Without listening to me, my body continued forward, following the path of red footprints, slowly at first. By the time I figured out the path was leading me to a two-headed dog, the beast was already dead, killed by my body’s actions. The beast had a differing appearance than everything else in the world of black and white. Its outline was orange while its insides were gray. Red lines had appeared in its silhouette, and mini-DalDal cut through them like a hot knife through butter, killing it instantly. This was the power of the unrelenting path of slaughter?

Thankfully, my body stored the corpse of the beast inside the interspacial ring. After it did that, another web of red footprints appeared around me, but my body didn’t move by itself this time. Was it telling me to copy its actions? I picked a path to the right of me and took a step forward. And I promptly lost all control of my body again. What the heck!? This is my body, you stupid path!

My body ran with the footsteps despite my best attempts at stopping it, and I arrived in front of three eight-legged, horned monkeys. The number of red lines on their bodies were less than the dogs, but my body still took action and cut one apart with mini-DalDal. The other two horned monkeys opened their mouths. Stupid body, cover my ears! The monkeys had a stupidly loud howl that stunned me and made me see white the first time I fought against them. …And my body wasn’t listening to me at all! Cover your ears, dammit!

The monkeys pounded their hands against their chests and closed their mouths. Huh? There was no howl? Now that I think about it…, I haven’t heard any sounds or smelled anything since I activated the path. And if I really think hard about it like a crow instead of a squirrel, was I really seeing? I can only see the bare minimum of everything. While I thought about my vision, my body moved forward and cut along the red lines on the monkey’s body, killing the beast effortlessly. When my head turned towards the final monkey, there were more red lines on its body. Did the unrelenting path of slaughter discover new weaknesses?

Whether they were weaknesses or not, it didn’t change the fact that the third monkey was killed against my will. My body stored the three monkeys inside of my ring and stood still. Once again, a web of red footsteps appeared around my body.

I refuse to pick! Give me back my body!

Choose…

Shut up, creepy voice! I choose independence!

Choose…

No.

Choose…

I refuse.

Choose…

I won’t.

Choose…

Aren’t you tired of saying the same thing over and over?

Choose…

…Aren’t you going to control me anyway? Does it matter which path I pick? Hey, the paths are changing. I guess they reflect where the beasts at the end are? If they’re moving, the path to reach them should change.

Choose…

Why don’t you let me control my own body first? Can’t we be friends, creepy voice? We’re stuck together after all.

Choose…

You’re not listening to me at all. A partnership can’t work without communication!

Choose…

…

Choose…

I think I figured out why it was called the unrelenting path of slaughter instead of the normal path of slaughter.

Choose…

Fine! Dammit! I don’t have time to waste on fighting myself when there’s a sleeping prince waiting for me to bring him back to life with a kiss! A figurative kiss that is. Mhm. Totally.

Choose…

Gah! I already said I’ll pick! I chose the path leading straight ahead and took a step. Once again, I lost control of my body. This time, I paid careful attention to how my body moved. All of its movements followed the Steady Mountain footwork Durandal had taught me, using them more effectively than I could. How’s that fair!? …I’m not jealous of my own body. Even when my body engaged in combat with the massive one-eyed snake, its movements were more efficient. I would’ve chosen to fight it at a distance, slowly wearing it down with long-ranged qi blades, but the unrelenting path of slaughter dove straight in, disregarding the danger. The spikes on the snake’s body flashed and tried to impale me, but my body avoided them with the distance of a hair’s breadth. It even had time to counterattack, striking at the red lines on the snake’s body.

You stupid path! This is my body! What are you going to do if you injure it!? Stop fighting so recklessly!

Never negotiate. Always attack. Evade everything. Don’t defend. Simply slaughter.

Fuck you! The best offense is an impenetrable defense! Stop risking my life like—gah! If you mistimed that dodge, I’d be sterile! Release me right now! Give me back my body! Of course, the unrelenting path of slaughter didn’t listen to me as it continued to practically glue itself to the snake where the danger was the highest. When the snake was dead and its corpse was stored in my interspacial ring, another web of footprints spread out around me.

Your turn…

Really. Is it really my turn, you shitty voice? How about this? I took a step on the white ground outside of any of the red footprints. …And I lost control of my body again. One dead acid-spitting bird later, I was once again presented with a ‘choice’ of different paths.

Follow the path…

Will I gain control of my body if I do?

Follow the path…

Answer my questions, dammit!

…Yes.

What. It answered? Fine, I’ll follow your stupid path to get back my own body. Since Durandal gave me this path, it can’t be something that’ll want to hurt me, right? Actually, knowing Durandal…, this path is definitely going to be painful in some way, shape, or form. But what else can I do but believe its words? After thirty footsteps, I messed up one of my movements and fell off the path, losing control of my body once again. It seems like it’ll be a long time from now before I’ll regain control of my body.