The good thing about being a psychotic mesh of screaming ghosts that claw away your awareness is that it makes traveling much quicker. Creating a portal would leave a residue that other RiftRippers could follow so I had to make my way to the distant village by other means. I let my inner CamOctopus take the helm, she always wanted to see the world anyway so I felt it was a good deal for the both of us.

Upon arrival I was overcome by a sickly feeling. It seems even the building exuded joy like toxic fumes that permeated my cloak and danced around my mind. I couldn’t risk detection, so I sank into a shadow.

Everything then went dark. My awareness abandoned me like an unloved child.

My mind restarts slowly, revving up at a leisurely pace like a CheetahCycle. First comes feeling. The air is heavy with negativity. It clings to the ground totems which are lined up. Though I sense bones beneath the soil, I don’t sense any large lifeforms.

Wait! An angel! No wait, two angels!

A short angel is crying, looking up at an angry hero. The even smaller one glares at the hero.

I’m still too weak to attack. Just have to wait till my strength returns.

The hero knocks out the larger angel with his mace. The smaller angel bites him before he knocks her out too.

He lifts the little one over his shoulder and then carries her beyond the graveyard.

Yes. This is a graveyard! The negativity must keep this place sheltered.

I try to follow but my body is drawn to this place.

I’m trapped her until I can reform myself.

ShadowPups emerge from the ground.

That’s it.

I bite onto his leg. The pup’s form bends like my own and we’re caught in a battle.

The other pups move on ahead.

This is wrong! ShadowPups always stay together. Wait. Why do I care about this so much?

I expand my form and devour the ShadowPup in a single bite, seizing its form.

My body reshapes itself and follows the footprints of the hero.

Why would a hero attack an angel?

When I find him, I see him talking to a MounTroll. I hide in the shadows and listen in.

“Don’t ‘ave the stomach to kill her yeurself, do ya? Maybe ya ain’t worthy of yer name, after all.” The merchant grabs the girl’s face and muffles her screams.

Kill an angel. That’s right. I need to…kill her.

“She’s…different than the other one.” The hero’s charisma drops. “Just get her out of here.” He throws a bag of CatCoin at the merchant.

“Paying me ta take expensive product off yer hands. Yer the best customer I ever ‘ad.”

“I just want to protect my village. Keep her away from here. Her fate is up to you.”

No! That morsel is ours!

I shoot up like a water sprout and snatch the girl from the merchant.

I shove the girl in my Void and rush off.

The hero chases after me while the merchant counts his coins.

He throws a dagger at me before I disappear into the shadows.

“Come out here! She’s just a child…it’s not her fault for being born a monster.”

Monster? I’m…the monster. I’m going to devour this girl for power. I don’t even have a firm goal in mind. Do I want to protect ISEKAI or destroy it?

My body thrashes around, slicing the trees in the area.

Wait! A hero! I need three hero hearts! I doubt I’d even be in trouble for killing a hero that sold off an angel.

I chase after him all the way back to the graveyard.

The hero suddenly turns around rushes at me with a heated dagger. It burns my cloak and makes me tingle a bit.

“You seem familiar. Oh! I remember, I picked you up from school.”

“You murdered me and my schoolmates! You took us away from our homes and brought us into this world as prisoners. I am Braven and I will carve their suffering into you.”

I did. I thought we were giving these kids a chance to reach their true potential…but that’s the same reasoning that took me from home.

I look at my body, not knowing where it begins or ends.

How engrained have I become in ISEKAI? I was once a rebel…but what am I now?

He slashes at me repeatedly while I gather my thoughts.

I pick him up off the ground. “I need a moment.”

He slices my tendril. “Yuki gave me his weapon so that I could kill you. You see these graves here? These are the graves of those students you killed. They weren’t strong enough to be heroes! Your system is broken.”

I dodge the swipes as he screams at me. “My apologies. It was only supposed to be three of you. I got…carried away.” I turn pink from embarrassment.

“You’re not fuckin’ sorry! I’ll make you sorry!” He stabs into my cloak over and over. “Once I do, they’ll finally be able to rest.”

I look at him curiously while parrying his assault. “There aren’t any ghosts with you.”

“I hear them, screaming for vengeance. They live inside these totems.” He points to his belt. “Each one is a soul that was lost to this hell because you brought them here!”

Hmm. Perhaps this is his way of coping. I shouldn’t judge.

I knock the knife from his hand. “Oh yes. In the totems. But they aren’t screaming, they’re cheering you on.”

There we go, that should get rid of his sour attitude.

“Don’t you mock me!” he yells, punching me with his fists.

This is quite the predicament. I don’t want to absorb all his hatred. Having him bounce around inside my head must be bad for my mental health. Maybe I should just wait for him to get killed and then collect.

Shadows suddenly spring up around me, forming into three RiftRippers.

“He’s the one who took the angel! She’s still inside him!” yells Braven.

I toss him into the RiftRippers and then speed out of the graveyard.

There’s no running from them. They can sense me. I’ll have to fight my way out. Then I’ll track down the angel and have an important feast.

I feel my head throbbing. My body moves like a wave.

Fear. Yes. I had almost forgotten what it was like. They can kill me. But is death really bad? What am I saying? If I die, then all their deaths lose meaning. My life only has the meaning that it stole from its victims. That is what it means to be an assassin. I’ll show them what I’m made of!

I slice one of the trees and heave it at the first RiftRipper.

It knocks into him or her but the phantom simply rides up the tree like a shadow and then slashes me.

I guard with my tendrils only to be ambushed from behind by the other two.

I focus my efforts on the RiftRipper in front of me, allowing my subconscious to fend off the attacks from behind. “Would you believe me if I said the angel got away?”

The RiftRipper’s blade liquifies, coils around my weapon and then slices me.

Such a remarkable technique.

The phantom assassin’s tendrils thin out and dig beneath mine to remove my blades.

Wait. This level of control. It must be him.

“You’re the RiftRipper who skinned those villagers!”

“They were ungrateful! Everyone is so ungrateful!” His blades reverberate with pinpoint accuracy, cutting open a hole in my cloak. He then dives inside me. “I am the gloom that will drown this ungrateful world!”

The other two split, now attacking me from four angles, but I repel their assault with ease.

I was the prodigy assassin of my school. They can’t compare.

I send tendrils into my own void and search for the RiftRipper who had entered me.

I can’t just spit the assassin out. His will is too strong.

I grab hold of the RiftRipper and yank it out.

It holds the angel in its arms.

I want arms! No fair!

“Great work, now let’s return her to the village,” says one of the other RiftRippers.

“No! I’m done with you all.” The focused RiftRipper rushes off with the angel and the others follow.

No clue what’s going on. But just gotta stay focused. There’s another angel nearby. Just have to find her and then…what was I supposed to do? I’ll just take it one step at a time.

I locate the angel rather easily. There’s a sudden blindingly bright presence resonating from the local temple. She’s just outside, hugging her injured hero.

Wait…that’s not what’s going on.

There is joy coming from the angel, but it’s of a lustful carnal type.

Is she eating him? Not allowed! His heart is mine!

Her white shadow rises up and takes the form of a RiftRipper. “Hard to watch, isn’t it? These poor creatures have been cultured into protecting their natural prey.”

Angels eat heroes? So this is…normal?

“It’s natural. Not normal. And yes, before you ask. I can read your thoughts, but only when you shout them.” The white RiftRipper lifts the angel up.

“Are angels monsters like us?”

“The heroes are the monsters.” A nearby ShadowPup takes form as a black angel, wearing her own shadow as clothing.

“So that’s where you were. A troublesome hero like him could be useful. Heal him, won’t you?”

The angel sends rude vibes his way. “How about you don’t interrupt my little sister while she’s eating?”

“Her food could help bring ISEKAI to its knees, after a proper awakening, that is,” says the white RiftRipper. “It was I that gave you an awakening. Before that you were a bundle of hate, just as this hero is.”

“Fine! I’ll heal him! But when he’s no longer useful, I’m going to carve out his heart!” she growls and spits on her hand.

I raise my tendril. “If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to eat the heart when you’re done.”

“After power even now. Hmm, the reasoning for that desire will determine whether I’ve failed you or made you a thrashing success!” The white RiftRipper turns into a massive eye and examines me.

“Can you see color?” I ask.

“The only color with weight is red. Shade, I’d like to have a moment alone with my student.”

“Then go! If I move this sack of flesh it will die.” She shoves her hand inside and mends an organ.

I’m suddenly back at the graveyard.

“What do you see?”

“I feel sadness in this place. Who are you? You said you were my teacher.”

Teacher was a black RiftRipper I think. Aren’t they all black?

“I see promises. Each gravestone is a promise toward a better future. Empty or not, their significance remains as steppingstones.”

“I’m Assailant…the Broad-Spectrum Assassin. It’s rude not to introduce yourself.” I cross my tendrils and turn away.

“Has my greatest pupil lost sight of himself from the weight of so many promises? You should recognize your guru.”

My body moves on its own and seizes him in a hug. Bloody tears drip from me.

“There’s the Weech I know.”

Weech? Cuz I’m cuddly? I’m so confused.

“I…don’t know what to do anymore.”

Guru wraps my tendrils in his own. “I…feel the same.”

“How can you be lost? You set me on this path. You made me a rebel.”

“You chose to be a rebel. I simply opened the door of opportunity. It was your courage that had you step through. I need some of that courage.”

“What’s wrong? I’m sure there’s some victim in my head with some inspirational words to uplift you.”

“Only your words can uplift me. How did you do it…kill the woman you love?”

My mind catches aflame and I scream.

White smoke emits from Guru and calms my nerves.

“How did you do that?” I ask.

“You knew they would only permit a single survivor. But you didn’t sacrifice yourself for her. It wasn’t for a selfish reason. I know you too well for that. It must have been done with conviction. You were fully confident that her sacrifice would become a promise that would lead to the end of the black guild. And you struck her down!”

I…I did. I can’t remember.

My mind dives into the memory.

No! I don’t want to remember.

“Another truth buried under misery. You’ll never take down ISEKAI if you’re afraid of your own past.”

“I…don’t know if I want to anymore. There are good people in ISEKAI. What happens to them when it falls?”

“You’ve become short-sighted. It’s not your fault. They train you to think in steps. One mission at a time. Never seeing the grander picture. I don’t know if I can help you anymore, but I hope you can help me.”

“What’s wrong? Are you dying? Is that why your cloak is white?”

“No. The White Shadow is a symbol to assassins that we can live in the light and still be hidden. They branded me as the Betrayer after they discovered I was the head of the Red Guild. One of my trusted RiftRippers went berserk and slaughtered my closest allies. I…had to continue the rebellion under a new identity.”

All his words swirled in my mind but one question, one I had kept buried was pushed to the surface by the whirlpool of questions.

“If I have power…the uhh…Cross Over Catalyst…will I still be in control?”

“That’s entirely up to your conviction. Oh. How serendipitous…” Guru’s body distorts before returning to its stable shape. “We both have the same dilemma.”

“You want to kill an angel too? There’s another one, stolen by a RiftRipper.”

“Well, then I should reclaim her. But that’s where we differ. I don’t want to kill her. It’s the last thing I want. But alas it must be done.”

I poke him with my tendrils. “Easy solution! I kill her for you! I don’t know her so it’s no bother for me.”

“No! No! No! No!” Guru loses control and becomes a mass of revolving blades. “I won’t take the easy way out. I must suffer her loss! I’ve already decided upon it. Annolette will die by my hand!”

“Okay! Not a competition. I only need to eat one angel.”

The white mist comes out from Guru and calms him down. “More power doesn’t always make one’s goal easier to grasp. Too much of it and you’ll crush the very thing you seek to claim.”

“Isn’t that what’s happening with you? You want to be miserable for power so you’re going to kill her. What is she to you? An old ally?”

“I can’t do it in front of her sister. There’s a cave not too far from here. Bring her there tomorrow night. It will bring back memories.”

“Are you sure that’s the right choice?”

“It’s the proper decision. That’s all that matters. Can I trust you to help me one last time?”

“I can only remember a fraction of our time spent together, but every fragment empowers me! If ISEKAI wants me to eat an angel, then…I won’t do it! Talking to you has cleared the path for me.” I split up as much as I can so I can bow with all of my being. “I promise to help you.”

“I wish I could say the same. It’s going to be incredibly painful for both me and my darling little lamb.” He returns the bow. “I’m going to rescue her little sister. It’s the least I can do for that poor girl plagued by destiny.”

Destiny. What is my destiny?

I look to Guru for advice, but he’s already gone.

My mind goes blank.

I made a promise to him. But what was it?

I spend the night within my mind, trying to find the memory that was taken from me. I deep dive, past the dark encasing and find the ghosts of all I’ve killed.

“It was one of you. Who took my promise?” I look out the distorted memories, most shrouded in darkness.

Time for another cleansing.

I tug at the darkness around them as it bites at me. “This is my mind! Guru is counting on me!”

A single ghost steps out and dispels the darkness. It was WarWolf.

She looks directly at me. “He’s counting on you to help him kill a child, an angel. I won’t let you do that.”

“I trust Guru.” I approach her. “Please, return the memory.”

“I can’t. I’m sorry.” She turns away from me. “If you remembered, you’d understand.”

I put my hand to her belly and hold her close. “You had a child in you. I’d never forget. I can’t undo that. But this angel. We don’t even know her.”

“Her sister does. She loves her. You were too focused on your mission to see it. You have tunnel vision, but I saw through your peripheral vision. I saw their love. Angels are the purest beings in existence. Getting splashed with their blood…I don’t think you’ll ever be rid of the stain on your conscience.”

I hold onto her and sob. “Thank you for being my guiding light.”

She slugs me and grins. “Well I’m stuck here. Gotta make myself useful.” She kisses my lips. “Were soulmates now and always. It takes a lot of energy to come out here like this and you won’t remember the encounter. But that’s okay.” She places a bright light in my hand. “I trust you with this memory. You need to save Guru from drowning in the black muck he seeks to destroy.”

I nod and return to my consciousness.

I look out at the village and see smoke.

How long was I out? In the blink of an eye, the world catches aflame. No. It’s those blinks that create the sparks. If everyone was aware, there would be no fires.