Important (maybe) Author Note:

Guys, after this chapter, I'm going to post another one chapter and after that, I will be going on hiatus for about a month.

This chapter is the last of the 2 long chapter I've written, so as I need to write the next and also getting stuck for an exam. Thus, I will declare a little break (hiatus).

Sorry, RL problems. Don't worry, I will certainly continue writing this story. But I don't know whether the quality of the next arc will drop or improve as I will be posting the one that is freshly written. And I might have a slowed down update speed as well.

As always, feel free to correct any grammar or whatever you find in error.

Maybe after the next update I will create status report to declare about my hiatus for about one month.

* * * *

“Shou..?”

Mao stayed still, holding Shou’s body. She called and called only to hear no response from Shou.

“Shou! Shou! Please… please answer me..!”

Feeling despair that her companion is now gone, she couldn’t contain the despair she felt.

Tears are flowing out from her eyes. It wasn’t long time company with him. It was a short time, less than a week. But her feelings, she attracted to him was by no doubt real.

“No way, no way, please tell me this is a joke. Right, Shou? You must be joking right?”

‘Why was I attracted to this idiot..? Ah right, it was--'

He is a very courageous guy. Even though he knows his own weakness, he is determined to jump into danger to get back to his own home. Not just that, his concern to his friends and companions are genuine, Mao felt safe when she left her back to him that time because she knows it. Even though he is not good with his word, he tries to consolidate Mao.

'--he really is stronger than me. I guess I was attracted to him with that. That’s why--'

“--Please… don’t die!!”

She couldn’t contain her tears. But it was in vain. Her scream can't reach him, she knows it yet she don't want to give up hope. 'He might can still be saved!' that's all she thought.

“Now then, he is done for. Now it’s your turn!”

Hannibal charged with his spear. This time he put more power than when he parried the two. Even the ground couldn’t hold it. The ground he passed also chipped away in line. But even then…

“Shut up!”

Mao screamed. She stopped Hannibal with some kind of unseen barrier. An immense magic power gathered around her and she simply created a barrier with only moving her hand. She swiped her hands and at the same moment, Hannibal was thrown away.

“!" Surprised, Hannibal thrown back. But he find it surprisingly fun. "Hahaha! Such an interesting power! You get serious now?”

Hannibal laughed in delight, Mao only gritted her teeth. Annoyance, anger, sadness, wrath, despair, disappointment, filled her. Her black smooth hair changed. It tips changed its color into deep bright red. Her face is full of anger towards Hannibal.

“I told you to shut up!!!”

A dark lance. is formed around her without any chant. The lance also changed its shape, before it was normal lance but now it was thorny all over it.

The lance of death danced in the air and hit Hannibal. Before, he could easily brush it off, but now there are several lances piercing him over and over not only piercing, the lance which planted itself on his body rotated. It would certainly become a death song if he didn’t have the resistance and regenerative ability. Even now, his regenerative ability just barely holds it off with the damage he receives.

When the lance stopped, Hannibal was down on his knees.

“Hahaha! As I thought you really are interesting one, Mao!”

When hearing the word ‘Demon Lord Mao’ coming out from Hannibal’s mouth, Mao’s face is wrapped in wrath.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

She screamed. Mao screamed with all she got. Anger and sadness is becoming one. While her expression is that of fury, tears still flow from her eyes.

She throws every attack she knows. It wasn’t even organized attack. She just randomly threw any spell she got. Each and every attack becomes more powerful than before but it was no use. She didn’t even aim correctly.

It was desperation. Desperation drives her to attack madly.

Everything is turned into dust. She didn’t even check about Hannibal and yet still threw every bit of her spell until she exhausted.

“Khuahahaha!” Hannibal’s laughter comes from the midst of dust.

“!”

“You really are reckless one little lady.”

He merely swings his hand and yet the dust cleared up. Not just the dust, even Mao got swept by the shockwave and flew towards Shou.

Frustrations.

Why she couldn’t protect Shou, she thought. Why she couldn’t even beat Hannibal, she thought.

Her mind was consumed by all sort of emotion causing her own self to operate ineffectively yet she didn’t even realize it.

Lying besides Shou, she could only grit her teeth once again while Hannibal approached.

‘Seems like I will follow you soon Shou…’

Despair. Hope has left her. No, to be precise, she can’t even believe in hope anymore.

Thinking that Hannibal will finish her, she could only resign and accept dying.

‘Don’t you dare die here, Mao!’

Myste voice suddenly rises besides her, from Shou’s left hand.

‘Master hasn’t completely died yet! He’s still struggling! So, Mao also, don’t you give up here!’

“! … you are right. I can’t just give up if even Shou hasn’t yet!”

Mao tries to stand up. Encouraged by Myste, she didn’t want to stay still. But it was futile. She can’t muster her strength but still tries to stand up causing her to stand up fragilely.

“I’m moved. To think that you have this much will until you hold up. But it was useless.”

Hannibal already only a few step towards her. Even if she wanted to hold up, she couldn’t.

The sound of steel in Hannibal hand being held up became the sound which signals she almost at her end. The sound of air caused by something swung down approached her. She can only close her eyes and grit her--

*Klang* a sound of two metal hit each other can be heard. It was very close to Mao. She turned around to see what happened.

“!”

It was Shou. No, it was Shou’s body parrying the Halberd Hannibal is holding with Eltain.

His eyes changed. His expression isn’t the usual Shou. His atmosphere also changed. It seems more aggressive and more experienced than the usual Shou.

“You?! Why are you still?“

“Ah damn it. The kid died? I see so you are the opponent huh? Why is this useless kid got killed? Seriously, if this goes on he won be able to win againts me.”

Hannibal who exclaimed in surprised got interrupted by Shou.

“You!!! Just who are you?!”

Hannibal shouted in rage. He didn’t expect that someone would parry his attack.

“Me? Hmm, oh right, just call me .”

who used Shou’s body said with a composed smile.

“Uwah… his heart got pierced. I guess nobody would be able to survive this kind of wound huh?”

He reached his chest with his left hand. There is a small hole created from Hannibal’s attack.

His left chest glowed. It slowly healed the wound Shou got. Not just his chest, inside, his heart also got healed and all visible wound from Shou's body is now gone. Confirming the heart started to beat again, sighed.

“Hmm, this should be okay. Alright, here we go. I see, so you use a Halberd.”

Using Myste, readied a stance. It was different than Shou. His left leg is in front of his rights. The sword is held with his right hand besides his head the same height as his eyes. The tip is pointed forward, towards Hannibal. His left hand reached toward the tip of the sword. Rather than sword stance it was more like a spear or staff stance adapted into swords.

“Oh right, Myste and Eltain still couldn’t do ‘that’ huh? Well I guess I’ll upgrade you guys a bit.”

He grabbed the scabbard Shou found in the treasury.

‘Master, are you going to awaken us?’

“Well yeah, and I’m not your master. I’m , and I'll just stand in for your master a bit.”

closed his eyes and hold the scabbard with his left hand which where Myste symbol is. The symbol glowed brightly. The yellow light is starting to spread to the scabbard. He is infusing the scabbard with magic.

Hannibal didn’t stay still and charge forward with his halberd.

“Watch it!”

Mao warned about Hannibal, but it seems like it wasn’t necessary.

swiftly dodge Hannibal attack while charging the magic power with his eyes closed.

“I see, now you attack me when I was charging without any problem yet when the kid attacked you with explosive when you charged your breath you called it cheating? As expected of a third rate enemy.”

“This is a pay back from that time!”

"You're making too much excuse."

Hannibal continuously attacks yet he dodges each and every one of it.

The scabbard finally finish charged. The symbol in Shou’s left hand disappears.

“Now it’s time.”

Eltain was quickly inserted into the scabbard. The light from the scabbard dispersed in that instant. Putting them on his left waist, smirked in delight.

Enraged Hannibal continues his attack toward but…

“Here we go-- Mysteltainn!!”

He pulled the sword, Eltain, which was held inside the scabbard. Its form changed. It has a new power awakened by . Now its name changed into that of Mysteltainn. It is the combined… no, It is the true form of Myste and Eltain.

Myste and Eltain. Both of them are actually one spirit. Both of them are two parts of a spirit. Spirit of the legendary sword. A cursed sword.

Myste who absorbs and channels magic power. Eltain who releases magic power and attacks. Now both of them are combined into their true form. A magic sword that used magic power to slay even a God. A formless sword that can change it shape to anything. The cursed sword, Mysteltainn.

The sword changed its form. It has become a halberd now.

Mysteltainn changed it form according to ’s will. It was because now Mysteltainn gained the ability to connect to their master’s soul. In other word, telepathy. It supposed to be Shou’s soul but who is using Shou body right now is recognized as their master. The reason is probably because and Shou are two side of the same coin, two souls which reside in one body.

“Let’s go now, Hannibal!”

is inviting Hannibal to a match. A match between two halberd users.

In the match, it was clear that isn’t as experienced in halberd as Hannibal but he managed to push back Hannibal many times. His power wasn’t much but he knows where to neutralize Hannibal’s attack again and again.

“Well I guess it’s time to get serious.”

The halberd held changed it shape again. Now it changed into a dagger. His movement suddenly became more fluid and agile, even Hannibal couldn’t match. Usually dagger won’t give high damage or range in exchange of speed but Hannibal is visually get wounded from ’s attack. It was a swift attack that doesn’t give the chance for Hannibal to regenerate completely.

“Hmm it seems that using dagger really isn’t doing much. Mysteltainn.”

distanced himself from Hannibal and changed Mysteltainn into a sword.

“Sorry but, looks like it’s almost time up soon, so let’s just finish this.”

put up a stance. From the stance and power that gathering around him, it seems like he wants to finish this in one strike. And thus--

* * * *

‘Oy kid, if you die here I would be troubled.’

A voice reached out to him.

‘..?’

‘Yes right, I am ~. So you still recognize my voice huh?’

‘What do you want? What do you mean troubled?’

‘Well yeah, don’t you remember about what my trouble would be?’

‘Oh right, so that’s the trouble.’

'That’s right, have you remembered? So let me help you for a bit.’

'Anyway, help? What can you do?’

‘I’ll do something. Anyway, I advise you to hold on a bit, and you must abide it.’

‘Such an arrogant advice, but okay, I’ll just hold on a bit.’

‘Good. Now it’s about time for you to open your eyes!’

‘!’

Shou’s vision shifted. From black of darkness, into white... pure white.

When his vision cleared, there's Hannibal-- no, Hannibal’s dying figure. And moreover the area also seems different than before. He is standing in front of Hannibal and the place is in wreck. It was clearly the treasury but it was in wreck. Moreover behind Hannibal there is a big hole. The cave was destroyed. The hole showed the landscape outside.

Some wall is cut in half, the ground is wrecked, some place burned.

“Huh?! Wh-What?! What is…”

He found his right hand is holding a sword. It is different than Eltain but it resembles her sword form.

“To think… that you have that kind of..."

Before finishing his sentence, Hannibal fell limply.

“No way…” Shou looked confused then he remembers about Mao. “! Mao! Where is she?!”

“I’m okay Shou.”

Mao slowly walked to Shou. She also showed a relieved face. Looking closely there was a trace of tears in her eyes.

“Are you..? Crying?”

“W-who is crying?! I-I wasn’t crying because I thought you would die! Not even a little!”

Mao blushed and wiped her tears clumsily. Seeing this, Shou sighed in relief but then he noticed something.

“Ma-Mao! Your hair! You’ve awakened?!”

The tip of Mao hair changed it color. Before, it was pure black, but now there is a hint of bright red from the tip of her hair reaching to her shoulder.

“Ah yeah… I was awakened a bit. Wait… how did you know about my hair color means I awakened?”

‘Ack… I shouldn’t have said it…’ again Shou cursed his own big mouth.

“A-Anyway, what had happened?! And…” noticing what he held Shou asked. “What is this sword?!”

‘It is us, Master! Myste and Eltain! Ah, right now we are Mysteltainn!’

“Whoa! That surprise me. You guys… Mysteltainn? Wait what?! Myste and Eltain… Mysteltainn?!”

‘Well let’s slowly explain what happened after Master died.’

“Died… right I was! How did I?“

“Shou! Shut your rambling for a bit!”

Mao hit Shou with a paper fan she took out of nowhere.

“You are being noisy! We can’t explain anything to you!”

Mao was in rage yelling at Shou. Shou suddenly sits in formal manner seeing Mao raged up.

“So-sorry…*Ehem* that give me my composure back… Anyway, first of all, what happened after that?”

* * * *

......

...

“I-I see… so that’s what happened…”

Shou nods his head to signalize that he now understands what happened.

“So that big hole, was because of me, no, ’s last attack. To think that Mysteltainn is that powerful… hey, can you guys do that again?”

‘Sure but--'

At that moment Mysteltainn flashed brightly.

‘It seems to be time up.’

‘Now, we are back.’

The two suddenly separated again. Myste had returned back to Shou’s left hand while Eltain revert back to the normal sword form.

“… Seems so.”

A bit disappointed, Shou hung his head.

Looks like the both of them still not very stable to maintain their .

‘Hmm, oh it seems like I got some upgrade though.’

‘… Same here.’

Though it seems like they got powered up a little, so Shou didn’t really mind about them returning.

“So, what kind of power up?”

‘Well seems like I can do this now.’ Myste voice resounded inside his mind. It didn’t come from the symbol like usual but from his own mind.

‘What is this telepathy?’ Shou thought.

‘Yes, but it seems to consume magic power so I can’t do this forever.’

“I… I see. And I thought that I don’t need to act like a anymore.”

Shou feels like wanting to cry again remembering his -esque moment.

It reminds him of his dark history, that’s why he couldn’t help to felt like wanting to cry.

‘And it seems like I can change my form now.’

Eltain explains her new power up. Rather than power up it seems both of them are getting closer to their true form.

Eltain now can change into any form of sword or dagger. Other than that she can’t. Well Shou think that it was pretty useful so he didn’t mind. But of course, Shou need to call out what kind of sword or dagger he wanted Eltain change into for her info.

Suddenly an icon emerged from Hannibal’s dead body. Shou recognize that icon. It was another icon of a game, this world they are in right now, to be precise.

****

-Shou’s Perspective-

Ugh, I can’t stand this… well I guess their power up means my ability will also grow? But as I thought I also need to improve my own skill… I guess this mean I owe one favor. But I doubt he thinks that he had done me a favor though.

And just like that a game icon appeared again, this time it is from Hannibal’s body. Isn’t that this world icon? Hmm so I guess that icon will open up another gate into another game.

“Mao.”

“I got it.”

She casted thunder to the icon. Whoa, this girl already knows what I want? I guess being accompanied with her for a while she can already guess my intention. Having her around sure ease my heart. Not to mention this girl is the one I like… even if she is a game character, yeah, I guess the term is widely known as or and such.

Oh right speaking of which, I remember someone brought my photo! Who was that? I can’t see because he hid in the dark, oh whatever. More importantly my photo. How could that person have my photo?

I walk to where my photo was left on the floor. He just left it like that so I was curious. I saw from afar it seems like my photo but I need to reconfirm it. I picked it up from the ground and look at it.

Why that person does have my photo? Is it because he/she is someone I know? Or he/she got thrown into my world and then come here?

“This is…”

It really is my photo… and… the three of those guys…

It was a photo of four people. Three boys and one girl. When I see this photo a nostalgic feeling strikes me. It was delight with a bit of loneliness and a bit of frustration added. We used to be a group of four, but now it’s only me and Takeharu…

One of the boys is me. The boy that is besides me is Takeharu. Behind Takeharu and me there is a boy with short hair who wore glasses and with gentle eyes and a girl with her long brown hair who could be described as pretty. It was fun?

“Oy Shou!”

“Yeah, I’m coming.”

Hearing Mao called my name I stopped my reminiscence of old memories and involuntarily put the photo to my pocket.

I thought Mao called me because of the portal is ready, but it seems to be taking a little longer yet. And so what actually Mao called me for. It is now in front of my eyes?

-Mao’s Perspective-

I’m getting uneasy as I see this… is what I thought.

This is not good. I’m feeling insecure if I’m alone… I probably should call Shou.

“Oy Shou!”

Shou who was examining something over there, quickly put aside whatever he is doing. He quickly comes to me while taking a quick glance at the portal gate.

“This is…”

Even Shou flinched a little when he saw it.

Right in front of our eyes, there is a magic circle.

I knew very well what’s the purpose of this formation is.

And from how he reacted, Shou probably also has the rough idea.

What are disturbing are… the sacrifices.

It was people… humans…

Even though I’m the , it’s not like I hate humans. On the contrary I’m pretty fond of human.

And what I can’t stand the most are things like this…

The sacrifices… it was a ritual to summon a demon.

Is it or other demon, I don’t know. I really need to tell Shou about it after all.

“Shou… actually--"

-Shou’s Perspective-

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?!”

I involuntarily raised my voice hearing what Mao said.

… the one from Mao’s world…

Even Mao suddenly looked gloomy. So that’s why she didn’t look very well before. She met when we were taking a break before.

And so I guess the one who brought this photo here… is also …

“Mao, I think this isn’t summoning for another demon. It was ’s summoning ritual.”

Mao widens her eyes.

“Then as I thought--!”

“… might be travelling with this kind of method.”

He waits for people try to summon a demon then he links the portal so he can moves between worlds. As long as we know which world would try to summon a demon, we could try to follow him, but there are some problems.

First, the gate can’t be set to go to the destination we want. If we can, we would already be at our own world now.

Second, there are too many worlds (games) which have demon summoning ritual. And there is no guarantee that the people who got lost into another world didn’t try to summon demon in the other world.

Third, we don’t know whether will go to another world, or going back to Mao’s world, or the world we have passed by. For now we have only cleared Blaze’s world which suddenly got a zombie outbreak, but there might be a case like the one who clears the problem and open the gate. No I’m sure there must be others and not just one or two.

This is getting dangerous. Who knows what will do in others world? All I know is that he might create trouble here and there.

Most of all, I also need to get stronger myself…

As the gate is ready, we brace ourselves. We don’t know where will we go this time, nor we know if we will end up in the same place again. But even so, we will go. We will advance, to stop and then go back to our own world.

* * * *