Wave: "You don't seem to understand something, Yuto."
Wave and his subordinates watched from above, in the throne room.
Wave: "The fact that everything here is decided by fighting is not just political. It's symbolic. Fighting is a sport. It's the dance of the soul."
Yuto: "When you force your opponents to fight, it's not a sport. It's war. Is war a good thing for you?"
Wave: "Of course it is. But I'm not forcing anyone to fight."
Yuto: "You call this shithole a nation worth living in? That they had the choice to be born here?"
Wave:"I give them a reason to fight. Even if they don't want to, they can move somewhere else."
Yuto: "Don't mess with me! You think I don't know how all the other nations look down on yours?"
Tempera: "Oi..."
She jumped from the top of the stairs and landed next to Yuto, faster than he could have predicted. She pointed the sledgehammer at his face.
Tempera: "If you yell at our King one more time..."
Wave: "It's okay, Tempera. Not many people have the courage to talk to me like that. Which means he's strong. And we should respect the strong."
She jumped to the top of stairs once again.
Freet: "Still, that green-haired guy was stronger, right? Why are we wasting time on him?"
Wave: "He doesn't know why or how he got here, and neither do we. Someone must have teleported him. And I think I know that someone."
Unizard: "Finally, I found a way to join this conversation."
Yuto looked at his side, surprised.
Yuto: "W-What?!"
Unizard: "You were talking about me, right, Wave?"
Yuto: "How do you even know each other?!"
Wave: "I knew you were watching, Unizard. Long time no see."
Yuto stood there, perplexed, feeling disconnected from the conversation. Unizard patted his shoulder teasingly.
Unizard: "Relax, we're not allies. I've met him a few times in the past when my brother and I traveled through dimensions with his power."
Wave: "Where is he? I thought you two were inseparable."
Unizard: "Dead."
She didn't seem to hesitate or feel remorse. She spoke the truth bluntly, leaving no room for doubt. Even so, she didn't seem to have fond memories about that fateful day.
Wave: "I thought he was strong. Did you kill him?"
Unizard: "More or less. It was my fault, but the main culprit is this guy here."
She put her arm around Yuto's shoulder and pointed at him with her other hand.
Freet: "W-What?! That can't be possible! I mean, your brother wasn't that strong, but this guy?"
Wave: "See? I knew Yuto was special."
Tempera: "With all due respect, that doesn't give him the right to disrespect you, my King."
Wave: "I know this is hard for you, Tempera, Freet, but you need to remember one thing. Whoever defeats us in a fight will rule this kingdom and do as they please."
Tempera: "You're right, it is hard to accept that rule..."
Freet: "But that's never going to happen. Even if it does, this guy is definitely not the one."
Unizard: "It's only fair that he gets some help, right? Because you guys are going to play dirty when you're losing."
Tempera: "Don't you dare..."
Wave: "Sure. That's why I said you had to beat the three of us."
Unizard: "You hear that, Yuto? That means we have a chance!"
Yuto was suspicious of her enthusiasm, but decided to use her telepathy.
Do you have a plan?
What do you think I've been doing this whole time? It's not guaranteed, but we need to find Haji, right? And they won't let you go without a fight.
Can't you locate her?
Someone put a magical disruptor in her. Well, not exactly... it's some kind of power I've never seen before.
He looked at the portal behind her. It was still open.
Just to be sure, you weren't the one who brought me here, right?
Of course not. Speaking of which, the portal that brought you here has the same kind of energy as the one that hid Haji.
Is it the same enemy?
I guess so.
Freet: "What are you guys doing, flirting with your eyes?! We're right here!"
Unizard: "Wave, I don't think you'd mind if we took a walk, would you? It's all preparation, we're not running away."
Wave: "Don't worry, I trust you. How about I give you a time limit? If you're not back by then, we'll invade your world."
So they do have a way to access our world... I guess that portal I sensed with my power is the door.
Unizard: "By the way, Yuto, it would be nice to have Stalor's help."
Tempera: "S-Stalor?"
Wave: "Go ahead, Tempera."
Tempera: "W-What do you mean? What do I have to do?"
Freet: "Go find your boyfriend and bring him here, if that's what our challengers want so badly."
Tempera: "H-He's not my boyfriend!"
She runs away.
I'm surprised you're still alive, Yuto.
Me too. Did you miss me?
Of course I did.
Eh?
She smiled at him. He wasn't expecting that answer, but he really liked it.
I still haven't apologized to you properly, Unizard.
For what? You don't owe me anything.
It was my fault your brother died... and you really loved him.
We were too stubborn to change our ways. Sometimes, drastic changes are beneficial in the long run.
But there is always a less catastrophic way...
Like arresting your enemies? What if they escape and kill you later?
Dialogue is always an option... otherwise, brainwashing is better than killing.
Some people would rather die than change their minds. Relax, Yuto, we can't change the past now. And we need to prevent a dystopian future with drastic measures, if necessary.
What are those measures? Making decisions isn't my strong point...
That's why you have people you can count on. Ria, Kiseki, Stalor... and me. I will guide you whenever you feel lost.
What if you feel lost?
Then we will figure it out together.
Freet was disgusted by the flirty looks; Wave was kind of enjoying it. Tempera returned with Stalor. He was reluctant, not liking the idea of going to that castle.
Unizard: "It's a pleasure to meet you in person, Stalor."
She held out her hand to him. He shook it, ready to use his power if necessary.
Unizard: "I'm the only new face here, so I understand your caution. I'm Unizard, strongest Level 7 and a friend of Yuto's. I've heard of your power, and it would be very useful for our mission."
Stalor: "Mission? I trust Yuto, but I don't want to get involved in anything dangerous."
Unizard: "Don't worry, you will be the last line of defense to protect our city and world."
Stalor: "Listen, I was Level 7, okay, but as much as I love your world, I can't let mine disappear. I know you're planning something big."
Wave: "It's inevitable that a fight of this magnitude will happen soon. If that's any consolation, I won't rest until I have an major fight tomorrow."
Unizard: "Tomorrow?!"
Wave: "Well, I don't want to risk our chances either. It's not like I want to lose."
Unizard: "But I need to rest my mana!"
Wave: "I'd say we're evenly matched."
Unizard... if you're hearing this, I'm in trouble... please help me...
Unizard: "Tsk. Yuto, Stalor, let's go."
Stalor: "Wait, I haven't even..."
Unizard crossed her portal back to their world. Yuto shrugged and stepped through. Stalor reluctantly followed. Everyone except her felt a strange sensation. They appeared at the association's headquarters.
Stalor: "What did you do to me?"
The portal closed.
Unizard: "Translation portal. Everyone who passes through it learns all the languages of the other world."
Yuto: "Isn't that a bit mana costly?"
Unizard: "Not really, because it benefits both sides."
Stalor: "Are you going to let me talk now?"
Unizard: "You want to erase Wave from existence with your power, right? That would work, if you could touch him. But with these boots, you're not fast enough. Even if you were, Tempera and Freet would never let you get close to him."
Stalor: "If they touch me, they'll die."
Unizard: "They won't touch you. Temperature powers are your weakness, right?"
Stalor: "Then teleport me near them!"
Unizard: "Too much karmic value to do that. For example, I could teleport our enemies into a black hole and kill them instantly. But it's not possible, because causality has a cost."
Stalor: "Even magic has limits?"
Unizard: "There are ways to bypass that, but we'd need a blessing or a curse."
Yuto: "Can we get those?"
Unizard: "Too little time. However, I do have a secret weapon. Come with me."
They left the room they were in. It was reinforced with metal and power-nullifying materials, in case anyone crossed the portal without their permission.
Yuto: "Why the rush?"
Unizard: "Ria is in danger. Stalor, stay here and guard the building."
Stalor: "It's been a long time since I've been here... I'm not used to this place."
Unizard: "It doesn't matter; if someone attacks, an alarm will sound. They might be targeting Ria to lure us out."
Stalor: "I'll try my best."
Unizard: "Yuto, let's go."
They went to the fight between Yuna and Shinji.
Who is that?
Yuna, a clone of you. We'll explain it later.
Where's Ria?
Close enough. Kill the knight and the girl with the chainsaw.
Of course.
Relocator watched the fight, trying to find the best moment to teleport Shinji to Elizabeth's throne room. When Yuna lost and the purple aura appeared around Chainsycho and Shinji's bodies, she switched his place with an object inside the throne room.
Yuto sensed something was wrong, but decided to ignore it.
Ria: "If there's even the slightest chance he's alive..."
Unizard: "Even if he is, we don't have much time. We can take care of this matter later."
Ria: You can track him down, Unizard!"
Unizard: "Ria, please. We're talking about something much bigger."
Ria: "You're going to regret this... What if he becomes an even bigger threat?"
Unizard: "Then we will prioritize him. Now's not the time."
Ria: "Whatever..."
They went to Ria's office.
Yuto: "Yuna, right? It's a pleasure to meet you. I never thought there were clones of me..."
Yuna: "It's not your fault."
Yuto: "I know, but if I knew your situation..."
Yuna: "Would you save me? Then I'd become a spoiled brat who can't defend herself."
Yuto remembered Haji, a fragile girl, but dangerous in the wrong hands.
Should have I trained her...?
Yuna: "What I mean is that I don't resent you."
Ria: "Where is Kiseki?"
Unizard: "She said she was training her own power and that she managed to ressurect some powerless people, but she fainted several times."
Yuto: "Wait a minute, ressurect?"
Unizard: "Yes, but only civilians who died in recent battles. She tried reviving heroes, but it didn't work."
Yuto: "That's still huge..."
Ria: "She's been trying her best these past few days. I hope she doesn't die from forcing her power."
Yuto: "That's not going to happen. If she dies, she won't be able to help anyone, which seems like her worst nightmare."
Ria: "You seem to know a lot about her."
Yuto: "I trust her."
Ria: "So do I. Your intuition is right."
Yuna: "Which means mine is too, right? Because we have the same genes and all..."
Ria: "Aside from that, you two had completely different lives."
Unizard: "Do you have a suggestion, Yuna?"
The door opened. Mitone and Eraser walked in.
Mitone: "So you're Yuna's father? It's great to meet you; I'm Mitone."
Yuna: "F-Father? He's not my father!"
Eraser: "You two look alike. Related, at the very least?"
Yuto: "She's my clone."
Mitone: "C-Clone?!"
Yuto: "I know, I'm just as shocked as you are."
Eraser: "Hadn't you noticed something strange about her, Mitone?"
Mitone: "I mean, she's still human, right?"
Yuna: "What is your perception of clones? I have the same characteristics as any other human, except that my birth and development were intensified."
Yuto: "Did it hurt...?"
Yuna: "The training? Of course it did. Years of doing nothing but killing. I'm surprised I can still feel emotions."
Ria: "That's because your mind wasn't broken. Which means you enjoyed killing."
Yuna: "I did not... I just embraced it as part of my life since there was nothing else to do..."
Yuto: "Now you're here, with us. Don't worry, you can trust us."
Yuna: "I wish I could. There is a weird dude outside."
Unizard: "Stalor, I know you're listening! No need to hide! Come in!"
He opened the door and entered, suspicious of everyone.
Stalor: "What?! Weren't you right behind me?"
He turned and saw Yuna's clone.
Stalor: "A clone...?"
Ria: "Stalor, the hero with infinite damage. As long as the enemy's power doesn't neutralize or bypass yours, of course."
Stalor: "Yeah, it has a lot of limits. Who are you?"
Ria: "Ria, second Level 7."
Stalor: "The hierarchy of power has changed quite a bit..."
Yuto: "The former Level 7s died recently."
Ria: "Guess whose fault it is."
Yuto: "Sorry about that."
Stalor: "You were busy while I was in my world, huh? I'm sure you had a great reason, Yuto."
Yuto: "Unizard, Ria, Kiseki, Tatsuya, Genesis, Exwind... I couldn't have done it without them."
Eraser: "Wait a minute..."
He stepped forward, perplexed.
Eraser: "Did you just say Genesis?"
Yuto: "Yeah, she was one of our friends."
Eraser: "Is she dead?"
Yuto: "Yeah, unfortunately. Was she important to you?"
Eraser: "She's my creator."
Yuto widened his eyes in surprise.
Yuto: "Eh? But I thought her power couldn't create life... You're a living being, aren't you?"
Eraser: "I'm an android, but yes, I'm considered alive. When I regained consciousness, her signal disappeared. Perhaps her life was exchanged for mine."
Yuto: "Which means..."
Eraser: "I'm sorry, but I'm not her. I'm more like her son."
Yuto: "Don't worry, I didn't expect her to come back, but... I'm really happy that she left a legacy."
Yuna: "See? We have a job to do!"
Ria: "And risk your own safety again? Leave that to the professionals."
Yuna: "It doesn't hurt to have extra pairs of hands!"
Unizard: "What are you talking about?"
Yuna: "We'll help you with whatever problem you're facing!"
Unizard: "I don't know man, it's too risky..."
Yuto: "You said we needed Stalor for the plan, right?"
Unizard: "Yuto, he's a professional hero."
Ria: "Was."
Unizard: "He knows how to fight, especially after living in those cursed lands for so long."
Yuto: "Are you good at babysitting, Stalor?"
Yuna: "I'm not a baby!"
Stalor: "I can keep an eye, but if someone takes us by surprise..."
Ria: "Don't worry, we can count on Kiseki."
Unizard: "Hey, are you sure?"
Ria: "You said it was urgent, didn't you? We need all the help we can get. Besides, it's their choice; we're not forcing it on them."
Unizard: "They're still children!"
Yuna: "I can take care of myself!"
Stalor: "Kiseki..."
He walked around the room, thoughtful.
Yuto: "Do you know Kiseki?"
Stalor: "Maybe I do... that name is familiar..."
Ria: "You're meeting tomorrow. Before that, can I task you with something?"
Stalor: "Depends on the difficulty."
Unizard: "Yuto, follow me."
They left the room and went to a laboratory within the headquarters. There, Mifuyu was observing something inside a tube.
Unizard: "I need to show you my secret weapon."
Yuto: "You... you're that scientist..."
He recoiled in shock, recalling all the bad memories he'd had with her. Most recently, she'd lost a fight against Caliel. Five years earlier, she'd been leading the Slade project. He quickly approached her and grabbed her by the collar.
Yuto: "I knew you were familiar!"
Her eyes were soulless, as usual.
Mifuyu: "I'm sorry..."
Yuto: "You don't mean it! You're clearly not sorry!"
Mifuyu: "I can't feel emotions properly... but I still feel guilty for everything I did..."
Unizard: "Yuto, it was not her fault. She was being used by the Boss."
Yuto: "Following orders doesn't make you any less of a criminal if you had the option of not even touching this field. There's no way you didn't know things would end up like this!"
Mifuyu: "I was working... to sustain myself... and live a repetitive, mundane life..."
Unizard: "Yuto, even if she hadn't applied for the job, someone would have taken her place. The Boss was and still is the real culprit."
Yuto let go of her.
Yuto: "You'd better have a hell of a reason for being here."
Unizard: "Look inside."
She pointed to the tube Mifuyu was in front of. Yuto looked inside. A familiar figure was there, sleeping.
Yuto: "S... Slade...?"
Unizard: "Don't worry, she's not alive."
Yuto: "What do you mean by 'don't worry'? Why is her body here? And how? I killed her!"
Mifuyu: "I gathered some pieces of her body and froze them, then took them to Kiseki to reconstruct her body."
Yuto: "I don't care how it was done!"
Mifuyu: "You asked how; I gave you the answer..."
Unizard: "Yuto, let me explain."
Yuto: "I am not going to fight her again."
Unizard: "You're right, she won't be our enemy. I can perform a ritual that transforms me into anyone for a limited time. It consumes a lot of mana and generates tons of magic residue, especially since she was strong, but it's a good final secret weapon."
Yuto: "That was your secret weapon? What if it consumes you, hm? You're willing to take that level of risk?"
Unizard: "Trust me, I'm not desperate. Wave is just that strong."
Yuto: "Stronger than you and Slade? Well, now we might have a problem."
Unizard: "Unfortunately, we can't just run away. My brother opened several portals before he died. One of them leads into the castle."
Yuto: "So they can come after us... Freet seems likely to play dirty."
Unizard: "He's a piece of shit. Well, all three of them are, but at least Wave admits defeat."
Yuto: "Has he ever lost?"
Unizard: "Yeah... He went to our world a few years ago, and your sister beat him up."
He froze for a moment, confused.
Yuto: "What?"
Unizard: "Yeah, his description of who defeated him matches your sister."
Yuto: "How in the world... I don't remember any of it."
Unizard: "They fought in their world, not ours."
Yuto: "But... how long did your brother have his power?"
Unizard: "It was a different portal, not made by my brother. I don't know who put it there, and now it's closed."
Yuto: "This makes no sense... But at least my sister managed to beat him, right? I'm still not as strong as she was when she was alive, but together we have a chance."
Unizard: "I hope so... Of course he's gotten much stronger since that day."