Chapter 6 - Preparation

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

[Group Chat]

[[Grave Warnings]]

…

(A/N: Thank Belzaswich for this chapter!)

(Third POV:)

As the black-haired menace made his way into the barrier, his arms spread wide right before he flipped mid-air and landed his feet on the ground.

The entire enemy team was shocked. The last time they checked, they had put up a barrier. Having this monster be able to walk through it was the last thing they needed.

The assassin was the first to move as he teleported behind the black-haired menace that had penetrated their barrier. With a knife in hand, he tried to stab into the back of his enemy's head.

This move wouldn't pay off for him, as Eren side-stepped his attack and turned around all before the assassin's arm had a chance to fully extend.

Eren grabbed his wrist and began twisting his wrist in the opposite direction. This caused the assassin to drop the knife, only for Eren to let go of his arm, grab the knife while it was still mid-air, twirl it in between his fingers, and stab the assassin in the throat.

It had happened so quickly that none of the assassin's other teammates could help. The assassin turned into blue particles as Eren turned around slowly to face the last three surviving members.

"Tch." The fire mage sucked his teeth before pointing his open palm toward Eren. A wave of flame flew from his palm.

The water barrier was instantly brought down due to not wanting the fire and water to create steam that would block their vision.

The fire mage instantly turned around and held his palm forward. Eren had gotten behind him while his vision was blocked by the wall of fire.

The flames that came out of his palm hit the air as he tried to look for his enemy once again. The fire mage kept his sister close while the paladin was trying and failing to catch their enemy.

The question was: how was Eren getting so close to them without being noticed? They were in the middle of the street, and this street wasn't a thin one.

That's when the fire mage realized the enemy... was hiding behind the paladin as he went to attack.

Turning his eyes toward the paladin, he saw Eren in front of his face. With his sister behind him, the fire mage held his hand forward with a look of fear on his face.

His wrist was grabbed, and his arm jerked as Eren pointed his palm behind him. A wave of flame jetted out behind him.

It was so unexpected that the enemy would use his own power against him that his sister didn't even get the chance to save herself due to the shock.

He had heard that his sister had been eliminated. 'But maybe the paladin can-' The fire mage didn't get time to finish that thought as a backhand hit him hard across the face.

He didn't get a chance to reel back as his hair was grabbed and pulled. A knee flew into his face and landed squarely where his nose was.

*CRACK*

His head reeled back, only for a fist to fly straight toward his stomach, making him hold his stomach in pain while folding forward.

This didn't last long, as another knee met his face, and turned his head sideways as he fell to the ground. Right as the fire mage tried to stand up...

*CRACK*

*CRUNCH*

A foot stomped down on the back of his head and killed him. His body turned into blue particles as Eren turned toward the paladin.

"Do you know the difference between you and me?" Eren's eyes squinted as he spoke to the paladin.

The paladin shook his head sideways to confirm his answer as a no. This only caused Eren to sigh and shake his head slowly.

"The difference between you and me is that while you traded everything in exchange for strength, even your voice, you forgot about the rest of your statistics.

You put yourself behind armor that I know took way too many points, only to have your brain smash against it whenever you're hit by my weapon. Did you ever stop to think about what would happen if you ever had to test which would break first, your helmet or your skull, if you smashed them together?

You put all your points into some flashy, overpriced armor that I know doesn't protect your head from the amount of blunt force trauma I'm about to give you.

So as I beat you to death with my weapon, make sure to rebuild, delete, or create a new character because this one was made to be a non-moving target that can't even properly protect his teammates." As Eren finished his sentence, a purple worm popped into existence around his torso and began spitting out Playful Cloud.

The paladin looked absolutely defeated and unable to utter a single word, mostly due to having removed his vocal cords for more points.

"What a disappointment." Eren struck the paladin with Playful Cloud as he spoke.

Either the paladin had given up and resigned himself to his beating or was too deep in depression to fight back.

And just like that, Eren had won the second round without having taken any damage.

…

(First POV: Eren)

I had played a couple more matches before getting off the game. None of the matches pushed me too hard, as I still hadn't been ranked, and the enemy team was team-focused, which allowed me to take them out one by one.

The end result was me getting some supernatural combat experience and getting to forget that I had worked my body out so hard that I was definitely going to feel it in the morning.

I did save the replay of my first match, as I got 23 of the total 25 kills possible, with one of the kills I didn't get being taken from me by the fire mage while I let LTGOverPriced walk someone down in the woods.

I sent him a friend request. I may play some matches with him in the future.

That leaves me in the present, walking to school with Mikasa while my body is in pain from the workouts I did.

The school was called 'Itan High School' or something like that. I never really paid attention to where I would go to get my schooling.

"You seem a little happier, Eren," Mikasa spoke up, which brought me out of my sore, pain-driven thoughts.

"You think so?" I had fully turned my attention to her, as I don't remember changing all that much. "How so?"

Mikasa went through multiple small expressions before she made a face that looked like she was relenting.

"You were so much more 'quiet' and distant. The more I think about it, the more you seem to be changing. When we were still kids, you were so outgoing, but then something just... changed.

You never held a smile longer than was required. The look you always had was that of someone working with nothing left to live for, and... it scared me.

I thought I had lost you for the longest and that nothing I did would-" Mikasa cut herself off as she noticed my shocked expression.

We had both stopped walking for a minute as the weight of her words hit both of us almost immediately.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." Mikasa began looking away, her eyes meeting the sidewalk we were standing on.

I must have been really badly affecting her when I found out nothing special was going to happen. It hit me hard when I first gave up. I thought I would end up living my life doing the same thing I had done before.

I turtled up and cut off my feelings to some degree. When she asked me out and I suddenly brightened like the sun, it must have surprised her.

"No, it's fine." A small smile grew on my face as I grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way. I didn't think my life was worth living for the longest, but you stuck by me."

My smile grew bigger as she stared at me with wide eyes. "Should I call you my wife now? You stuck by me through thick and thin. When's the ceremony?" Mikasa instantly blushed before turning away again.

"Hahaha! Come on, we're going to be late if we keep standing around." I laughed as I pulled her hand in an effort to get her to walk forward.

I have a feeling she would never get used to the amount of affection I'm currently giving her.

'The strain on my mind from not getting a rest after my death must have carried on for way too long. If there are two things I hate, it's doing the same thing over and over again and not having enough of a challenge.

When the group chat came and showed its mission tab, that gave me both the requirements to continue to push forward.

I won't waste this second chance!' With that thought, I vowed to live not only for myself but also for my family. Though, mainly to keep that smile on Mikasa's face.

'My body hurts so fucking bad!'

…

(Omake #1: Racial Rivals)

(Third POV:???)

Sareth ran as fast as his legs could take him. Currently, the two most important people to him were fighting to the death.

"I didn't have enough strength before! Back when I was with Dante, Vergil, Nero, and Bayonetta! But this time! This time, I'll make it different! I swear, I won't let you two die!" Sareth screamed as he ran forward.

Fire began spreading out from his back as he reached his arm forward. The fire reached all the way to his arms and legs before taking the shape of wings.

"AHHHHHH!" Another scream came from Sareth's mouth as he shot into the air at speeds imperceptible to the human eye. A large wave of flame trailed behind his form even after he left the area.

*CLINK* *CLANG*

At this moment, a battle between the two sides was taking place. A large Chaos Demon was fighting an Angel of similar size.

The Chaos Demon looked as if he were a blue fog of a demon, while the Angel looked as if he were made of holy light that formed into rings that spun around each other.

The hundreds of wings of the Angel spread out into many beams of light. The demon grinned before rushing forward.

The holy light seemed to meet a force field before they could make contact with the demon.

Right as the demon swung his sword, the angel materialized a sword of holy light and blocked the demon's attack.

"What's the matter, Ereikiel? You seemed to have slowed down!" The demon's face grew a grin as it spoke to Eren.

"I'm just saving all that I have for the real battle! You should really focus on yourself, Osiris!" Eren's rings grew eyes and mouths before they smiled at Osiris with wild enthusiasm.

Pushing Osiris back, Eren held his smile. "Let's get serious!" As Eren spoke two arms formed and clasped together.

Osiris took a stance as he held his arms outward.

""The World: Over Heaven/Absolute Zero!!""

Holy energy flooded out of Eren as a wave of absolute cold flowed from Osiris. The second both ran over each other; both the holy energy and the wave of cold shattered as if glass.

Both Osiris and Eren took on smaller forms before a strained smile appeared on both of them.

""AHHHHH!"" Both Osiris and Eren screamed as they charged at each other. A wave of holy energy and cold followed their respective sides.

Right as their weapons were about to clash...

*BOOM*

In between them formed a burning ball of energy that had stopped them both. It was Sareth!

He was holding onto both of their chests as he made sure to keep them separated. Pushing them back, both Osiris and Eren flew backward until they landed on the ground around five meters away.

"What are you doing, Sareth? This isn't your fight!" Eren screamed at Sareth as he got up from his kneeling position.

"Eren is right! Sareth, this isn't your business to butt into!" Osiris also yelled at Sareth as he hovered in the air.

"This isn't my business?! This is all my business! I'm not going to allow you to kill each other! Uncle Eren, foster father Osiris, this racial rivalry ends now!" Sareth screamed back at them as his new form blazed brightly.

"Say, Osiris, if I beat Sareth, does that mean I beat you?" Eren took on humanoid form as he spoke, and a smile grew on his face.

"Tch. If you beat Sareth, then I'll count it as a point toward our score." Osiris said before taking his even smaller Chaos Demon form.

"Fine then! Alright, Sareth, let's go!" Eren rushed forward as he spoke.

Sareth materialized a sword before clashing against Eren. As a sword strike came to his face, Sareth dodged and jumped backward.

"Sareth, you can still back out! This has nothing to do with you."

"Nothing to do with me? This has everything to do with me!" Sareth looked ready to murder someone as he spoke. His rage made his aura blaze up.

Sareth closed his eyes before quickly opening them. Raising his left arm to the sky. "Fuck you!" Sareth screamed as a blazing fire melted the ground around him. His middle finger was held up high for all to see.

His flames were now a beautiful white color that burned all that came close. Sareth rushed forward!

...

"Eren, are you awake now?"

Eren woke up on the roof of his school. He was currently lying his head on Mikasa's lap while they were sitting on a bench.

Eren rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, I'm awake, but I had a strange dream." As Eren spoke, a tear suddenly ran down his face.

"Ah, you're crying. What were you dreaming about?" Mikasa wiped away the tears as she questioned Eren.

"I don't remember, but it's probably not important. Let's get back to class before we're late." A smile returned to Eren's face as he stood up. Taking Mikasa's hand as she looked confused, Eren motioned her to hurry.

(A/N: It's supposed to read like a forgetful dream. I was super tired when I made it though. I had to have still been sick while writing this chapter.)