Omake!

Crayford’s POV

Today has been an emotional roller coaster for me. It all began with clearing the fourth floor….

“Could this be it?” Claire asked. “This dungeon was only four floor deep?”

Impossible. Who has ever heard of a four floor dungeon?

“Don’t be silly.” I snapped at Claire – not good, I am losing my cool. This is my fault that we cannot clear this floor. I am genius after all….

“I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE!!!” Tulda was crying out loud. “THIS IS SO BORING. I SLEEP AND I SEE THE WALL. I SLEEP AND I SEE THE FLOOR. THAT IS ALL I SEE….”

Poor Tulda…this must be so boring for him….I better tell him to stop….he might break the floor like that…..that’s it!

“Tulda…do that again.”

“Do what?” Tulda asked.

This idiot has no idea what he even discovered!!!

“Hit the floor!” Haha! I solved this puzzle! After how many ages have I come across such an interesting puzzle!! This dungeon might turn out to be more fun than I had previously imagined!!

“Master are you sure about this?” Claire asked as she landed another powerful blow to the floor, which threw up nearly a ton of dirt.

They have been trying to break it for a while….looks like it won’t work unless they use full force…but then that would undo their entire training….“Tsk…Looks like I don’t have an option. Step back.”

Activated Power Omega!

Pile Bunker predesign loaded!

Manifestation complete!

This pile bunker should do it!

*SWISSSH!!!*

A massive black projectile rushed out of the ‘Pile Bunker’. Its destruction force was incomparable to the previous attacks of the warriors and Claire. A huge volume of earth was thrown up into the air, followed by an earth quake like shaking. The entire floor roared loudly as the projectile hit the ground. Then like shattered glass, crevices began forming along the impact site and spreading across the floor.

“We did it!” Claire squealed happily as the crevices rapidly expanded.

FINALLY! I DID IT…..wait something doesn’t feel right….

“Uh oh…” Boze muttered as he stared at the abyss.

***

What kind of sick twisted joke is this….destroy the floor to fall into an abyss?

Only a sick twisted mind can come up with such a dungeon. Maybe, I should halt the training and ask them to remove the limitors….it will only get more dangerous from here….

“I see a ledge there! Everyone follow me!”

***

Argh….who makes such a ridiculous dungeon…. somehow we barely made it…only I reached the ledge…everyone else is hanging on to me….can’t be helped….

What is this nostalgic yet unusually soft feeling pressing against my back…

“Claire….get off my back! And help the Hacks, their grip is weakening!”

Claire quickly climbed off Crayford first and then quickly grabbed Crayford’s hand. She then pulled the other four out. One after another, the four crawled out of the Abyss.

“Somehow…we made it…” Claire said as she panted.

The three warriors nodded in agreement. The faces of all four men were red for various reasons.

“Master this dungeon might be too difficult to complete with limiters on.” Claire complained.

She isn’t wrong. The difficulty of this dungeon is beyond my expectations….Tch…

“Agreed. As of now, limiters maybe removed however limit your strength to 50% only. Things always get dangerous from the fifth floor, so if you need to use more force then do so at your own discretion….”

What the heck….

“Where do we go from here?” Claire asked as her exhaustion rapidly faded away.

Am I seeing things? There is a ice-skeleton warrior sun bathing here….

“Oye, you idiots. I told you already go ahead. There is no need to fight me. I am not interested in fighting you…I see, you wish to fight me even though I am providing you safe passage? Shall we get started then?” The ice skeleton warrior asked as got up and picked up his massive ice sword.

I must be dreaming…did he speak in Japanese?

*Focus* Live in the now! I need to defeat this monster and continue….the hell? Tulda, Boze and Hem –cannot defeat him…

This must be a dream….I rub my eyes and pinch myself just to be sure….nope not a dream….this warrior is going to crush them like this….

“Stand still!” Tulda roared as he swung his axe wildly.

He dodged it….that movement….it’s ‘his style’…how can I ever forget that creepy martial arts….

It can’t be him! This makes no sense! This is another world! If he is here, then Oneechan has to be here too! Don’t tell me, she tracked me to another world! If Oneechan is really here…argh I don’t even want to imagine it!

It can’t be him! It can’t be him! It can’t be him! It can’t be him! It absolutely cannot be him!

Just then Tulda and Hem were sent flying off. The two of them crashed beside Crayford. Boze was panting heavily as he maintained a ten feet gap between himself and then skeleton warrior. A faint red drop of blood trickled from his forehead.

It can’t be him! This is a skeleton warrior not my Teacher….

“Dammit. Since when has the fifth floor Gatekeeper been this strong?” Tulda groaned as he got up.

“Boze, step back.”

Activated Power Omega!

Grim Reaper predesign loaded!

Manifestation complete!

The grim reaper; the strongest sword I have ever forged…

Hou….the ice-skeleton warrior released his complete killing intent seeing my sword….was he waiting for me all this while….interesting….you are certainly a powerful monster for this floor…but not powerful enough to stop me….Let me return the favour and show you what true killing intent feels like…

“I did offer you free passage.” The ice-skeleton warrior said.

Are you chickening out upon feeling my power?

“Are we just going to keep going on in circles or are we even going to fight?” The ice-skeleton warrior said as he lowered his guard.

Hmph…that low level trick of your lowering your guard won’t fool anyone! But if you want a fight, I will show you true power!

Rule One Activated.

This….this is….a rule….this skeleton is an adventurer? Sh*t! This is Sensei! I can’t kill him!!

“What the f*ck was that?” Sora angrily asked Crayford after they crossed each other. “Why did you slow down? I know you saw through my skill! Are you mocking…..”

Forgive me! Why did I believe it can’t be you!! I should have known from the martial arts style it was you!!

“Please forgive me Sensei for failing to recognize you!”

***

“Hohohoho….My beloved disciple! How long has it been! I could barely recognize you!”

This guy is an absolute idiot! His acting is terrible as ever… he hasn’t changed one bit….ara….am I crying? Tears of happiness?

“So typical of you Sensei, going with the flow as usual….Now I am more than sure it is you….”

“Is that…so…” Sora muttered – his only external reaction.

Even the way he speaks has not changed! I know what he must be thinking…

“Sensei, how could you possibly recognize me. This is a new body of mine – one which I received after being reborn in this world.”

“Is that so?...Hohoho…but you see it was your profound sense of martial arts which gave you away! Not your looks!” Sora answered.

Should I let him continue letting him make a fool out of himself? Naah…that would be too mean, this world is already too harsh as it is…“Sensei, you really can drop the act. I won’t be angry at you if you don’t remember. Rather, I should say you cannot remember even if you tried.”

Ah! I have forgotten the mental shock….teacher is more fragile than other people… I should do this subtly and slowly…. “Sensei, your acting is terrible.”

“Is that so…” Came an empty and hollow reply….

“Sensei, I cannot read your mind. It is already superbly guarded!” I lied – if I tried, I am sure I can break into his mind.

Sh*t…he is panicking…. “Don’t panic Sensei! I will explain everything you ask of me”

“The mind reading trick it. Explain it.”

“It is no mind reading trick. You and I have spent so much time together, that I already know all of your habits and way of thinking. You are after all my role model and when I was young, I worked hard to impersonate you.” It hurts that you will never remember…

“Role model, you say? Where did we meet? And your name?”

“Our first meeting was in my house; my sister introduced me to you. We went to the same school, however I was your junior by several years. My name in that world was Crayford Du Font.” Please pronounce it right this time….I am not Crayon Du Fart….

“I am sorry. I am afraid, I can’t remember who you are.” Sora replied after thinking it through.

He is finally accepting….

“That is understandable, Sensei. After all, the rule of this world is to be forgotten by your former acquaintances. I have come to this world before you, therefore, my existence in the previous world has been forgotten. It is why you can’t remember me.”

Will he believe me? He doesn’t trust anyone….

“What you say might be true….or it might not be. Can you prove you know me? Something that, only someone close to me would know?”

Such an easy question….

“The Kahinashi. There was Marcille, Vladimir, Obento, Oneechan and you, are leader.”

“No way…no way…You missed one name!”

I missed someone’s name…??? Impossible!

“No, Sensei. You must be mistaken. There was Marcille Oneechan, Vladimir, Obento, Oneechan and me.”

“No, you are the one mistaken! There was no Oneechan you speak of! Haha! You thought you had me! You are not my disciple!” Sora rejoiced.

No!!!! It cannot be!! This means Oneechan entered the game before Teacher!

“It cannot be…you do not remember Oneechan? She was the child you saved from bullying! Remember, the hue and cry caused by that incident? She was the one who found that S class quest in Royal Road which got us all killed. Or how about the time she awoke the black dragon from his slumber and nearly got us killed? Remember?”

Please! This can’t be….the only way to forget someone is if they have entered this game….nooo…Oneechan…

“F*ck. She entered this game before me?”

Oneechan!! Why are you here! Are you alive! This world is too dangerous….

***

“This game is seriously twisted.” Sora said as he looked at the worried Crayford. “I have no memory of you. I have no memory of your sister. The only disciple, I ever remember having is Enma Ikeda. And now I am wondering did such a person even exist?”

What did he say…

“…what did you say, Skeleton?” Claire asked in an aggressive manner. In an instant, she had readied her bow. The arrow was set and pointed at Sora.

Not good! These idiotic disciples are always too emotionally charged!! They have no idea who they are dealing with. Teacher has pride as thick brick…he will surely take revenge just for you pointing your bow at him!

“Claire! That is not how you speak to my Sensei! Lower your weapon!”

“I have no memory of Crayford.” Sora repeated.

“Sensei, could you please repeat the name.”

“Enma Ikeda?”

Ah! This not good….why does Sensei know the name Enma Ikeda! He never existed in our world! Was he someone Sensei met after my death?

“Sensei….do you know who he is?”

“I heard something about him….he is this world’s villain?” Sora laughed. “I have only heard vague details about him.”

Is that so? Has he just come to this world?

“It seems Sensei is not very knowledgeable about this world. Maybe Sensei, hasn’t been in this world for too long. Have you just gotten here?”

“Just gotten here?” Sora thought about it for a while. “Maybe it has been seven months?”

He is kidding me right? Seven months?

“Surely, Sensei must be joking. Seven months and you haven’t heard a whisper about Enma? Ah! Could it be, you have spent your entire time here in this dungeon? Were you born in this world as a Skeleton Gatekeeper?” With this the mystery has been solved….

“Nope….I just appeared in this massive desert. That is where I spend most of time in this world.”

“To survive several months alone in the Great Arid Desert…as expected of my Sensei. Now it makes complete sense why Sensei is not very knowledgeable about this world.” With this the mystery has been finally solved….

“I wasn’t alone.” Sora corrected me. “I had my guardians…. And I did spend a day in the city called Feladonia. I guess, it was around then my Guardian told me about Enma….though it wasn’t very detailed….Honestly, my guardians haven’t been very helpful. Are yours like that too? I find this whole Guardian system rubbish, especially given how unhelpful they are.”

Guardians? He was transported here? Please don’t tell me he thinks this is a game….

“Sensei, if you trust me. Please tell me, how did you come to this world?”

“Why do you keep referring to this as a different world. Isn’t this just a game?”

This is really bad…

“I see…This is really that bad….Sensei….could it be possible, you played a game to get here?”

He thinks this is a game….I don’t know if he will be able to overcome this mental shock…but I better tell him the truth….

“Sorry Sensei. This isn’t a game. This is another world.”

“pfttt…..Hahahahahahaha….That is a good one…..oh my god….another world….so funny….you had me there for a second…..haha…“F*ck. This is another world. Isn’t it?”

I can see this going very badly….he is slipping into denial….please don’t make the victim of his denial…I have already suffered enough…

***

“Master” Claire called.

“Yes?”

“Is that monster, really your sensei?”

Monster? What an apt word to describe him….

“Certainly. Those martial arts move don’t belong to this world, he is the only capable of performing them.”

Those impossible moves…the ability to dodge just by the breath of a hair….only he can perform such moves…I can never fail to recognize them….plus haven’t I conversed in Japanese with him to prove he isn’t a monster?

“Is he going to be okay?”

“Probably not. He is right now, traversing through a river of denial. I know my Sensei well – once he is in denial there is no changing his way of thinking….”

“But shouldn’t we stop him from hurting himself?”

“Absolutely not.” A sight like this is something you won’t see even in a hundred years…the calm, cool and composed Sensei breaking his head against a wall….oh! Vladamir-san you are missing something important!

“W…Why? I thought he is your Sensei…”

“Seeing him in agony is so much fun….after what he has put me through….I deserve to enjoy this. Ah just seeing him like this, makes me think, I have lived a life of no regrets….Also, he being my Sensei and watching him writhe in agony are two different things…”

“O…Okay…”

***

It has been bothering me for a while now….his mind created a fictional boy ‘Enma Ikeda’ to replace Oneechan from his memories….but nothing for me? Not one memory, or lingering feeling? Did I mean nothing to him?

“…and then, I snuck out of Feladonia and got eaten by this giant worm. Many things, happened along the way and I became this floor’s Gatekeeper. Then, you guys came…which brings us to here…” Sora said.

I might have been his second disciple…but I did more than Oneechant….I was so obedient, and respectful….I carried out his every wish….and he doesn’t even remember me? Was I so insignificant for him?

“So the rumours about Feladonia being attacked were your doing?” Boze; his voice filled with admiration. He tried to ignore for most part - Sora’s perverted behaviour.

“What rumour?” Sora asked.

“Itch chooo chad…” You want attention….I will give you attention…..

“You know you can drop the act…”

“I amb genuinely pheeling chad….”

“Grand Master, Crayford Master is genuinely troubled hearing about your difficult journey…” Claire clarified.

“Thad nod it…I ab genuinely sad for missing such a grand spectacle. You spent six miserable months in the desert….how could I miss such a scene….”

“You know…your attitude is quite different from when we met…if you have some problem with me, just say it…”

“Hah…different….nothing is different from when I met you…”

“I don’t believe I would ever get along well with someone so annoying. I can’t imagine having you as a disciple.” Sora replied.

Maybe I should have been like this from the start so that you would never forget me!

“Of course we got along well before. In the past I was a hikikomori. I was silent and obedient. Isn’t that what you prefer? Someone who will silently follow you… I will never forget the hell you showed me….After being reborn, I decided to change myself and that is why I am nothing like I am before. The only reason, I was star-struck before was out of habit.”

Do you understand! I have changed! I will no longer chase your shadow! I am no insect….

“So it is like that, huh?”

“What do you mean…it is like that…” I am going to kill you….treating me the same as before….am I that insignificant…

“You are like a child throwing a tantrum.” Sora said. “Truth is, you are just throwing a tantrum because I forgot about you. You are angry that some part of me remembers Anne (Ani-Oneechan – Sora’s first disciple) but not you. So like a jealous eight year old, you are whining about it.”

“Haha….You really wish it was like that…”

Sh*t he was spot on….as always….he can see through everyone so easily….before I start tearing up…I should leave….otherwise…his rotten side will surface…

“This is what they call a Sensei-complex! Get over it…”

***

I am sitting on the edge of cliff and staring into the abyss….I am so pathetic…I over six hundred years old….crying and throwing tantrums like a child…I am fussing like a child that Sensei remembered Oneechan and not me….

It is just as Sensei said… I should get over it. Oneechan was different….she was the sun in our lives…if Sensei forgot her…I would never forgive him. At least he remembers Oneechan. Though it would have been nice…if only he remembered me a little bit….

[Hey? Could you think of an explanation why was your Oneechan a boy in my memories? ] Sensei’s voice boomed in my mind – completely overwhelming my mental defenses. Should I even be surprised?

[Sensei…it is considered rude to invade someone’s mind like this…]

[Ah! Sorry…]

[It is okay, I will remember this wavelength, so that next time you won’t have to exert so much pressure…Also…the answer to your question….maybe your mind would not be able to accept a female disciple….so it imagined a male disciple…]

[Could it have something to do with your disappearance?] Sora asked.

[…..Maybe….maybe…]

My heart is beating excitedly….maybe I wasn’t as insignificant as I thought I was….his mind could have easily imagined a fictional girl to replace Oneechan…but to compensate for my loss as well….it changed the gender of Oneechan in his mind…

Ah! He lifted my spirits…I seem to be the one who has forgotten…. he pretends to be cruel and heartless but inwardly he really does care….a little bit…nonetheless!

[Sensei, Thank you…]

***

[Good night Sensei!]

“WAIFU!!! LET US SLEEP TOGE….”

*SMACK*

“GO *DIE* YOU PERVERTED SKELETON!”

*CRASH*

I must be very tired….did Sensei just call Claire, waifu?

[Ah! Can someone pull my head out of the ground? Somebody? Anybody….Ah f*ck it.]

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Author's Note:

1. I liked writing this Omake - had a fuzzy feeling then I realized the feeling was related to how little effort it took to prepare this Omake. This is dedicated to Soulreaper (and other readers!)