The First Meeting

We realised that for the last while, ever since we got the Key, the maze had stopped changing itself every few minutes. This made our journey a bit easier, but it also meant that everybody else — including the monster — wouldn't have to deal with the walls changing on them repeatedly.

I swiped a Window up into existence in front of me while I let Kat catch her breath for a bit. It showed that there were only six people left in the task. The best-case scenario was that the other four included Mobito and Saizo, but there were no guarantees that that was the case. Our Party list still refused to update, still showing that Nato was still active even though...

I shook my head slightly. I had to focus. The most important thing right now is to make sure that Kat is safe. She was never supposed to be part of this Quest for revenge. It was unfair to get her involved, but I couldn't change the past.

It wasn't too long after I checked the User count when Kat and I rounded a corner right near the exit and saw two familiar figures approaching from the opposite direction.

"Saizo!" I called out in disbelief.

The man on the left, who had been helping the other figure move by lending a shoulder looked up and I saw the fear and worry melt from his face. I finally made the connection that he was helping Mobito and raced over to them.

I draped Mobito's left arm over my shoulders and supported him.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Saizo said.

Mobito coughed quietly.

"What happened to him?" I asked.

I looked up and saw that Kat had stopped by the exit and waited for us awkwardly.

The exit was an archway embedded into a wall in the middle of nowhere. A familiar square hole to the side of the archway showed where the Key was supposed to slot in. I nodded slightly towards Kat, who nodded back.

"He was hurt from the Epinoe plan," Saizo explained, "that's why it took so long for the explosions to start. Luckily, I found him in the maze and have been looking after him ever since."

We gingerly and slowly lowered Mobito down to the ground, and I stayed quiet while Saizo caught his breath.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked.

"The bastards had a persisting curse spell. Unfortunately, the health potions we got does nothing against curses," Saizo said.

All this was new to me, so I shot him a puzzled look and he realised that he had to explain further.

"High-level curse spells require a Holy potion to get rid of, or a mage with the 'Holy' attribute. We had neither so all I could do was give him the health potions every time his health got too low for my liking. I'm running out though..."

I cursed under my breath as I remembered that I had health potions of my own and those I got from Nato's body. I took them out of my Inventory and gave them to Saizo, who immediately knelt and gave one straight to Mobito.

Mobito, in his weakened, slightly unconscious state gulped down the potion hungrily and clumsily. He choked on the potion for a little bit, but I could see the colour return to his face.

In the distance, I could hear the familiar thundering steps of the monster. It sounded like it was still far away, but I could feel my lips drying up and when I looked back at Kat, she looked terrified.

"Okay, time to go," I said in an anxious sing-song voice as I started to pick up Mobito by his arm.

"Hang on, what about Nato?" Saizo said.

I froze for the slightest moment when Saizo said that, and I tried to brush it off, "I don't know if you've had a close encounter with the monster yet, but I don't recommend it. We have to hurry."

"But we can't go until Nato's here."

"Well, we can open up the exit and wait on the other side —" I tried to reason.

"We don't know how long the exit will be unlocked for after we use the key!" Saizo argued, "what's going on Ryuu?"

"Nothing's going wrong, I'm just saying that we should look after ourselves first —"

"Nato's one of us!" Saizo doubled down loudly, "did something happen to him?"

I couldn't bring myself to look at him. I didn't know what to say. I knew that Nato, Mobito and Saizo had been through a lot together, and even after knowing that they killed my parents, he still felt indebted to protect his friends rather than letting anybody know. That's how much their friendship mattered to him.

Did I resent Saizo for his silence? No. I'm pretty sure I understood where he came from. Maybe?

What would happen to Saizo once the Completion Quest was completed? I looked down at my left hand. I've now had another entity take over my body when I blacked out from the pain of getting rammed by the monster. What will happen the next time? Will Saizo be safe from me? Will Kat?

"I—" I started.

"He died." Kat's voice rang out, completely cutting me off. I looked over at her but she avoided my eyes and looked straight at Saizo.

Saizo was left speechless.

"He and Ryuu ran into the Head Pastor who had caught me again, and during the fight to rescue me, the monster came out of nowhere and he died in the chaos." Kat continued. Her voice was flat and controlled.

I looked at her in disbelief as she lied to Saizo right to his face. She snuck a peek at me then looked to the ground for a second before looking back at Saizo.

"Is this true Ryuu?" Saizo asked, his voice started to choke with emotion.

I looked down at the ground. For a second there, it was harder for me to lie to him than before which was weird. Then a familiar sensation from my arm swirled through my body and I felt a sense of calm before I answered Saizo's question.

"Yeah," I said, "I think I got knocked out for a bit but Nato died protecting Kat and me."

I looked right at Saizo as I answered, and oddly I didn't feel an ounce of guilt for lying right to his face. I remembered that I shouldn't just stare at him so I looked back down at the ground.

Saizo cleared his throat as he attempted to control his emotions badly.

"The bastard," Saizo mumbled, "he always made fun of me for going soft. He'd gone soft too."

I felt his hand resting on my shoulder and looked back at him. He squeezed my shoulder and breathed in as deep a breath as he could before letting it out as slowly and evenly as he could.

I looked back down to the ground before I snuck a look at Kat who lowered her gaze.

An especially loud stomp shook us back to the present danger and both Saizo and I hurried to get Mobito back up on his feet.

"Who has the key?" Saizo grunted as he stabilised his grip on Mobito.

"Hang on," I grunted as I took the key out of my Inventory.

Kat waited for us by the archway as she made sure she wasn't in our way.

I quickly slid the key into its socket as the stomps started to get closer and closer. A big red Window popped up right in front of me.

"What is that?" Saizo said.

[WARNING!

DUE TO THE DETECTION OF A FOREIGN ELEMENT IN THE SYSTEM, THE KEY IS UNUSABLE AT THIS VERY MOMENT.]

"What?" Saizo said.

I pulled the key out and then placed it back in, but the same red Window popped up once more. "I don't know what's happening!" I said.

"There's that message about the foreign element again. What does it mean?" Saizo mumbled.

"Come on!" I yelled in frustration as I tried the key again and again. In my anxious hurry, the key slipped out of my hand and I cried out loud as I tried to catch it but failed.

We all cringed as the key landed heavily on the ground, but surprisingly, it didn't break. It bounced slightly, but nothing that we could see was broken.

Kat hurriedly went over and picked up the key before walking towards the embedded slot.

"I don't know why it's not working —" I started.

A Window that informed all of us that only five Users were left popped up in the peripheral of our field of vision.

Kat moved past me and gently slid the key back into its spot. This time, no red warning Window popped up. Instead, a light lit up from within the slot and shone brightly as the archway also started to light up. From the left end of the arch through to the right end, like some sort of status bar filling up.

When it was fully lit up, the wall slid apart from within the archway and darkness beyond the wall waited for us patiently.

"How?!" Came a shrieking voice from behind us.

We all jumped at the voice and when we turned around, we saw Head Pastor Maru standing by the corner of the hallway that Saizo and Mobito came from. Her clothes were slightly tattered and ruined while she was panting. It seemed like she had been running for some time.

"How are you still alive?" she shrieked as she made her way towards us, slightly limping.

Saizo awkwardly shifted so that he can grab the hilt of his blade while still holding up Mobito. "What do you want?"

She lifted her arm and pointed at us, and I saw that there were scratches all over it. From fighting or the environment, I didn't know.

"I saw you get flung through the air —" Head Pastor Maru said.

"And he was saved by my friend," Saizo interrupted her.

"Is that what he told you?" Head Pastor Maru taunted.

"What do you want with us?" I yelled.

"You..." she growled.

"Go," I turned to Kat, "I'll be right behind you."

She looked at me with worry then nodded and stepped into the darkness under the archway.

"Konoko died from the fall that you caused," Head Pastor Maru said.

"How was he supposed to know how weak she was?" Saizo yelled back.

I placed my hand on Saizo's shoulder, "go make sure that Kat and Mobito are kept safe. I can handle this myself."

"What?" Saizo retaliated.

"Think about Mobito."

He paused as he looked down at his weakened friend before he swallowed hard and nodded.

"You better be right behind us."

I nodded and watched the two men go into the darkness of the exit. When I turned back towards the Head Pastor, she was still limping her way towards me.

"What? You're not going to run away anymore?" the Head Pastor taunted.

I stayed silent as the thundering steps got nearer and nearer.

"Konoko told me what she saw in you..." the Head Pastor continued, "you're the one we've been waiting for."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I can assure you I'm not what you think I'm supposed to be." I rebutted.

"You don't even see it in yourself?" the Head Pastor asked. I was surprised when she seemed to be genuine.

"What am I supposed to see?" I asked back, "there's nothing but a blood-lusting monster. That's not who I am!"

"Konoko told me that you were chosen," she said plainly, "chosen for a reason."

I could feel the anger swirl around inside me. I clenched my fists hard to try and keep it under control. "She doesn't know what I've been through!"

"No, but she knew what you're destined to be." Head Pastor Maru said in an almost-begging voice.

She held out her arm to me, "I'll show you the way to become all that you're meant to be."

It sounded like a good deal, but there was something strong pulling me on the inside. The only answer that I could procure was one that I didn't think she would accept. I turned around and started to head towards the archway and gave her my answer over my shoulder.

"No."

I noted that she was still quite a fair bit away from the exit, only about halfway between the exit and the corner that she appeared from. I wasn't necessarily worried about her reaching the exit before it closed, but at the last second, I paused and an explosion of fire hit the wall right next to where I would have been standing from an explosive spell.

"What the hell?" I cried.

"You have to be the one!" screamed the Head Pastor. She had cast the spell and was preparing another one aimed straight at me.

A Window appeared in front of me as a box made of light shined all around me:

[THE SPELL: BINDING PRISON HAS BEEN USED ON YOU. YOU ARE TRAPPED IN THE PRISON CREATED BY THE SPELLCASTER UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.]

"What are you doing?" I yelled in panic, "you're going to kill both of us."

She cackled, "we both know that you're not going to let me go through to the next task even if I make it to the exit in time. This way, either you fulfil the prophecy and prove that you're the one we've been waiting for, or you're dying with me."

I slammed my fist against the semi-transparent walls and was repelled violently by the spell.

"You're insane!" I screamed at the woman.

The familiar terrorising sight of the monster as it turned the corner caused me to choke on my words as the ear-splitting roar of the beast shook both the Head Pastor and me to our cores. She continued to cackle as the monster flung a lifeless body at her and she dodged out of the way.

A universal Window appeared in front of both of us with a worrying message:

[WARNING!

THE EXIT WILL CLOSE PERMANENTLY SOON. ALL USERS WHO DO NOT PASS THROUGH THE HORIZON OF THE EXIT WILL BE TRAPPED AND FAIL THE FIRST TASK.]

I screamed at the Head Pastor wildly as I started to hit the spell wall in a futile attempt to break it down, but I was too weak.

The monster started to make its way towards the Head Pastor as she continued to laugh uncontrollably while she limped closer to me.

"What is it going to be?" she gleefully asked me.

"Let me out of here!" I screamed.

"Show me that you're the one!" she maniacally said.

I stopped hitting the wall and stepped back. I looked down at my left arm where the swirling warm sensation originated from and asked whatever took over my body before to help me once more.

Please.

But nothing answered back.

Nothing took over my body. I was left alone at that very moment.

"Please!" I screamed out into the air.

"It's all up to you!" Maru laughed, she mistook my plea to be directed to her.

"Please! I'll finish the Completion Quest like you wanted!" I plead at the top of my lungs again, "whatever it takes!"

Maru realised what I was saying and that I wasn't talking to her and paused. The monster paused as well. Stopped mid-stride almost as if time had frozen as the Windows that were up in our visions all started to glitch out.

"What's happening?"

All the Windows disappeared before being replaced by one that struggled to keep itself visible.

[WARNING!

DUE TO A FOR=UGN ELL\mENT... SYS==/EM IS sTRUG999999 TO FIGHT——\\]

Before I could comprehend what the Window said, I found myself in a wet darkness that seemed so familiar. I remembered this place. I was here when I was knocked out by the monster the first time around.

The voice that was in my head as well as coming from behind me greeted me again.

I̸ ̴h̸a̸v̷e̴ ̸t̵o̴ ̴s̶a̷y̷,̵ ̴y̸o̷u̶ ̷c̵o̴n̷t̵i̷n̷u̶e̸ ̶t̴o̴ ̵s̷u̶r̴p̷r̴i̶s̶e̴ ̵m̷e̷ ̴w̸h̶e̷n̵ ̷I̸ ̸t̴h̶o̸u̷g̶h̸t̴ ̴n̷o̶t̸h̶i̵n̴g̴ ̶e̴l̸s̸e̵ ̷c̴o̸u̷l̶d̶.̴

The voice seemed softer than before as the memories of my last visit washed over me.

"What's happening to me?" my voice trembled with the heaviness of my question.

I̷ ̴d̸o̶n̸'̵t̸ ̸t̷h̵i̷n̴k̷ ̵y̴o̶u̶ ̵r̷e̸a̶l̴l̷y̸ ̸w̴a̶n̵t̷ ̷t̵o̶ ̵k̸n̴o̸w̴, the voice surprisingly did not ignore me this time.

"Who are you?"

N̶o̸t̴ ̵y̸e̷t̵.̴

Once again, I wriggled and tried to turn myself around, but in this thick darkness where you couldn't even figure out which way is up and which way is down, it felt useless. The voice continued to originate from behind me after all that struggle.

T̷h̶e̵ ̸S̴y̸s̵t̶e̶m̵ ̴c̷r̸a̴c̶k̶s̸ ̴u̷n̴d̷e̸r̶ ̷c̷o̵l̵o̵s̵s̸a̸l̸ ̷p̵r̶e̶s̵s̶u̷r̸e̶ ̶o̷v̸e̵r̷ ̶c̶o̶u̶n̸t̴l̸e̷s̵s̶ ̷y̶e̷a̸r̴s̷.̶ ̵D̸e̵s̴t̸i̸n̴y̶ ̷c̷a̷n̴ ̴b̶e̴ ̷m̶o̵u̴l̴d̷e̸d̷ ̷b̶u̷t̸ ̴n̴o̸t̶ ̶w̵i̸t̵h̵o̵ut̴ ̷c̴o̸n̸s̵e̵q̸u̸e̶n̸c̷e̵s̵.̷ The voice said vaguely.

"I don't know what you want from me," I whined.

O̸p̸e̵n̷ ̵y̷o̵u̸r̸ ̴e̴y̴e̵s̵ ̶t̶o̷ ̸y̸o̴u̵r̷ ̵t̷r̷u̵e̸ ̵s̶e̴l̵f̵.̴ ̸W̵e̴ ̸a̴r̷e̴ ̶m̵o̴r̵e̴ ̴a̷l̵i̴k̴e̵ ̷t̶h̷a̵n̷ ̵y̵o̶u̴ ̵t̵h̷i̴n̵k̶.̸

I paused as I mulled the words in my head.

"Are you telling me to trust you?"

I̴f̴ ̶t̸h̸a̸t̶ ̶w̵i̸l̵l̸ ̴h̶e̸l̷p̷ ̷y̶o̸u̴,̷ ̴y̵e̸s̵.̶ ̸I̶ ̷a̴m̴ ̸n̷o̴t̷ ̷l̶i̴k̸e̶ ̵o̸t̵h̴e̷r̶s̴ ̵t̷h̴a̷t̸ ̸a̶r̵e̸ ̶l̴i̶k̴e̵ ̶m̶e̵.̴

I gulped what felt like wet air in my mouth. I was still torn inside with what to do. Everything felt like it was slipping out of my control, but if destiny is involved, was anything ever really in my control to begin with? Am I struggling against a series of events that I had no say over?

W̶h̶a̸t̸ ̵w̷e̴ ̶a̸r̶e̶ ̴a̵l̶l̴ ̴d̷e̷s̵t̷i̸n̷e̵d̴ ̸t̸o̷ ̸b̷e̸ ̷i̶s̵ ̷n̵o̷t̵ ̸t̴h̵e̴ ̷e̴n̷d̸ ̶o̶f̶ ̸t̵h̷e̷ ̶s̴t̸o̵r̸y̸.̸

"What does that even mean?" I yelled at nobody.

There was no reply this time. A multitude of thoughts swam through my head and threatened me with a massive headache. I felt like I should have understood everything, but I was missing one vital piece of the clue.

A̴s̶ ̷m̴u̷c̴h̶ ̸a̵s̴ ̸i̶t̸ ̵f̵i̸g̷h̴t̴s̶ ̴a̶g̶a̸i̷n̷s̶t̵ ̷u̸s̶,̵ ̸n̶o̶t̷h̴i̴n̴g̵ ̷c̵a̸n̸ ̸f̵u̷l̷l̶y̵ ̷d̷e̸f̶e̷a̶t̴ ̷e̵r̸o̴s̷i̸o̴n̸,̶ the voice said from the darkness behind me, f̸o̴r̶ ̸n̴o̶w̸,̴ ̶w̶e̶ ̵a̸r̷e̷ ̴e̵n̴t̸a̴n̴g̷l̵e̴d̷,̶ ̷b̸u̶t̵ ̷I̶ ̴s̸e̵e̶ ̴t̶h̷e̷ ̶l̸i̵k̷e̶n̴e̸s̸s̴ ̶b̸e̵t̴w̸e̷e̵n̶ ̴y̶o̶u̵ ̶a̴n̵d̴ ̸m̸e̴.̵

I̸ ̸w̷i̵l̸l̸ ̸e̸n̸t̷r̸u̷s̸t̸ ̷m̴y̸s̷e̴l̸f̵ ̸t̷o̸ ̶y̸o̸u̴.̶ ̸B̷u̸t̵ ̴b̷e̸ ̴w̶a̸r̵y̸ ̶o̷f̵ ̶t̸h̶e̸ ̷o̶t̵h̷e̷r̸s̷,̴ ̶t̶h̵o̴u̸g̷h̷ ̶t̶h̵e̸y̴ ̷a̶r̵e̵ ̴m̴e̴,̶ ̶t̴h̴e̴y̵ ̶a̷r̵e̴ ̷n̵o̶t̴ ̵a̸s̷ ̷k̷i̷n̶d̷.̵

With that final note, a light started to invade the darkness. It slowly but surely overwhelmed me until I found myself back in the maze near the exit as the prison spell broke apart around me.

"What's changed?" Maru gasped at the sudden turn of events, "how did you do that?"

I walked up to the exit and looked into the darkness beyond the archway.

"Wait! Take me with you!" Maru yelled behind me.

I looked back at her with sad eyes as the monster suddenly started sprinting towards the Head Pastor once more. The beast swiped at Maru and lifted her high up in the air as she screamed in terror. I turned back and took a silent step through the archway into the dark.