," Ren added, patting Neo on the back to make him feel better. "You're our heart, dude, so don't stop feeling for them."

Neo glanced at his friend, whose emerald-green eyes brightened with joking laughter. Ren's richly tanned skin and pitch-black hair were stained with blood and grime, but he never lost his bright attitude.

"Even if we don't get it, we're glad you do."

That was enough to get his other teammates to agree, murmuring support and sympathy, not for the sins but for Neo, who felt bad for them.

"Yeah, Neo's kind of a softy, but it's a good thing." Elijah laughed, "Reason I first thought we could be friends. He was nicer than the bullies. I wouldn't want that to change."

"Your kindness is a strength I consider the greatest divider between us. The reason I consider you my rival." Angelica murmured. "It would be a shame for you to lose it."

"Tch. You're barely competent enough to get me to follow you, but don't act like I don't got your back." Cerci grumbled, "Even if it's stupid, I ain't gonna stop you from helping these losers. So just do what you want."

"We're all here for you, Neo." Lilah smiled, "So don't worry about anything and just keep being you. We'll follow along."

"Thanks, guys..." Neo said softly, biting back his tears. Maybe they didn't see it the way he did. Perhaps they couldn't look past everything the sins did—the thousands they'd killed.

But they understood that Neo saw it.

The agony even those sins suffered.

Maybe that...

"I'm glad you're all here with me."

Maybe that was enough for now.

"Now, let's go end this." Neo grinned, and all his friends chorused in agreement. Following his lead, they walked down the crumbling halls toward the grand entrance to the demon king's throne room. Eventually, they reached a black spire gate with all sorts of lavish jewels decorating its surface.

"We can do this," Neo said, looking back at his team one last time, before pushing open the doors.

The wreckage of a throne room greeted them: shattered glass, a hole in the ceiling, the aftereffects of tremendous magic that seemed to linger in the air, and a man sitting on the demon king's throne. A single arm rested lazily on its rest and spun atop his index finger. The other arm was gone, severed at the shoulder, but not bleeding.

No, it was a scar from long ago.

Neo knew this immediately because even though the man looked different, injured mostly, with blood stained over his cloak, and his face the epitome of tired, he wasn't that different. Especially the way his face lit up with childish joy that had lit up his days back in the academy, minus all the pranks and teasing.

"Hey, you guys came! Finally! I've been waiting for days." The man laughed, "How've you been? It's been, what, a couple of years? You've grown up."

Neo blinked, unsure if what he saw was real, and eventually had to admit he was confused.

"Headmaster!?"

Neo was the most confused he'd ever been in his life.

---------------

Mako Grier was the angriest he'd ever been in his life.

"That's the secret ending!?" Mako roared, nearly tossing his controller as he cursed at the white-haired goofball on the TV screen.

"No fucking way." Mako murmured in defeat, "I spent days doing that stupid bastard's job so he could steal my final kill. Bullshit."

Mako refused to believe. He had heard rumors on Internet forums that Humanity's Mistakes, a video game he'd been grinding for weeks, had a secret ending. One that could only be unlocked by 100% completing all, and Mako meant all, of the various side quests the headmaster gave.

Now, hold your horses. You dumbasses are probably thinking, oh. Whatever. I've got games to 100% before. Not that bad.

And you'd be right...

If the headmaster, Zero Lightless, a 42-year-old man-child, didn't give the most boring quests in the game. Literally, every single one was some kind of quiz, forcing the player to read hours of in-game lore to try and pass the headmaster's tests.

Oh, you're probably, saying. Just go look it up online.

No! No, that doesn't work, because he tried. Mako tried looking it up online, but there were 100s of possible questions the headmaster could ask, and what he chose was randomized. So, no, it wasn't like you could go online and look up the answers. You had to study it.

And study it, Mako, did.

He was probably the number one history buff in the imaginary world of Elaria, a region prosperous with all kinds of rivers, forests, islands, mountains, blah, blah, blah. It was so annoying! It was just a bunch of geography, history, and bullshit galore!

The worst part was that it wasn't relevant to any other part of the game, either. He could only take the quizzes during the academy phase, Which Is the first half.

Afterward, the main character, Neo Dauntless, graduates and spends the second half of the game exploring the world and hunting down the seven sins. Humans, whom the demon king had given powers after his second invasion, failed to try a new approach to defeating us.

They were the game's main bosses, hence the name Humanity's Mistakes.

It was a cool premise: a world of demons and monsters, with one faction attacking from the confines of their island continent across the seas and the other from underground dungeons. These creatures were so threatening that they even forced the war-seeking orcs into extinction and the mythical dwarves and elves into solitude.

In the world of Elaria, demons and monsters reign supreme as the greatest threat to humanity.

Yet the seven sins, humans that made deals with the devil himself, were the most successful at bringing humanity to its knees.

They were by far the most interesting part of the game, learning their backstories and reasoning for their descent as you defeated them. Unable to stop the game but unable to look away as they fell one by one. Learning what made humans despair enough to condemn the world they lived in.

They were the coolest part of the game to Mako.

And he had to wait thirty goddamn hours to get to them on this run-through! All because he spent a goddamn semester trying to get 100% on all of Zero's dumb tests. It was shit.

This game was shit.

"I'm gonna be so fuckin mad if nothing else happens." Mako muttered vengefully. Staring at the screen with purpose, he started the next on the dialogue and watched, daring the game to end before giving him some reward for his efforts.

Neo: Headmaster!? What are you doing here? And why are you so hurt? And your arm!?

Zero: Ah, don't fret. The arm was gone a long time ago.

Mako actually had to chuckle at that line. For as much as Mako hated Zero's bullshit side quests, even he had to admit his design was awesome. He had long white hair and grey eyes and was missing his right arm. Severed at the shoulder in an incident never mentioned in the game, although most agreed it was probably during the second demon invasion. A war between humans and demons that happened twenty-odd years ago.

Zero participated in it at some point and quickly cemented himself as the strongest. Killing two of the demon king's four generals with his unparalleled wind magic, many considered him the reason humanity survived the second invasion. After the war, he was a hero.

And Blight Academy, an institution designed to make heroes humanity could aspire to, didn't hesitate to offer Zero a headmaster position—a job he took about as seriously as clipping his toenails.

He was kind of like Dumbledore that way. He was goofy and silly in most instances, but when he got serious, he was easily considered the strongest.

Hence why, it wasn't surprising when Neo eventually caved to his headmaster's wiggly eyebrows and gave up any attempt to reprimand Zero.

Neo just looked done with Zero's bullshit, honestly.

Neo: The other arm... headmaster. What happened to your other arm?

Zero: oh, this? Well, I got a little ruffed up fighting Coby over here, so I think he broke it. Ah, and he definitely broke a few ribs, but I'll manage.

Neo: Coby?

Zero: Oh, Coballios, right. I'm sorry. He kept screaming his name mid-fight, and I just got tired of hearing it. So, I shortened it so he could say it quicker. Between you and me, I don't think he was a fan.

Neo: You... he... that... he's the demon... okay. Sure.

Mako chuckled as Neo considered burying himself to get out of the conversation.

Eventually, Neo collected himself and pointed to the severed head. Zero was swinging by its lengthy hair, like a child with his new slapstick toy.

Neo: Then that's Coby? The demon king? He...

Zero: oh, yeah. I killed him. Don't worry about it.

Neo: I... uh... thanks?

Zero: anything for my favorite student!

Mako grew worried as he watched the two talk about mundane things for a while. Eventually, they catch up since Neo hasn't seen the headmaster in a few years. Not since he graduated Blight Academy to travel the world.

It was cool dialogue, but it wasn't what Mako wanted.

Come on. Give me something. Anything. Don't tell me I slaved away just for it to end like this.

Mako chewed on his lips, a bad habit, as he watched the conversation dwindle. The Zero eventually waved off Neo's persistent concerns about his health and shook his head.

Zero: relax, Neo; it would be remiss to waste time getting healed when I haven't congratulated you properly yet. You've assumed a great team.

Mako watched intently as Zero proudly gazed at the heroes Neo had assembled.

Zero: Angelica Warren. Daughter of my close friends and a magic swordsman I consider to wield more raw talent than even I. Well done.

The 23-year-old Angelica blushed, fiddling with her father's katana as the wind brushed her white hair with red tips.

Angelica: thank you, sir.

Zero chuckled and pointed to the next hero. She was a stunning, tall, 23-year-old woman with a lean build, long black hair, and grey eyes. She wore Twin Dao Swords on her back and looked surprised. She looked about as shocked as Mako felt.

In the game, the father-daughter relationship between the two is never really explored, but Mako could tell it wasn't exactly nice. He didn't even recall them sharing a conversation.

He guessed this was something he could only get with this ending.

Zero: Cerci, my daughter. You walked out of my footsteps a long time ago. You mastered the wind magic from your mother and I, and one day I know it'll grow even stronger than my own. You have so much potential and even more room to grow. Your mother...

Zero seemed to fall into a contemplative silence for a second, before smiling softly.

Zero: Your mother would've been so proud.

Cerci seemed to sit quietly, her shock slowly shifting to embarrassment as she looked away and mumbled quietly.

Cerci: thanks... dad.

Zero smiled, and Mako felt a little appeased at all the time he spent grinding. It wasn't perfect, but at least he saw this cool interaction between father and daughter.

Still, Mako was hoping for something more, and when it was finally Zero's turn to talk about Neo, it seemed like he'd finally get it.

Zero: You, Neo Dauntless, have genuinely surpassed all my expectations. You used to struggle to hold a sword, but you've grown stronger through hard work and sacrifice than I was at your age. What you managed to accomplish was incredible.

Mako felt his heart skip a beat as he watched Zero toss the demon king's head to the side and stand up. Ignoring his injuries and holding out his arms.

Zero: It would be a shame to let it go to waste.

Mako grinned, his heart beating faster and faster as he held his controller in a death grip. He watched Zero's wind magic billowing around him as the heroes tensed and settled. It was perfect.

Zero: come, show me how you've grown.

Mako's heart rate skyrocketed as he sunk into the couch, grinning from ear to ear as Zero's health bar, now hovering just above red after fighting the demon king, appeared at the top of the screen.

Zero was the secret final boss.

This game was fucking awesome!

Zero: Consider it the graduation gift I forgot to get you and your friends.

Mako was in the middle of deciding who to select as his first attacker when he felt his heart suddenly start burning. Harshly. Mako was sweating too, unable to breathe as he grasped at his chest. It hurt like someone had reached inside and locked his heart in a death grip.

What's going on? Mako thought as he collapsed to the ground, his vision fading and fading fast as he tried to escape whatever was pulling him down. It had to be pulling him down; it was so strange. There was so much weight on his chest that it felt like someone was sitting on it, but no matter what, he couldn't see anything—nothing at all. It was odd.

Mako couldn't see anything but plain white letters flashing in his face, mirroring the font and blue background of the video game dialogue.

Someone has used the Third Wonder.

Uses Remaining: 1/3

Initiating Random Search of candidates.

Results found.

Mako Grier

Status: Alive

You have met the conditions to be chosen as the Second Variable.

Initiating Transfer...

Mako blinked, confused, as he felt his body go cold and his tongue numb. It was strange, but he still heard the voice of Neo talking to his fellow heroes, hyping them up for a friendly battle with his master—the strongest man in the world.

Neo: Come on, guys!

The final, secret boss battle in a game Mako never got to finish.

Neo: let's show that lazy jerk what we got!

What a shit game.