16
We sat on the sofa, discussing matters regarding this world we are stuck in.
"We got sent to the future?"
"What do you mean, Sen-san?" Kei asked me about what i said, everyone looked at me, waiting for the answer.
"it's just a hunch. Technology hasn't yet evolved to..." Stuttering, an idea popped into my mind. I looked to Rio, i asked her "Technology is Magic, Magic is Technology"
Rio initialized her Ancient Magic, a yellow line appeared and stretched by 1 meter and it expanded into a yellow panel. Four panels hovered around Rio, that was her level of Ancient Magic.
"Just by seeing Ancient Magic, technology is already involved." she drawed a circle on the panel, and pointed in it "We're in a world of where game elements and reality is mixed. This world is too realistic for it to be a game, yet power and strength is decided by fantasy like magic." She held the empty yellow panels in the top edge and pushed it down, closing it.
"Still insignificant. Though i do believe that we're inside a game."
Hiroki slammed his fist into the table, he furiously said "Stop the we're in a game bullshit! What we need to discuss is the history of this world, who the enemy is, and what we should next!"
He leaned back to his single seat sofa, and followed "Reminder people, we're having an audience with the King at 7 PM."
The Oracles looked to Hiroki with silence, he uttered "Don't expect me to speak to him. As if someone would believe that I'm the leader in this group! With this size, nobody will!"
Five minutes later.
"wait!"
"Is... this... rice!!? asked by Hiroki
Hiroki was sitting on a polished wooden chair. The table was long and extended into the room. It was lunch time, the Oracles haven't ate rice for a long time, so does this.
"Not only rice, Hiroki-kun!" said by Kaede
She opened the silver food cover and steam went off. It was a brown, and meaty chicken. It's not the one you'd see in J*llibee, but in street markets. Ingredients of today didn't make it to that world.
"Fried chicken, never thought I'd see that thing here" muttered by Rio
"Yeah. But ours is different." said by Ryuu
"Who cares! We haven't had one of these for a month! Thank you for the meal!" Hiroki was excited, he didn't have western food for a month. The rest followed the same.
Yuki muttered as she cuts the leg meat in half.
"Please have the taste values correct... Please have the taste values correct..."
She pierces it with her fork and swallows it.
She stopped moving and said
"ILM"
"ILM?(English) what does that mean?" asked by Tamotsu
Yuki replied in English
"It's Legit Meat"
The Oracles was excited. But Sen wasn't satisfied. He asked
"Wait!"
"Where's Ramen?" his elbow laid on the white table mattress, his hands formed a triangle shape and his face was laid in his hands.
"It's over your left, idiot" said by Hiroki
Sen was confused,
"What?..-Oh"
He deliberately grabbed the bowl and abruptly feasted on the bowl with his chopsticks.
He choked on the food he ate, drinking up water, he said
"We've been eating rice balls and rarely get to eat meat back in Arcaea, so i was hoping that I'd get to see something like this on the other side"
He was taking heavy breathes due to the heat of the ramen
Ryuu replied "So that's why you've been conducting expeditions on that graveyard just to make make a pathway for us, huh"
His voice changes into a monotone with a dead expression saying "No. I was only in for the money."
His voice reverts back to normal, "Well, other than greed, i wanted to explore Crimson Valley so i can atleast see the other side."
Kaede giggled on her seat, happily she said "I knew you like ramen that much. And also my brother's"
Siqia was surprised, the two maids behind her gossiped as she replied
"Oh my? Master Kaede and Master Hiroki are...siblings?"
Kaede lowered her chopsticks, replying
"Yes. On our world, me and Hiroki are half European and half Japanese. The rest of us, except Sen and Asami are Japanese."
"My father is a Filipino, Mother was Japanese. Same thing goes for for Asami"
A voice came out, it was Akechi.
"So you lot are a diverse group of hybrid people-" Her face and ears turned slight red, she covered her face with her hands. Her voice was slightly cuter than the last one "Oh! Sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it that way!"
"Why? Akechi-san?" asked by Sen
She opens slightly her hands and said
"Huh?"
Masao stood up, his small eyeglasses glowed white. He pointed to Akechi and said "Let me guess it, Maid-chan!"
"Maid-chan?" asked by Akechi
"There are four races on this world, right?"
"Demi-Humans, Humans, Elves and Dwarves"
"Any hybrids of the different races are considered taboo or something similar right, Maid-chan?"
Akechi replied slowly
"Yes... Master...But not exactly like that.."
Masao froze for 2 seconds.... He then now sat and continued eating, muttering "I still lack information about this world."
Kenji followed "Wait... in just five minutes.. you prepared this, you four?"
"Seems that you've completely forgotten about my maxed up cooking skill, ah" asked by Kaede
"I made it less than 60 seconds! My Cooking Skill can boost the cooking time entirely aslong as i prepped the ingredients"
Kenji picked a sushi, he looks it into eye level and joked
"How wonder the sushi was bland"
"COOK IT YOURSELF, IDIOT"
He lets out a smug and said
"Just kidding, Kaede-chan"
"You're a demi human, right? Akechi-san?" asked by Kenji
"Yes, Master Kenji"
"You can drop the honorifics for me." "Then, what do Demi humans have over us Humans"
She sighed as she gestured her index finger upwards by her chest level.
"Hmm"
She looks up, she was like serious at thinking what demi humans have over humans
"We're stronger than Humans, Kenji-dono"
Kenji muttered "I think you have insecurity issues"
"Demi-Humans are categorized into sub species:
Phantorians as Demis who have cat ears like me
Caninians are those who have dog ears. They are referred by the Forerunners/Ancients as 'Dog-Style'"
Sen smirked as Hiroki gets his throat blocked by the meat. Kei and Yuki laughed a little as Asami chokes on her glass of water
"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO ADD THAT!" yelled by Kenji
"Why....Master" said by Akechi, seductively
"-I DON'T CARE. JUST DON'T ADD THE LAST LINE"
"Mmm, I'll be careful from now, Master... Kenji.." she replied seductively, again
"Oi, Kenji. We're eating right now"
Sen sips into his bowl, saying
"Ifw Youwe going to do something like that, do it later."
"AS IF!" he yelled
"What"
"What do you mean WHAT? Nevermind forger about it!" he was infuriated due ro embarrassment.
Mitsou whispered via Telepathy
"Perveerttt"
Kenji bats his head using his hands and yelled
Sen yelled too
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU YELLING FOR?!" Asami picked up a knife and replied
"He's into that screaming stage. Should i drill into his frontal lobe?"
Kenji was teased by the two. He looks up and yelled again
"NEVERMIND IT. FORGET IT. DAMNN"
Minutes later, on the balcony of the mansion.
"So this is where you have been, Sen-san"
It was Kaede
Sen had his arms rested on the ceramic edge of the balcony. The coldness of the ceramic concentrated on Sen's bare hands, unlike Ryuu who still wore his gloves.
"On this world, even our personal items got sent too, that's convenient"
"Maybe it was a trick to deceive us to think that the White Flash was of this world's magic."
She walked closer to me, she wrapped her soft hands on the white ceramic balcony.
She said
"Even our phone's data is transferred. My, then that means they even breached my phone's security"
Sen replied
"Quantum Technology can crack security!"
She giggled
"So, Sen-kun... you were the one that named that Unique Skill, 'Quantum Leap', weren't you?"
"So you even got infected by Rio and Yuki's persuasion."
"The skill bar appeared to me, similar to a video game HUD... also please stop mention that.. I don't want to remember it.."
She sighed as she rested her chin on the rough surface of ceramic balcony.
The front door's roof was the balcony, a pole supported it from the ground.
"My dad, was supposed to be discharged today..."
Sen wore a blank expression. He was always like that before the White Flash, especially in Highschool, unlike today which he seemed more enthusiastic.
"You mean, Sergeant Major Christopher?"
Small Tears fell out of her eye, wearing a sad expression. It was rare for Kaede to be sad.
"Life is cruel, right?"
"He raised us. Took care of us. And..."
She locked her face on her arms and faced the roughed ceramic. Sobbing, she said
"Sorry, i shouldn't said that-"
"Kaede Akiyama, no, Kaede Huey"
Sen replied bluntly
"My father and yours was comrade in arms during the Maharlika (Philippines) Civil War. It was your father's coalition squad that saved mine, remember?"
"Yeah, why bring that out of the sudden?"
Sen looks to his right and saw Ryuu and Kei practicing martial arts into the grass field. It was seen that Kei was mercilessly pinning Ryuu on the dirt.
He paused, and said
"Thank you, if it wasn't for your father's leadership, mine would have long dead on his country"
She smirked
"Oh, that one? That one is already at the past, Sen-san..."
She laughs slightly as she locks her head on her arms
Sen's voice changes into a happier one, he rubs his head and said
"Well! Sorry! I don't have that much skill on communicating. Too be honest I didn't knew what to say other than 'Sorry' ehehe"
"Sen-san, you jerk"
Kaede unlocks her head from her arms, tears was visible on her eyelids
"I think my father's hospitalization is connected to your father's disappearance, Sen-san"
"I mean, five years ago, when we we're ten, your father disappeared. Then three years ago, mine was put into coma. Even the police doesn't have any lead on who put father on coma, the same goes into yours, right?"
"My father was an ex Special Forces Operative, that was in close terms with yours, that was also ex Special Forces, right?"
Sen replied
"So you're saying, my and yours are into something classified? Oi, if you know something, tell me"
"What are you talking about, Sen-san?"
That's Kaede for you, she's like a girl with a simple mindset.
"Nothing."
"Sen-san..."
Sen kept looking into the horizon of the city, he replied
"What is it, Kaede-chan?"
She turns to me, grabbing my arms and nodding into it.
She hugged it, and i felt her nice oppais.
Sen's reaction was blank. No "huh" or anything like a harem protagonist would do.
"Why, are you so satisfied in this world, Sen-san?"
"Huh?"He replied
"Back in our world, there were novels, manga, and anime that depicted the protagonist getting sent to another world, either by summoning or get killed by truck-kun, remember?"
She looks into my face and asked
"Yeah. Is that why, you look so happy and motivated in this world?"
"Mmm, I've always wanted to be a hero in a world like this."
His voice changes into a more enthusiastic one
"Imagine starting with cheat like abilities. Or what if, starting from scratch and using our world's knowledge for fighting and using magic? Cool, isn't?"
"Imagine beating up opponents with our martial arts like Jav Macra and Jiu Jutsu, I'm sure that would embarrass that guy"
"So you really got a lot of resolve to fight for this world, Sen-san?"
"Well, I've always wanted to be a hero of this sort. Unlike back home where i used to be a trash."
She lets go of my right arm and jumped back, her hands on her back. She leaned slightly and said
"Woosh! Well then, save this world, Sen-san! I'm counting on you!"
He stretched his arms in the air, saying
"You can count on me, Kaede-chan!"
She walks back into the door and opened it. She stuttered
"Kaede-san? What is it?"
She peaks into the hallway and turned back
"It's about my brother, Hiroki"
"Please be considerate to him. He also knew of today's event, and is pissed off"
"I thought this world was too much for him, that's why...his attitude changed" he asked
She smiled with her teeth open, saying
"No, well. For some degree"
THIS WORLD IS NOT REAL
The same red text appeared on Sen's view. His head was like getting pricked by needles in the inside.
His view, the pixelated view, everything turns into pixels, octagon shaped borderlines. It's similar to when Quantum Leaping.
"GAHH! A-asami! It's happening....again!
Sen kneeled into the floor, holding his head painfully
My vision is getting blurry
My head hurts like it's getting pierced from the inside
"It's coming back? Keep it down! You'll alert the others!"
"Sen-san!"
I know this world is not real!
Who are you?!
What do you want!
The pain stopped.
Sen was surprised, he asked himself with a surprised tone
"It's... gone?"
Worriedly, she sat on my side while touching my forehead to check for a fever
"Sen-san, get some rest. We can't let the Support Echelon know this, you need to take a rest"
"Forget about it. Oh, right..."
"I forgot to ask Deus about my condition"
Kaede was perplexed, her face was slightly angered
"You should have asked him when we got the chance to!"
"We don't know even if we can summon him! As if he's always connected to his VR Gear 24/7!"
I replied to her
"I'm sorry for worrying you, Kaede. Well, that happens if you know too much, ehehe"
"Stop joking around, Sen-san! This case happened for a month now! We can't save this virtual world without you around!"
Sen rubbed his neck and said
"Well, this is the first time i was needed by my classmates that much..."
Kaede pouted
Since she's the only one who knows my issue, i think it's better of she know everything.
"I think, i died on the real world, Kaede-chan."
"Huh?"
That's the blunt part, Kaede
"I got off first-"
"Agh!" Sen groaned in pain as he grabs his head. His pain grew from the middle of his brain.
The same red text appeared on my screen again.
It's coming back.
Why? Did i, really die?!
The same thing happened to me on the clock tower!
On the combat exercise!
At that night!
Why! Everytime i remember the past, this happens!
Is it coincidental?!
If you're going to show me something, show it!
---
Three weeks ago
Eastoria.... Now named Arcaea
Sen's voice changes into a voice similar to that of a narrator
"Axe Skill: Skill OOOONEEE"
Sen swung an axe into a tree chunk, cutting it in half. There was a left over of a tree where he chopped the tree chunk. He was mimicking a non existent skill.
His uniform's arm part was tied to his hips, he wore a white sando shirt, exposing his arms
"Sen-kun, you're pushing yourself too hard" said by Tamotsu
He wore also wore a white sando shirt with his uniform tied to his waist
Sen looked to him and saw more pieces of cut wood than him
"Eh? Says by the one who did more wood cutting that i did"
He flexed his right arm, and said
"Well, i was an athlete back home."
"Not to mention, our bodies got beefed up due to Heal Acceleration"
"Yeah, with Rio's, Asami's and Kaede's affinity for Ancient Magic and higher aptitude for Regen, every time we tear our muscles, they can heal it up quickly thus making the regeneration rate faster."
"So that's why our bodies are packed with muscles. We can accelerate our muscle strand repair with that magic" explained by Sen
Tamotsu had six pack abs, meanwhile Sen had four. His body was slightly smaller than Tamotsu's athletic type.
"So you hanged your uniform on your waist to show off?"
It was Kei, chopping off wood.
Her uniform was also tied to her waist. She also wore sando shirt, exposing her cleavage. Sweat covered her body
He crossed his arms and said
"Deus already told us that, our uniforms doesn't help our muscle tissue Regenerate!"
"Hehe, Sen-kun! I love that face you make Everytime i tease you a little!" She clings into my chest with her hands on my back
Crap! Again! She's too close!
Sen's voice changes into a deeper/darker one
"I half-like you and half-hate you, stay away."
He pushed away Kei with his right arm, she was addictively clinging into his arm.
She lowers my arm and said
"Sooo weee'ree going to name this land as Arcaea?"
Sen bends his body and took the axe, he runs his hands on the metal edge while saying "Yeah. The villagers insisted. Coleen and the elders said that we resemble Forerunners, so they suggested to make this land, no, city as the homeland of the 12 Oracles."
"Right, Joshua-san?"
Joshua landed his axe on the tree and stuck it there, he wipes his sweat from his forehead and said
"Agh.. Yeah The legendary Forerunners almost resemble you, Oracles. Needless to say, that there were also 12 Classes the Forerunners refer to."
"Well, Sen-kun, have you found any safe paths for us to take in that Death Valley?"
"Not yet. We haven't yet cleared most of the nests the demons reside in."
"Well, well. The last time we've tried to cross it, we got hit by the Mist. Well, it's not like we're urgently trying to cross it. We still have work and research needed to here in Eas- Arcaea" said by Tamotsu
Joshua laughed and exaggerated "Well, young lads, you need to prioritize the world before us! We villagers can handle our own, especially with the special team the Blade Oracle formed, right Commander?"
Sen replied
"Ehh? Don't call me Commander yet!"
Kei poked me with her elbow and enthusiastically said
"Good luck on your Skirmishes, Commander!"
Sen sighed, Tamotsu said to him
"Commander, you lead them on the battlefield as we Ryuu instructors train them"
"I just suggested to create an independent armed force for Arcaea, then why do i have to be the one, the ONLY one to lead them?"
He replied to me with a scary tone
"I'm not asking you, I'm telling y o u"
AH! CRAP! I THINK BEING AN INSTRUCTOR TOOK A TOLL ON HIM
"Yes, yes" i replied
I heard a pole being dragged around, it was Hiroki.
"YEET" he yelled
Three huge bags was sent flying into me by Hiroki, smashing my face. Although it was light as a feather.
It's not... heavy?
"Three packs of Dark Souls, coming right at 'ya!" he said with a joyful tone
"Man! The adventure we had with Kaede and Masao was so cool! Although, the skills the Wanderers had wasn't environment friendly. It literally created huge craters around on it!"
"So, in other words, you got the earth destroyer skills?" Asked by Sen
"Yeah! Although the skills wasn't environment friendly, so i thought of..."
Hiroki grabs the Spear from the ground and followed
"I thought of using those destructive skills in my Spear Form of my Jaëger. Oh, i see! I'll apply all skills to my Jaëger... so I'll make the Scythe Form as a limiter!"
Sen as he listens, he sat on the wooden tree trunk, he replied
"Stupid. Just divide the skills into your Scythe and Spear Forms. That way, you'll have a versatile set of gifts for your target"
"Huh?? But it's just the same!" he shrugged
Deus's head came out from a tree as he eavesdropped on the group, his face was semi brown in respect to the tree. He asked Hiroki
"Not bad idea, would you like me to adjust it right now, Hiroki-kun?"
Hiroki's eyes glowed like a star, he nodded "Yes, Yes! Please do!"
He kneeled with the Spear on his hands reached to Deus. It's amazing that he can carry a spear that's almost twice of his size.
"Well then, please upgrade my Jaëger, Deus-sensei!"
Deus made it out of the moss covered tree, he laughed in an evil way as he received the Jaëger
I'm sure i saw that scene in a meme in my father's era. Oh well, this world is amazingly beautiful though. Well, too bad I can't see it at full view with this stupid myopia.
What's this? A worm?
Sen touched the worm as it burrows underground into the fine dirt.
"Huh? Can worms burrow that fast?"
Still, Hiroki's lucky, not only that he gets a nice armory of skills, he can even modify them.
What i only have is my lonely Al' Arbitr. Yet a rare sword carved with random runes by the Messenger being Deus himself.
As long as i have the mana, this thing won't break and will remain as sharp as the mana flow. Not to mention it can literally cut anything as long as i have the mana to compensate for it.
Sen muttered to himself
"Anime lied to me. Huhu'
Sen stood up and turned backwards.
He dropped his axe unto the tree stump he sat on.
He retracted his left feet as he grabbed the handle of his katana. He held the scabbard as he prepares for a Unique Skill
"Sword Art: Time Lapse"
Sen's chant grabbed the attention of everyone in the area. Deus muttered "Time Lapse? Interesting, let's see if Terra will accept that"
Nothing happened.
Sen breathed, he retracted to his original stance and sat with a Japanese position. He drank a cup of tea with his eyes closed and wore his uniform along with the Absorbent Mask.
"Nothing... happened?" muttered by Hiroki
Kei followed
"Ehh... was that just a show, Sen-"
Multiple distortions appeared at the tree lines Sen paced on. It was a humanoid spectre that no longer lasted a second. A sound of a slash of a sword resonated to the group, alerting them to look around.
The trees was cut vertically, the trees slipped to the left, falling in unison as the trees crack.
Dust and dirt flew amok.
They were terrified, almost all of the trees was cut down in the forest.
Sen smirked, but vomited blood in his Uniform Mask.
Everytime i go to my fifth Leap, blood will come out of mouth and I'll lose HP. The Mask of my uniform then absorbs it and returns half of it as my HP.
It's disgusting but i got used to it.
Sen smiled on his mask, his smile was red-black due to the blood condensation.
In the end, I'm just an Assassin. These guys are better than me in field combat, but when it comes to killing people and leaving alive, that's where i notch in.
"What are you looking at?" i asked
The group and the other villagers stood in groups, most of them were shocked, including Joshua. Hiroki bended his back backwards, saying ".....scary"
---TO BE CONTINUED---