The King Among Crows

[You have beaten the final hidden challenge of Wysteria Chronicles, ! Would you like to start a new game?]

[Continue] [Give Up]

^

[Game over]

"Man this sucks, this secret boss is way too easy to beat. All throughout the second phase he just spams combos you can parry with a blindfold on." It was my 4th playthrough of Wysteria Chronicles. Even on the hardest difficulty it was nothing to be worried about.

"You still only think about games huh, we're in highschool dude! It's time for you to get a girlfriend or something." Laughing besides me were my friends, Roen and Julius.

Well...It was hard to call them friends at all. I just kept them around to waste some time from my life.

If there was one word to describe me, I guess I would call myself "different." My appearance wasn't anything to write home about. I'm a grade A student with the best scores in the country. I had no passions or interests in particular. No preferences or extremes. There was no way someone like me could be the protagonist.

[Arriving at Belham station, please stand away from the platform edge.]

We stepped out of the subway into the open light of the city. The sun's gaze was partially obscured by the clouds above. There was little to no wind at all, and the temperature was a moderate 65 degrees F. It was, by all metrics, normal.

I could feel the presence of a woman running past us. It was strange, I can't remember anything about her appearance, but it felt familiar. It was sort of like walking into a new neighborhood and feeling a sense of lingering familiarity.

I stopped and glanced back. She was already gone with the crowd.

"Hey! Look up there! You guys see that too right?"

"Yeah, why's the sky going red?"

Roen and Julius recorded the sky with their phones, streaming the event on social media. The event went viral nearly instantly, as people all over the world began witnessing strange happenings. It was almost like a videogame.

CRIK-

A massive crack in the sky formed with massive, emaciated hands ripping open the wound. Countless monsters emerged from the sky, as well as underground.

"Argh! Help m-"

SPLAT-

Roen's head was crushed without a hint of remorse.

"A-argh!" Julius screamed.

It was strange. Despite seeing this person, who I could technically consider myself "close" to, I didn't feel much of anything seeing him laying down as a corpse. It certainly wasn't a pleasent feeling, but it wasn't a negative feeling either.

I stared into the monster's eyes and bashed it over the head with my portable console immediately. My legs sprung into action without any command to cover some distance between me and the threat.

"What the fuck is happening? This has gotta be a movie or something...right Cassian!?"

"Dunno, just gotta keep running."

We escaped from the crowd into a thin alleyway; the lack of attention let us avoid the bloodshed for just a brief moment. Our vague hope came crashing down when we saw a strange, slimy monster. It's body was not quite solid yet not quite liquid.

-Sheeeeeshseeeee-

It's roar was unsettling, clearly otherworldly.

Many other monsters followed suit.

"This way!"

As we ran down the street, it became clear that our chances of survival was dwindling. Our breathes became faint and the monsters only increased in number.

We were backed into a corner, the thin door could only fit one of us at a time. Regardless, I would survive, I wou-

"Get outta the way!" Julius pushed me to the ground as he rushed down to the next area.

"...Huh?"

CRUNCH

KRK

SHRIK

The monsters clawed, chewed and stomped upon my body.

It hurts...

It hurts...

It hurts...

It hurts...

It hurts!

It hurts!

IT HURTS!

My organs, my skin, eyes. Everything. It hurts. My body slowly grew numb and my vision faded away.

-Am I...really nothing but average?-

[You are now dead]

Yup, this was the end. I guess an average person like me could never be the protagonist. I still couldn't get this strange thought out of my head. Why did I have to die? Why did I get pushed into the monsters by Julius, someone who considered me a friend?

Oh well...I guess this is my time to die.

[Your Magic: The King among Crows, will soon activate]

...?! What?

[Do you accept?]

[Continue] [Give Up]

My body stood up on its own, the mangled bits being covered in crows. The monsters stared back in shock, just what was I?

I don't know what this sensation was. I could not stop grinning, my heart was racing a mile a minute, eyes sharper than a needle. Was this...what fun felt like?

-Greeeee?-

-Sheereiiiii...-

"Pftt- Hahaha! I guess I never liked playing on easy mode after all!"

[Continue]

^

"Let's go for the high score."

_____

"Ah...my head's as light as air...hehe."

-SHIREEEEI!-

The creature lunged.

"I wonder what you'll look like on the inside."

The moment I waved my hand, a invisible "line" appeared and cut the monster in two. It was clean, without sound or form. It felt natural, I could hardly call it a cut of my own.

-Duroooozooooo-

BANG

Another monster came into the fray and shot off the right chunk of my skull.

[Continue?]

^

Crows gathered around my face, their bodies assimilating into mine and become one with me. It was as though nothing had even happened.

"Heheheheheh, that tickles!"

I jumped in the air and waved my arms frantically, cutting everything within my sight. Their blood splattered like paint upon a master's canvas.

"It's warm and soft! Gross gross gross! I hope I get a high score!"

They lunged at me all at once and devoured me once again.

[Continue?]

^

KABOOM

Crows burst from my body and sewed my body back together like an old doll.

The scene grew silent, as I was the only one left standing.

"Ah...my head hurts."

My knees were weak and my vision was blurred. I guess there was a limit to how much power I could use. Gotta make it to the safe area.

I collapsed on the floor from exhaustion. I guess a nap couldn't hurt anyone...