The chamber stretched out before us like a cathedral to knowledge—pillars of glass and steel stacked with ancient tomes, screens glowing faintly with data streams, and shelves disappearing into the shadowed heights of the Grand Library. The hum of machinery thrummed beneath us.
I let out a low whistle, running a hand through my hair. "So this is the Grand Library, huh… Supposed to hold the answers to every question imaginable." My voice echoed off the endless shelves, sounding smaller than I meant it to.
Rover walked ahead, her sword still at her side, her fingers brushing against the railing. Her eyes darted over the vacant aisles searching. "I'm not seeing anyone here. The Magistrate isn't here yet."
I forced a grin, though my gut felt uneasy. "Well, it wouldn't hurt us to browse the archives while we wait. Who knows, maybe I'll finally get a clue why the hell we got here in the first place." I stretched my arms wide, masking the restless energy buzzing in my chest. "Pretty good place to kill time."
The changed was instantaneously
The echo of footsteps—not ours—drifted into the hall.
Rover stiffened instantly, her hand flying to her blade. I mirrored her, pistol halfway drawn before a voice rolled in—smooth, mocking, and dripping with something I couldn't place.
"Thank you both for leading the way, Rover. Jeff."
We spun toward the intruder.
Scar
He strolled into view like he owned the fucking place, his frame tall and sharp, his presence filling the hall with suffocating arrogance. His eyes gleamed with something unholy, like he was savoring every second of this.
"Oh… what a magnificent place to set foot in," Scar drawled, his voice like velvet over knives. He spread his arms, as if greeting an audience that wasn't there. "Extensive. Exhaustive. Every secret, every lie and truth stored here."
Then his lips curved into a grin that made my stomach twist.
"Oh, how I want to carve this place inside out…" His tone grew fevered, almost hungry. "And blow it all to shreds!"
Rover's jaw clenched, her stance shifting, but she said nothing. My own breath caught tight in my throat. I raised my gun a little higher, forcing bravado into my tone. "Funny. You don't exactly look like the type who appreciates books."
Scar's grin widened, teeth flashing. He leaned forward, studying us with almost childlike curiosity. "Hmm? Not surprised, are you? No panic? No outrage? I wonder…" His voice dipped lower, sharp as a blade against my ear. "Why?"
Before I could snap back, a sudden chill swept across the hall.
The temperature plummeted, my breath fogging instantly. Ice cracked against the stone floor fast and mercilessly.
Rover shoved me back just as a crystalline spike of frost exploded past us, racing across the marble. Scar snarled, his body freezing mid-step as jagged ice pinned him in place.
From the shadows, Sanhua emerged her presence as sharp as the cold she commanded, eyes with her tacet mark glowing like shards of winter steel.
And with her, Jinhsi.
Golden light flared as she strode forward, calm and resolute, every step a weight that pressed into the realm of divinity.
Scar chuckled darkly, unfazed even as frost crawled up his arms. "Heh. So you've laid a trap for me."
With a sudden crack, he shattered the ice, shards exploding outward. Rover and I shielded our faces as Scar batted away Jinhsi's strike, his movements fluid, taunting.
"Hehehe…" His laugh echoed, rising into a manic crescendo. "Hahahaha! Interesting! Do you really think you can trap me here?"
Jinhsi's voice rang out, steady and unyielding. "You will not escape."
Scar tilted his head back, grinning like a madman, and raised his hand. A rift tore open behind him, reality bending into a crimson vortex that pulsed like a living wound. His Elysium.
The air grew heavy, the walls groaning as if the Library itself recoiled.
Scar spread his arms wide, mocking even as the storm raged behind him. "What a shame I can't stay and play a little longer…" His grin cut across his face, wicked and gleaming. "Till we meet again, dear friends."
Rover stepped forward, sword blazing with Resonance, her voice sharp and fierce: "You're not going anywhere!"
Something in me snapped. The thought of him slipping away, of everything we fought through, doing all those pain in the ass riddles and puzzles being reduced to nothing—it pisses me off.
"Oh no, you fucking don't!" I snarled, heart hammering as I broke into a sprint.
The vortex began to close, tearing the ground beneath it. Without thinking, Rover and I lunged together, side by side, into the collapsing maw of Scar's Elysium.
The last thing I saw was Scar's grin, wide and gleaming, as if he wanted us to follow.
The world bent and twisted as we landed in Scar's Elysium. The air was heavy, suffocating—thick with smoke and the scent of burning paper. The ground stretched in jagged platforms suspended in a void of crimson and black, cards fluttering through the air like ash from a fire.
Scar stood before us, his grin wide, his eyes gleaming with madness. "Did you both just offer yourselves up to be my prey? Hehe…" His laugh rippled through the space, echoing off nothing. "Now… it's just the three of us."
I unsheathed my Dauntless Overnight sword, the blade humming faintly with resonance, and drew my Undying Flame pistol in the same motion. Beside me, Rover did the same—her stance low, her blade leveled at Scar.
Scar tilted his head, almost amused. "Well, well… you're that eager to fight?"
Neither of us answered. Words didn't matter. We charged—side by side, perfectly in sync.
Rover struck first, her blade a silver flash slicing through the air. Scar's cards exploded around him, scattering like a shield, and he twisted effortlessly out of reach. His flaming fist cracked against her side, the sound brutal, sending her skidding across the platform.
I fired three rounds at him, each shot ringing in my ears, but he flickered—gone in a blink. My bullets whizzed past where Rover had just been. My heart froze. Shit, I almost hit her.
Scar's laugh followed, sharp and mocking. "You're gonna need to do better than that!"
This isn't the game anymore, I thought, cold sweat dripping down my neck as I adjusted my stance. He's faster, harder—unpredictable. How the hell are we supposed to win this fucking boss fight?
Rover recovered quickly, teeth gritted, charging again. Her blade sparked against Scar's flaming arm, the clash sending a shockwave through the floor. He swatted her aside again, effortless, as if she were a fly.
Even Rover, who was stronger and defeated Scar in the canon, was struggling. My stomach dropped. Are we cooked?
Scar's eyes slid back to me, a predator spotting weak prey. "What's the matter, Jeff? Gonna stand there and let the lady do all the work?"
"Fuck you," I snarled, surging forward. My pistol barked twice, then I swung my sword in a brutal arc, sparks flying as it scraped against his defense. But he danced around me, weaving between each strike, his movements taunting and playful.
"Damn it!" I growled, frustration boiling in my chest.
"Come here," Scar whispered.
In a blink, he vanished. My gut twisted—
—and then he was behind me.
His hand clamped my wrist, wrenching the pistol free. His grip was iron, his presence suffocating.
"That was easy," Scar sneered in my ear. "You disappoint me, Jeff."
I thrashed against him, rage clawing in my chest. "Let me fucking go!"
Rover's sharp gasp cut through the chaos. "Jeff!" She lunged forward—only for flaming cards to erupt around her, slamming into the floor and cutting her off. She stumbled back, teeth clenched, eyes blazing.
"You let him go!" she shouted, voice cracking with fury.
Scar's grin widened as he dragged me closer, his words dripping like poison. "As I thought… You really do care about him, don't you, dear Rover? What a lucky man you are, Jeff." He leaned closer, his voice low, venomous. "You've already sunk your fangs into her. Your charm works fast. I'm impressed."
My blood boiled. "Shut the fuck up!"
Scar's grin snapped wider, almost unhinged. "Gladly."
He spun me around, his flaming fist slamming into my chest. The impact was blinding—fire tearing through me burning my flesh, bones rattling. Cards erupted from nowhere, slashing across my body, cutting, burning, breaking. My scream ripped out of me before darkness pulled me under.
"JEFF!"
Rover's scream pierced the void, raw and heartbreaking.
I collapsed onto the platform, my sword clattering beside me, my pistol sliding out of reach. My body trembled, half-conscious, agony dragging me toward the abyss.
Scar stood above me, savoring Rover's anguish. His smile dripped with malice. "The look on your face, dear Rover… that anguish. It's delectable. I want a taste."
Her breath hitched. Then I saw it—her Tacet mark blazing alive on her right hand, glowing with furious light. Spectro energy roared around her, lifting her hair, crackling against her blade as she raised it with both trembling hands.
Her eyes locked on Scar, burning with something I had never seen before.
Hatred
Scar spread his arms, cards floating lazily around him, mocking. "Now… Come at me."
Rover charged at Scar intensively, and they clashed. She dodged his blow; out of all the fights she had, now she would never learn to shake the near misses. Her sword gleamed in the dim light, meeting the burning crimson of Scar's flaming fist. Sparks exploded mid-air, raining down as their weapons scraped and collided. Rover twisted at the last second, narrowly avoiding a strike that would've broken her ribs. The next few seconds of their exchange were fruitless for both parties, for Rover was too nimble to catch and Scar was too strong to overpower. He laughed uncontrollably, like it was a game for him.
But Rover barely heard him. Between strikes, her eyes flickered back toJeff, lying broken on the floor, his chest heaving shallow breaths, blood staining the stone beneath him. For a brief, torturous moment her grip faltered, fear surging through her veins. What if Scar decided to strike him again? What if she lost him here, now? Her hand trembled on the hilt. No. I swore to protect him. I won't let him die—not him.
Meanwhile, Jeff lay bleeding all over the ground, thought what the hell, I didn't even fucking last a few seconds. Thats lame as fuck, I knew I was weak by this world's standards, but I couldn't help but dream. Can't I? He assessed his injuries to the best he could. He couldn't feel the pain anymore, which wasn't good. He'd been punched in the chest hard, probably broken a rib or two. I'm bleeding all over from the deep slices of Scar's cards, probably lost up to 1500mL of blood, fucking hell. A dislocated arm, he couldn't even fucking move himself no matter how hard he tried. At the last assessment of himself, he knew from years of experience the injuries he sustained weren't something he could just recover from without immediate medical assistance. He was as good as dead.
Rover was still clashing fiercely with Scar with her blade.
Jeff watched Rover fight Scar, almost unconsciously, thought to himself, I'm sorry, I may not be able to keep my vow to you, dear Rover. Me and my big fucking mouth making promises you can't even keep, how fucking pathetic. Watching you fight hard, possibly to the death, to protect me – what did I even fucking do to deserve that? Is this really it? My transmigration journey in Solaris-3 ended in the first boss fight. He tried to laugh at the absurdity of it all but coughed up blood instead. Well, even without me, Rover will be fine, she'll do more than fine even. It's a fucking shame though – I can't witness your journey and be with you till the end.
His eyelids drifted shut. He was ready to surrender.
Then—pain. White-hot and searing. The tacet mark etched along his neck flared violently, a light so bright it pulsed through his veins. Jeff's eyes snapped open as warmth flooded his body, burning away the cold grip of death. His wounds stitched themselves shut before his eyes, blood reversing its flow as if time itself was rewinding. He gasped, clutching at his chest. Bones knit, flesh sealed. It was unnatural, It was as if a multitude of nanobots, countless and infinitesimally small, were busily repairing the damage, their collective action manifesting as a palpable, almost sentient force mending him with precision.
Jeff regained his vitality in almost an instant. What the fuck. He watched his pulsing tacet mark on his neck glow and his wounds being healed like time was turning back. And he touched Scar's card on the ground beside him and watched the fight between Rover and Scar. Something even more unexpected happened: the tacet on his neck, as if alive, suddenly flared up in an intense resonance energy, pumping him full of adrenaline. And suddenly something fundamentally changed in his body that he couldn't quite grasp yet – like he was suddenly given knowledge on how to utilize his abilities instinctively.
A power to replicate any Resonator Abilities he'd seen.
What kind of fucking Shonen logic is this? No this must be the possible failsafe of my body to preserve itself, my past self must have put it there. what the hell? Despite questioning his past self mysteries he push that thought away and focused on what's ahead. After assessing himself again, he stood up and recovered his weapons. Then suddenly…
"Hey, you fuck face!," Jeff shouted.
A beam of blinding energy erupted from his Comet Flare Rectifier, slamming into Scar's side and forcing the monster to stumble back. He finally had a grasp on how to use it. Rover froze mid-swing, her breath catching when she saw him—standing, alive, his weapons drawn, and the rectifier floating at his back like an extension of his will.
"Jeff..." Her voice broke with relief, a soft, relieved sound that said more than words.
Scar straightened, chuckling darkly. "Still alive. How am I not surprised?"
Jeff smirked, now standing with his sword drawn in his left hand, a gun drawn in his right, and a floating Rectifier pointing at Scar. eyes blazing with newfound confidence. "I want a round 2 motherfucker."
Rover darted to his side, scanning his body with worried eyes, searching for wounds that were no longer there. "How...?" Her lips parted, disbelief written across her face.
"I don't know," Jeff admitted, his voice low but steady. "But right now, explanations can wait. Let's just take care of this fucker.."
For the first time since entering this cursed realm, Rover smiled—a fierce, unyielding smile. She nodded, planting her feet beside him, sword raised in perfect synch.
Side by side, they took their stance. Their breathing fell into rhythm. Two warriors against one monster.
And Scar, licking his lips with anticipation, spread his arms wide in welcome. "Good. Show me what you've got."
The ground trembled as round two began.