“Huff… huff… huff…” Kaelen panted, his breaths ragged as he tried to hold himself up.
BANG!
Chuckk!
Thud!
Kaelen hit the ground as a bullet struck his leg, pain searing through him. He glared up at the three “Jacks” standing over him, each wearing an amused smirk.
“I thought he’d at least give us a decent challenge… but this?” The real Jack shook his head, his face etched with disappointment.
J1 snickered, “Yeah… he’s a real pussy~”
“Hahaha…” J2 laughed, adding, “All he’s good for is hiding behind his momma’s skirt. Pathetic!”
Kaelen’s jaw clenched, his anger bubbling over, “Throw those weird artifacts and fight me like a man, you bastard!” he spat, eyes flashing with defiance as he stared at their rifles.
The weapons were the real problem—something beyond anything he’d ever faced before. Kaelen knew that if Jack fought him hand-to-hand, he could take him down. But these relentless bullets were making it impossible to fight and dodge at the same time.
“Now he’s whining like a kicked dog~” J1 taunted, raising his rifle and pointing it at Kaelen.
“Goodbye, Kaelen,” he sneered, pulling the trigger.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Kaelen saw the bullets hurtling toward him, knowing full well that he couldn’t dodge them in his current state.
‘This is it’, he thought. ‘If only I’d trained harder’ His mind spiraled, flooded with regret, ‘I’m sorry, Mother… Father… I failed you…’ But just as he braced for the grand ending tha–
Ssnnng!
A strange sensation rippled beneath his skin.
Tang!
Tang!
Tang!
The bullets deflected off him, and the metallic sounds echoed around the silent space.
Everyone blinked in shock, including the Kaelen, ‘Where is my grand ending?’ he wondered.
“What… the hell?” The real Jack frowned and fired again. Kaelen instinctively cowered, preparing to be hit, but just as the bullet was about to pierce him—
Ssssnnngg!
Something dark and shimmering moved under Kaelen’s shirt, almost like liquid metal, deflected the bullet before it vanished back into his body.
The trio stared, dumbfounded.
“Did… did you see that?” Real Jack stammered, glancing at his puppets, who could only nod, equally shocked.
Meanwhile, Kaelen’s mind clicked as he remembered something:
‘Could that be… the cube Father gave me?’ Before he’d set off on this summit, Aether had handed him a unique, metallic box, saying, “It will be useful when you are in danger, and if it activated… you better have a damn good reason, because if you don’t, I’ll beat the life out of you for being careless!”
At the time, Kaelen hadn’t understood, but now…. he shouted with fierce gratitude,
“I LOVE YOU, FATHER!”
[+100 AP]
Suddenly, Kaelen’s body transformed, fur spreading as he morphed into a powerful wolf. His claws extended, dripping with venom, his eyes blazing with new ferocity as he faced the trio.
“Shit!” Real Jack shouted, stumbling backward. “Open fire! NOW!”
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
They unleashed a hailstorm of bullets, aiming straight for Kaelen. But this time—
Sssssnnnnggg!
The liquid metal moved with lightning speed, forming a protective shield around Kaelen, deflecting every bullet before they could reach his body. The nanobots, or whatever they were, acted like a living armor, flowing with every movement he made.
“What… the… hell is this?” Real Jack stammered, fear creeping into his voice. The technology was similar to Kennedy’s inventions, yet it was more advanced anything he’d ever seen.
Now that Kaelen no longer needed to dodge, he grinned, his claws gleaming with lethal intent. “ROARRR!” he bellowed, the sound echoing through the clearing.
“FUCK!” Real Jack and his puppets scrambled, turning to flee.
…
…
“P-Please, Kai… please don’t fight!” Vesperine begged, her voice trembling as she watched Kai continue to pummel Leon, whose guilt kept him from even attempting to fight back.
“Arrgh!” Kai growled, ignoring her plea, his bloody fists pounding Leon’s face over and over in a relentless barrage.
Seeing her words fall on deaf ears, Vesperine sighed inwardly, her expression shifting, ‘Tsk, looks like I’ll have to take a different approach,’ she thought before taking a deep breath and shouting, “STOP!!!”
Both men froze, their attention snapping to Vesperine, who stood there with tear-streaked cheeks, her voice breaking as she cried, “I-It’s all my fault… I’m the reason your friendship is torn apart! I’m the one who meddled in your relationship. I… I don’t deserve to live!” With that, she turned and ran, her sobs echoing in the distance.
Kai and Leon both watched, frowning as she disappeared from view.
Leon let out a long sigh, turning to Kai. “Look, Kai, I know what I did was unforgivable… but that’s exactly why I have to take responsibility. I’ll take care of her—treat her like a queen,” he said solemnly.
Kai’s face contorted in fury. “You think I’d hand her over to you? I’d rather die than see her with you!”
Leon frowned. “Then what do you expect me to do? Just let her be alone, after everything?”
Kai sneered, “First, you’re going to get down on your knees and beg her forgiveness. And then… I’ll personally make sure everyone sees you pay for what you did, even if I have to cut your throat myself.”
Leon’s gaze dropped, a frown deepening as he spoke, “But I love her.”
“H-Huh?” Kai’s anger momentarily turned confusion, “Love her? What the hell are you talking about? YOU RAPED HER, YOU BASTARD!”
Leon clenched his fists, “Yes, I forced myself on her… but it wasn’t what you think, Kai. She accepted me…. She wanted it too. We both did!!”
“What?” Kai’s eyes blazed, red with fury as he glared at Leon. “You lying piece of—”
But before he could finish, a piercing scream rang through the air.
“KKYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”
“Vesp!”
“Vesperine!”
Both men shouted, their fight forgotten as they sprinted toward the source of the scream. Bursting onto the scene, they froze, horror dawning on their faces.
There was Vesperine, crying and trapped, surrounded by cursed wyverns. The monstrous creatures oozed molten lava from their scales, the air around them shimmering with intense heat.
Kai moved to rush to her side, but Leon held him back, his grip firm. “Wait! If that thing touches you, Kai, it’ll burn right through you. You’ll end up just like them!”
“What?” Kai stared at Leon in shock before looking back at Vesperine, who was trembling, her eyes wide with terror as the wyverns edged closer.
“Scared now, are you?” Leon sneered, his voice laced with disgust. “You say you love her, but you’re hesitating. Maybe I’ll go save her myself and win her for real!” His face twisted with determination.
Kai glared, a fierce glint in his eyes, “Don’t you dare! I’d lay down my life for her without a second thought!”
…
…..
[Welcome to Peace, Ladies~]
Aqualina stood in a dark chamber.
She held a small orb in her hand, and as she gazed at it, a faint blink pulsed from within. Only one light had activated so far—of the four people, only one had arrived at this final stage of the game.
Pouring a small amount of her energy into the orb, she watched as it brightened, sending a signal to the others. All four were required to enter the final phase simultaneously, so she would have to wait for the remaining two to catch up.
Suddenly, the room around her began to glow, and scenes from her past flickered to life. Memories played like projections before her eyes, unfolding from her birth to this very moment. She watched, a gentle smile forming as she reflected on her life, ‘I thought this would be a grueling game,’ she mused, shrugging slightly, ‘Why was Aether so worried about me?’
Then, her orb blinked again, signaling that another had reached the end. Only one more to go.
Aqualina tapped her fingers against the orb, musing aloud, “I wonder what this game is really about…” But just as she finished speaking, the orb pulsed for a third time, indicating that Raven, Helena, Thalia had arrived.
She took a steadying breath, “Let’s see what they have…. Activate system–” but before she could finish, words suddenly materialized before her,
[Do you want to know the truth of your nightmares, Lady Aqualina Naiadia…?]
Aqualina stared, her grip tightening on the orb, which began to pulse more rapidly. She whispered, “I… are you really—” but before she could finish her question, the words continued,
[I know everything, Lady. I hold answers to questions you haven’t even asked…The real question is, do you want to know? ]
Aqualina’s gaze remained fixed on the words, her heart pounding as a sense of foreboding washed over her. For a moment, she could only stare….
[Who is your real Father and why your mother killed him?… I know everything!]
500(600(650)…) PS=1(1(1)…)Ex/ 50(100(120)..) GT=1(2(2)…)Ex
