Lydia P.o.V

"Why..." (Me)

I look at Yu slowly being swallowed up by the ball of darkness.

He glances over to me for a second.

"WHY!!!" (Me)

A kind smile, like I've never seen before from him, appears on his face.

"PLEASE DON'T DIE!" (Me)

"YU!!!!" (Aline)

Yu P.o.V

'They aren't really thinking that I'm really gonna die, are they? I really gotta do something about my image...'

Second magic circle has been activated!

"Ethereal body": Charges left 2/3

Ethereal body: In case of a life threatening attack, this magic circle will acivate. Your body will transcend this plane, resulting in you surviving.

State of transcended plane: You're invisible and invincible, but also can't touch anything nor affect the previous plane in any other way.

The second magic circle, which I've been keeping as a secret weapon, activates and spreads mana through my whole body.

'This ball is really pretty damn dark. Wow, I didn't see this much darkness around me since my uncle threw me in his basement.'

You had a really nice family.

'Right?'

Suddenly, the rival, who was constrained by me up until now, starts talking.

"Fufu, was he really foolish enough to believe that my own attack would damage me? Now I won and he got completely disintegrated by my attack. What a fool. " (???)

'You fucking twat, I can hear you.'

The ball of darkness disappears ever so slowly, and, seemingly, only the rival comes out of it.

"YU?!" (Aline)

'Yeah, I'm here.'

"WHAT HAPPENED TO YU?!" (Lydia)

'I'm standing right beside you and looking under your skirt.'

You realize that they think you're dead, right?

'But panties.'

Good point. I'm taking the pictures.

'That's what I thought.'

"Y- Yu?" (Janna)

'Okay, now Janna is involved. I'd do well to reappear.'

I jump in the air in the rival's direction and cancel the ethereal state, only to land on top of her shoulders.

"What in the-" (???)

"I don't see him either. Maybe he could be over there?" (Me)

Everyone's stare goes from where I pointed-

'They really believed me when I said that I might be over there? Damn...'

-back to me.

"What? Did you guys really think that I would be done for?" (Me)

"Yu!" (Lydia)

"Yeah, you kinda already said that." (Me)

"Would you be so kind to get off me?" (???)

"Nope." (Me)

My legs wrap themselves around the rival's neck and I do a sick backflip with her whole body following me, resulting in me riding her in the end.

"Now then, would you lend me your beautiful face for a bit?" (Me)

"Thank you for the compliment, but I'll take my leave at this point. I don't really enjoy being ridden." (???)

Once again-

'And for the last time.'

-she gets swallowed up by darkness.

'Not like I didn't expect that.'

*BOOOOOOOOM*

An explosion resounds through the arena, within laying the sassy rival.

"YOU ACTIVATED MY TRAPCARD!" (Me)

She jumps up with wounds all over her body.

"Care to explain?" (???)

"Come on, you can't possibly expect from me not to notice the weakness of your elements teleportation." (Me)

"Y-Yu? I don't... don't really understand." (Aline)

"IT'S TIME FOR YU'S SPECIAL MAGIC CLASS THEN! Today's topic: Magic teleportation!" (Me)

"I'm being really polite to let you do this right now." (???)

"Every element in magic has some kind of teleportation spell, but those spells also have a weakness!" (Me)

"Weakness?" (Lydia)

"That's right, my dear one-word-friend! A weakness! I don't really want to disclose my own weakness, but her's is very simple. She only has checkpoints!" (Me)

"Fufu, so you figured it out?" (???)

"She sets checkpoints throughout the arena and can teleport to them! That's why I threw a piece of paper every time she teleported. Every checkpoint is now basically an explosion trap." (Me)

"Ambushing a lady. How cruel... *sob*:" (???)

"Now then, I think this charade has been going on for long enough. I thought you'd be more of a challenge, but time to end this..." (Me)

DEATH FLAG ALARM!!!!!

'That was... FUCK!'

In an attempt to prevent any dangers, I restrict every single one of her allies within a space prison, her included.

"Okay, since I just fucked up royally, I've gotta finish this really quick right now. So... fuck I don't even have the time to think of an awesome line... bye bye." (Me)

She smiles.

I point my finger at her and-

"Bang!" (Me)

-I miss.

'Fuck.'

"Fufu, is something the matter?" (???)

She continues to smile at me annoyngly while my head starts spinning.

Shit, how did she conceal that even from me? I'm part of the Akashic Record for fucks sake!

You've been cursed!

Illusions may occur!

Your magic has been sealed!

This curse can not be cured by normal means!

All your stats have been reduced by 90%!

You have been affected by the "weakness" status!

You're losing 1% health per second!

'Excuse me? What the fuck.'

"..." (Me)

"Is something the matter?" (???)

"Are you alright, Yu? Why don't you finish her off?" (Lydia)

"Sorry Lydia, give me a second." (Me)

My palms get sweaty. My knees get weaker by the second. There's vomit on my-

You're not gonna quote Emin*m while nearly dying, are you?

'No?'

My vision blurrs. My chest hurts and pounds simultaneously. I can feel something alien inside of my body.

At that moment I remember something.

"It was the fucking whip, wasn't it?" (Me)

"Fufu, it is as you say. The moment you caught that whip you already lost." (???)

"Whip?" (Aline)

"Yeah... the one I *pant* caught so you wouldn't get *pant* hit." (Me)

'Fuck, I feel like shit...'

"Yu?" (Janna)

Her voice gets fainter.

"YU!" (Janna)

Even fainter.

I can't hear anything anymore. I can't see anything anymore. All my senses are shut down.

Once again, darkness greets me.

"What? Again a black realm?" (Me)

I look around and find what I was hoping for my whole life.

"A FUCKING COUCH!" (Me)

"Jason?" (???)

'Hm? Who is it this time? This voice sounds familiar...'

I turn my non-existent body around and see a person I did not want to see and wished not to see my whole life again.

"...Mom?" (Me)

Her short, blonde hair, relatively outstanding face and small stature immediately gave her away.

My mind falls into chaos.

'Why is she here?'

'Is she the real one?'

'If yes, what is she doing inside of this dark realm?'

Thousands upon thousands of questions fly through my mind at the speed of sound, but I can't even answer one of them.

"Jason." (Mom)

"Why are-" (Me)

"Did you think you could just leave on your own?" (Mom)

"..." (Me)

Her voice reminds me of my past life. How my whole life just went by me on autopilot. How I just let everything happen to me and my surroundings, because of my very own weakness. This weakness... I'm being reminded of it again.

"Come on Mom, don't be like that. We had fun times, didn't w-" (Me)

"Did you think that you were the only one who wanted to leave that life?" (Mom)

"You could've done the sa-" (Me)

"DID YOU?!" (Mom)

"..." (Me)

I already knew the answer.

"Yeah, I know that you wanted to die too. I remember how you told me that several times a day and blamed me for your shitty life. But hey, first comes, first served." (Me)

I do the best I can in such situations. I try to smile, even when I don't have a body.

"It was your fault that my life was hell. I regret ever giving birth to you." (Mom)

"Yeah, I already heard that numerous times. Is that really the only thing you want to say at such a heartwarming reunion? Come on, Mom. Give me a hug." (Me)

"Yes, this is really the only thing I want to say." (Mom)

'She emphasized the "I", didn't she...'

"*Sigh* Someone's behind me, right?" (Me)

I turn around with the precognition of my Mom not being the only one with whom I'll be having a reunion today.

And I was right.

'This is... surprising...?'

"Hey Jason." (Sophia)

In front of me is the old version of Janna. The one before she reincarnated with me.

"Hello there." (Me)

'Damn, no one is here right now to understand my references... I need Screeny...'

"So? What do you have to say?" (Me)

She looks away for a second, before meeting my eyes again.

"I'm just here to correct something." (Sophia)

"What? You wanna apologize for dumping me and reconcile with me like your present ego did?" (Me)

"No. I actually want to correct that exact ego." (Sophia)

"..." (Me)

"I've been watching her charade for a while now, and it really is pathetic how she has to put up with you only because of guilt." (Sophia)

"I accept guilt sex. I heard it's... fuck it. Fuck you. I can't bother making these jokes anymore." (Me)

'Wait, what did I just say?'

"Why else would she hang around you? Your personality is shit. You're not particularly funny and only get the rest from your stats. You've got nothing going for you." (Sophia)

"I have..." (Me)

I hesitate and run everything else through my mind, only to find nothing.

"That's right. You have nothing else. Leaving your bonuses out, you're worthless." (Sophia)

"Haha... I already realized that long ago... I just kinda... forgot...?" (Me)

'Why did I forget it? Just because all this nice shit happened to me recently, I'm worth more? Did I really think that?'

"Why don't you just... let go?" (Sophia)

"Why? Yeah... why?" (Me)

From behind me, my mother starts talking again.

"Just let go. There's no one you're bound to." (Mom)

Sophia takes her turn again.

"And no one is bound to you." (Sophia)

"That's right... why am I still here?" (Me)

...Is what you think I would say, right?

...Is what I would like to say right now, but what for?

"Just let go. Give your life over to me." (???)

Both their voices change to one I already know all too well.

"You little asshat... that's what you planned all along, huh?" (Me)

"It's no use either way. I will make your life something worth." (???)

"*Sigh* You planned all this really well, I have to give you that..." (Me)

I rethink everything that has happened so far and realize that my train of thought has been affected by many factors, but that still doesn't mean that the conclusion I came to didn't make sense.

"If you-" (???)

"Take it." (Me)

My words of surrendering get returned by silence.

"I accept you as the new host of my body. Take it over." (Me)

Lydia P.o.V

'What is happening? Why is Yu kneeling there? Yu can't lose, right? Yu wouldn't lose, right?'

"Yu?! Are you alright?!" (Me)

"Fufu, of course he's not alright! He was cursed by my strongest spell! It's a miracle that his body survived this long without being affected by it." (???)

I only look at the girl in black for a second. The spell Yu casted on her and her allies is already released and they can move around freely, but my worries lie elsewhere.

"Come on, stand up Yu! There is no way you would just take those accusations like that, right? Where is your usual sassy comeback?!" (Me)

Suddenly, Yu moves again. First, he raises his right foot, and then the other.

A wave of relieve washes over me like I've never felt it before.

"Yu! I knew it, you're alright!" (Me)

But this feeling of relieve gets crushed in the next second.

"I told him. It's fate." (Yu...?)