God A Sword (CWMGQ Spin off #64)

Unlike Chameleo and Crab Guildy, Rabbit and Turtle didn't have much to say. In fact it was almost comical how short Rabbit's tape in particular was. Imagine my surprise when instead of a ten minute rant the tape itself only lasted about one. I could only blink once it was done, and even then it took me a while to realize that yes the tape was over.

Turtle surprised me as well, but in a different way.

Click.

"A coat is designed to keep one warm during cold weather." He spoke in a voice that niggled in the back of my mind. "The winter is harsh. It bites at the skin, makes you grow numb. The heavy weather drags you down. But when you wear a coat, you don't even notice it. You can live life light and free, avoiding what the world has to throw at you."

Turtle let out a slow sigh. "My affinity is Coat. That's a fact. Paradoxically however, I have never needed one. My nature as a Guildy makes me immune to the effects of temperature on my body. I suppose that's why I took to ice skating more easily than anyone else. Without the need to worry about the cold, it merely becomes just a matter of balance and coordination. The commander could probably do it, but she likes exposing her midriff too much to consistently show up at the skating rink."

A light chuckle, tinged bittersweet. "So I skate alone. That's fine. I am the only one who's immune to temperature. Always as hot or cold as I choose to be. No matter how heavy the weather, I'm always at the center of the storm."

There was a long, painful moment of silence before he spoke up again. "...I made too much food for dinner today. I couldn't prevent it from getting cold."

Click.

...Wait was that the guy who taught me how to ice skate?

---

"So I've been meaning to ask!" I shouted, though my voice got lost as I jet engine'd myself around the walls of the training lab I was in. "Why am I learning how to run on walls again?"

"Science!" Dark Grasper said over the mic. "There are so many things that I want to test out, especially with these beautiful, gorgeous, absolutely amazing glasses! Oh, and also I realized that you have a fatal flaw during the fight with Fenrir."

That sounded bad. "What is it?

"You suck at fighting in cramped spaces," Lan declared as she watched me run along the wall. My childhood friend had already transformed into Tail Blue and was boredly standing at the very center as I continued running on the walls. "I don't even need to have been there myself to guess what it is, it's obvious in the way you swing your sword. Speaking of, are you going to come at me or what?"

"Just give me a second!" I gotta time it perfectly… Even Lan can't have eyes everywhere right? The moment that I found the angle that had to have been her blind spot, I jumped off the wall and gave an open swing. Unfortunately, that was where my confidence had run out. Tail Blue barely needed to move a muscle as she shifted her body away from my swing before raising her leg in the air and axe kicking me to the floor. I groaned as I rolled on to my back. "Ow."

"Too open." The martial artist clicked her tongue. "I see where the problem is. You have a tendency to go for large swings. It's not as bad as when you first started training but the habit is still there. It's especially noticeable when you attempt to jump off the wall and attack. Since you aren't used to it, you're subconsciously thrown off kilter and mistakes come out. Attempting to go for my blind spot was a good move, but I'm at the level where I don't need to see you to be able to react."

"The worst part is that I'm 100% sure that isn't her ability as a magical girl," Grasper muttered to herself, and I wasn't sure if we were supposed to hear this. "She's just naturally like that. I didn't even think any baseline human was capable of reaching the level of a Guildy but…"

"It's called training," the girl in question huffed as she brushed her twintails back. "Anyone can reach this level if they train hard enough. And speaking of, I've been meaning to get you into training as well."

"Huh?!" The bespectacled girl spluttered. "Wait! I didn't agree to this! No! Invalid! Contracts signed by minors aren't legally binding!"

"Hong's mom already said yes."

"Since when did she become my guardian?!"

"Probably around the time you started living in our house," I spoke up, still sore as I got off the floor. "She did sign you and Phoenix up for school."

"That was just plain nepotism!" Grasper denied.

I shot a look at Lan before we both nervously fidgeted. Yeah that wasn't something I could deny. "While I'm not against Grasper learning how to fight, this did kind of come out of nowhere. What's up with the sudden insistence? She already has her ability and can handle herself well enough I think."

"Hong, hong." An annoying part of my transformation was how much height Lan gained over me, forcing her to bend down in order to meet my eyes as she patted me on the shoulder. Then, in the most blunt tone I had ever heard from her, my best friend spoke. "She's dead weight."

My eyes widened and I saw Lan wince before shaking her head. "Ack! Sorry, that was a bit too harsh but… In both times that she's been caught in a Guildy battle, she's been a liability from what you've told me. If you weren't there she'd probably be dead."

"...Not 'probably'," Grasper chimed in. "Probability implies there's a chance I'd have made it. If Hong wasn't there then the calculation that I'd have survived… Well, let's just say if I didn't die I wouldn't have liked being alive."

Tail Blue nodded before looking up. "So you get it then?"

"I don't have a choice," The analyst sighed. "But it's a bit late to start learning now. I wouldn't even be able to reach Phoenix's level in six months."

"Oh don't give me that!" My friend stomped on the floor of the lab. "You aren't the scrawniest little twig that's shown up at my family's dojo before! You act like you're some no-good layabout like Twirl but you're actually fairly active aren't you?"

"Well of course!" Grasper shot back. "Do you know how exhausting singing and dancing is?! I'm the Anko Isuna, the best youtube idol there is! If I hadn't developed some muscle then I wouldn't be able to keep my career, or my figure!"

I blinked. "Figure?"

"...Lan-"

"On it." Was all the warning I had before Tail Blue wacked me upside the head. "You're banned from this topic Hong! Whatever Twirl taught you to say, forget it right now!"

"Alright, alright!" I winced as I rubbed the back of my head. I wasn't sure what hurt more, the stinging or the fact that this was what she considered a light blow. "I didn't think Grasper was worried about it since she's you know, so- Ow!"

"Ignoring the dumbass over here for a minute." Lan growled. "Your ability lets you calculate stuff… right? Your physique is pretty decent as a baseline so I think the most you need to focus is on skill, and that's just learning from your failures. Most people have trouble just figuring out where that is but if you can calculate it, you can fix it. As long as you learn how to translate those numbers into muscle memory, you should be able to train yourself well."

"...I'm not an upfront fighter like Hong, so my fighting style would probably be very different."

"Don't worry about that." The girl waved as she swapped to a variety of weapons. "I've got a good understanding of a bunch of styles and weapons, so I can teach you whatever you wish."

'Understanding' was a huge understatement, but at this point everyone in the room knew that.

Grasper was silent for a moment before responding. "...I'll think about it."

Lan nodded before swapping back to the Wave Lance. "That's about all I ask."

"Huh?" I blinked as I turned to her. "That's it?"

"What?" Her blue eyes scrunched up as she gave me a weird look. "Martial Arts is a largely passion based skill. You don't get good at it because someone forces you too. There has to be an innate desire somewhere to train or improve, otherwise it's just a waste of time."

Her eyes narrowed as the grip on her weapon tightened. "And while I can accept those just dipping their toes in the water, I will never tolerate those who treat it like a joke."

I shivered, remembering the last poor bastard who had managed to piss off Lan. "I feel like I was kinda forced into it though."

For some reason her face grew red before she coughed and turned away. "Well someone had to make sure you knew how to keep yourself alive."

Some days it felt more like you wanted someone you could beat up but I wasn't suicidal enough to say that out loud. "I'm not complaining. And I did want to improve as well, for your sake."

"F-for me?!" She shouted, twirling her twintails in her fingers before shaking her head. "Then we better get back to work, right?! You're a meathead so as long as wall running and jumping feel unfamiliar to your fighting style, you'll keep screwing up! And there's only one way we can fix that isn't there?!"

"Uh, Lan?" I backed up, feeling a bead of sweat drip down my back. "You're kind of being a bit-"

"Isn't there?!"

"Yes!" I gulped. "Fighting until it becomes natural!"

"If you understand that then get running!" Lan held up her lance and it's tip glinted menacingly under the sterile lab lights. "We aren't leaving until this is drilled into you!"

"Do you mean the skill or the lance?!"

"Does it even matter?!"

"Very much so!"

Before the world was drowned out by the sound of my jet engines, I heard Graper mutter over the microphone. "My own fighting style huh? No, for me that's…"

Whatever she said next, I couldn't hear it.

---

"Urghhh..." I groaned as I detransformed, falling flat on the ground as my muscles still felt like they were spasming. "Did we have to do this right after I finished training with Lan?"

"You mean after she finished kicking your ass?" Phoenix snickered.

I rolled my eyes. "Same thing."

I was utterly exhausted, mentally if not physically. Or was it spiritually? But not like in the metaphorical sense but in the literal, soul-kinda sense? My body, that is my original body, hadn't let out a drop of sweat but I still felt like I had just run a marathon. It was way too complicated of a sensation for someone like me who only had a basic understanding of how it all worked but it sure felt weird.

The ponytailed girl's eyes flickered for a moment before she gave me a wave. "Eh, you're fine. It's not like you're going to explode or anything."

"Isn't that what this training is supposed to be preventing?" I grumbled as I gave the avian guildy a flat look.

"Yeah!" Phoenix raised her fist in the air. "Progress! Maybe one day your finisher will be as cool as mine!"

Alright that's it!

"Grand Blazer is already a cool finisher!" I shouted as I pushed myself to my feet. "Just because it doesn't always work sometimes doesn't mean the spell isn't good enough!"

"Yeah but it's so weird! What's with it constantly changing what it can do?!" She shot back before giving a kick into the air. "A finisher should be something easily recognizable! When was the last time you even used the original version of Grand Blazer?!"

"The form of the spell may change, but it's heart remains the same!" I cried. "All versions of Grand Blazer draw from the Twintail Affinity!"

We glared at each other for a moment, sparks flying in the air before the automatic doors opened. Both of our heads turned to it in sync only to spot Grasper giving us a dry look through her frames. "If you two are done arguing about something stupid, I just got done talking to Mrs. Liang in regards to deciding things for me. Phoenix, your shift is up."

"Oh, right!" my fellow redhead panicked as she rushed out of the door. "This isn't finished Hong!"

"I will defend Grand Blazer until my dying breath!" I cried back. A moment passed as Phoenix disappeared from view before I let out an exhausted sigh and turned back to Grasper. "So did you actually convince Mom-"

"No," The petite girl muttered, staring at me with hollow eyes. "I couldn't get through to her at all. No matter how many calculations I tried."

"Yeah that's Mom alright." A laugh escaped my lips as I rubbed the back of my head. "I think the only one who can actually get through to her is Mrs. Huang. At least, when it comes to stuff other than gacha games."

"Hong, I'm going to be entirely honest with you." Grasper spoke slowly as she continued to stare me dead in the eye, unblinking. "All of the adults in your life scare me deeply."

I titled my head. "Isn't that just all adults?"

The analyst opened her mouth to counter that, only to pause before closing it. Nervously, she fidgeted with the glasses adorning her head. "Why can't I deny that?"

"I think that everyone's a little crazy one way or another." I continued as I shrugged my shoulders. "You get to see all kinds of people when you work at the cafe."

"Your family is crazy. Your school is crazy. Your life is crazy." The black haired girl declared before laughing. "But who am I to say anything? I'm Dark Grasper after all… No, nevermind that. You're exhausted right Hong? Rhetorical question don't answer. Go take a walk or something, you need to relax."

"Ah, yeah that sounds nice." A walk huh… Oh, wait. "But what about-"

"I've already fixed the issue with the Tail Gear." Grasper waved. "That was a stupid mistake. Trust me, it won't happen again."

"Got it." I nodded as I fiddled with the device on my wrist. "Then, I'll see you later?"

"Probably not," She denied as she turned away. "I've still got some things I want to work on so I'll be skipping dinner tonight."

"Heh," I let out. "You know, you sound a lot like Twirl when you say stuff like that."

Grasper paused before turning to give me the most offended look that I had ever seen grace someone's face. "Never say those words again. I'm a cute and smart idol, nothing like that egotistical madwoman!"

"Oh come on, you've never even met-"

"I've talked to her enough times on the internet to understand what she's like!" The girl adjusted her glasses again. "Shouldn't our relationship make it clear that face to face communication isn't always a necessity?"

"I… Suppose so yeah," I nodded. Then again, I'm not the best at socializing with other people anyways. But I did need to defend Twirl right? Right! "Can you give me a second to think of how to defend Twirl?"

"You have ten."

Okay let's just think of all her good points!

"...I apologize for the grave insult." I intoned as I bowed to the smaller girl in front of me. I'm sorry Twirl but you're just so… Twirl! Every good point you do have is quickly canceled out.

"Hmph. I'll forgive you for now," was all the warning I had before she suddenly adjusted her glasses and changed her mannerisms in an instant. Dark Grasper was gone, in her place- "But don't say mean stuff like that again okay? It makes Isuna-chan really sad!"

"Grk!" I recoiled instantly, the sight sending a shotgun blast straight through my chest. "Stop doing that!"

The facade broke instantly as Grasper doubled over, clutching her sides as laughter filled the room. "Only when your reactions stop being hilarious!"

"That is so cheating." I jabbed a thumb into my chest. "You don't see me using superpowers to tease people like that!"

Grasper said something, but it was too muffled for me to make it out. "Only because you don't need superpowers to do that."

"Agh, whatever." I rolled my eyes. "I'm going on that walk. See you tomorrow I guess?"

"Yeah," she managed to get out as she waved. "Later."

---

Grand Blazer was a spell that had followed me ever since the day that I had first awoken as a magical girl. It's effect was simple, a finishing move that changed depending on what Affinity I had equipped. Practically, according to the experts in my life, it was great for its versatility.

For some reason that didn't bring me much comfort as I let my mind wander. My body moved down the streets of Huolu City on instinct.

The Twintail Affinity was my original affinity, the one I was born with. I couldn't deny it, I loved it with every inch of my being. No, it was my being. And yet I couldn't help but think back to what Phoenix said earlier today.

There was no mean intention to it, yet it stuck to me.

I had lived with Twirl, the mad scientist who lived in my basement, for eight years. Even if my memories of those days were a jumbled mess, she had been present longer than I could recall. Even when others came and went, I had never thought that it would ever actually be her turn. Then one day, just like that, she was gone. Sure, Grasper slowly had begun to take over her lab, but I couldn't help but feel that there was something missing in my house these days. I almost couldn't believe that it had already been weeks without her cheeky grin or unparalleled confidence.

I never thought I would, but I missed her.

Where was I going with this? I didn't know. There were so many other things to think about that were much more important. Training how to use Break Release properly, preparing for the fights against Valhalla… Now that I think about it, despite my dramatic reintroduction to the world of Guildys and Magical Girls, I had once again fallen into a routine. Except this time, I didn't have my fights operating on a clockwork weekly schedule. In fact I think this is the first time I've gone a full week without getting into any fight whatsoever.

It made me feel… Itchy. Jittery. Anxious. High Valhalla wasn't like two months ago. They could appear at any time and I didn't no how or when or even where-

"Now I remember why I wasn't thinking about this." I sighed as I entered a nearby city park. Not that I was really paying attention to nature or the greeny but the break from the concrete did help my eyes a bit. Honestly I wasn't even the kind of person who would go to parks. Usually I just went from school back to home and that was about it. The last time I went to a park, well, that didn't exactly go so well. My head shook as I groaned. "When the heck did my life get so complicated?"

That wasn't a question I had a clear answer to. Well, the obvious point would be when I awakened as Tail Red but…

The me of back then and the me of right now felt like we were growing farther apart with every day that passed.

When was the last time I had trusted in the Twintails Affinity, so readily as I did that day? When I had-

I didn't have time to finish that sentence. A ball rolled down the side of the street and I calmly picked it up and turned to its owner, only for my eyes to widen.

"Ah!" A little girl wearing two very familiar twintails exclaimed as she pointed at me. "You're the magical girl!"

"I thought I told you to keep that a secret between us," I laughed, nervously glancing around to make sure no one heard. "Long time no see Aya. How have you been?"

"I've been great! I have a lot of new friends now!" The little girl nodded her head. "Sometimes there are people who pick on me because I'm Ja… Japa… Japanda but I just followed your example and kicked the bad people in the head!"

Uh, not sure exactly how to feel about that. Am, am I a bad influence?

"Mommy said I should give you something for saving me, but I don't have it right now." Aya continued on without a care before patting her hair. "I'm still taking care of my twintails since you told me how special they were!"

"That's great." I smiled. "Take care of your hair, and it'll take care of you back."

"Aya!" Someone shouted before a woman came wandering down the park and up to the two of us. "I told you not to stray too far away from the group!"

"Sorry Miss Bao!" Aya called before turning back towards me, pointing at the ball in my hands. "Ah! I know! You can play with us!"

"Oh, no we can't have that!" The woman panicked in a fluster before bowing her head to me. "I'm terribly sorry for bothering you!"

"It's nothing, really." I smiled apologetically as I handed the ball back to Aya. "I don't think that'll be fair to you and your friends."

The young girl gave me a look. "Because you're really really strong?"

"Yep." My muscle, which wasn't really that visible under my clothing, bulged as I flexed my arm. "I've been training real hard. I accidentally punched a ball too hard at school once and it exploded."

Aya's arms sparkled. "Really?! Show me, show me!"

I turned towards the caretaker and she coughed before giving me a wry smile. "I'm really sorry about this. Our daycare just started and we don't have that many volunteers so…"

"Don't worry, I wasn't busy anyways." I waved. "As long as I get home before dinner, then I don't think it'll be a problem."

"Then, thank you very much!" Bao bowed again. "We'll be in your care!"

"Really, you don't have to bow to me!" I replied, rapidly waving my hands about. Though, I wasn't actually sure that this was a good idea. I had never dealt with children before, what if I screwed this up?

---

I didn't screw it up. In fact, it turned out to be remarkably easy to get along with them.

At Aya's instance, I ended up showing the group of children the martial arts that Lan had drilled into me. It kind of felt embarrassing, especially when some passersby came and actually gave me some money for the show. Aya had this look of smug, self-importance as all the kids as she began to brag about our relationship. If it wasn't for the fact that I had begun to panic when one of them brought up magic, I'm pretty sure she would've revealed that I was a magical girl right then and there.

But regardless of that little incident, playing around the children felt fun, even if I had to limit my strength by a lot to make the game fair. Then they insisted I go all out.

So I did.

"Cheater!" Aya pouted as she pulled me aside. "Mister Hong is really a cheater!"

"I told you that it wouldn't be fair." I replied back as I let the much younger girl drag me on.

"That doesn't matter!" She stomped as she pulled me into the shade. "You're banned! Forever!"

"And by that she means until they call for you again." A new voice called out and I glanced down. She was a girl around the age of twelve, just a few years older then Aya, leaning back in a wheelchair as she placed a book on her lap. "Children can be quite rambunctious after all."

"Yi!" Aya exclaimed, storming up to the girl. "Stop using big words!"

"Hm." The girl, Yi, hummed as she turned towards me. Her eyes squinted. "And you are…?"

"I'm just someone Aya roped into playing with her." I smiled as I sat down. "My name's Hong Liang."

"...Ah. I see." She nodded before turning back to Aya. "Oh, it looks like they started the next game without you."

"They what?!" Twintails whipped through the air as she spun around and dashed away. "They better not have or I'm going to, to, kick their heads in!"

"Please don't," Was all I could get out before she vanished from view, the sound of high pitched shouting in the distance reaching my ears. I think I've created a monster. No, a Lan.

Yi chuckled before turning to me. "Children never seem to run out of energy huh?"

"You don't look to be that old yourself." I replied, leaning back to feel the grass against my hands.

"Looks can be deceiving." The wheelchair bound girl let out a wistful sigh. "...In truth, I'm actually much older than I appear. But since I don't look like an adult in their eyes, kids have a tendency to treat me like one of them. Most of the time it is quite vexing, but it comes in handy on occasions such as this. For instance, Aya once confided in me that she was kidnapped by a lizard monster once."

My body tensed up instantly as I tried to hide the nervous twinge in my voice. "I-Is that so?"

"And that she was also saved by a magical girl, Tail Red," Yi continued on without a care. "It's quite a heroic story when she tells it, but I can't find myself to cheer alongside her. Murder is still murder after all, and it wouldn't be too long after that all of the lizard's comrades would go extinct at the hands of that same blade."

"...There were probably some circumstances-" I began, only to cut myself off as something registered in my head. A chill ran down my spine. Aya was only around for the fight with Lizard Guildy, she couldn't have known about what followed after. So, then, how did this girl know about that?

As if reading my mind, she chuckled before raising her hand. In a burst of light, a green and black bracelet appeared on her wrist. "Hong Liang, was it? I didn't think I'd ever meet you in person, but I hear you have a… knack for running into the Guildys by coincidence."

I shot up instantly, only for her hand to reach out and grab my arm. It wasn't all that strong, but something about it was wrong. No, I knew what it was. Her hand was hard, smooth, and was as cold as the dead. As if an illusion had been broken, I slowly began to notice other odd details that stacked up with one another. Her perfectly smooth skin looked like it had been painted on, her joints moved with a stiff motion, and… Not once did she blink or breathe, staring into my eyes with pupils that appeared to have been carved out.

The conclusion was undeniable-- This girl was not human.

"Relax," she continued, pulling me down. "Does it look like I'm in any condition to fight with you?"

"...No," I reluctantly agreed, letting her guide me back to the ground.

"That's a good boy," the Guildy declared as she turned back to her own Gear. "I don't know what your relationship with Tail Red is, but Hong Liang doesn't have to worry about being attacked just yet."

My eyes narrowed. "Yet?"

"If we're given the order, High Valhalla will carry it out," Yi, if that was her name, proclaimed as if she hadn't just threatened my life. Turning to face the children in front of us. "Any threats to the Guildys shall be removed, at any means necessary. That is the purpose for our existence."

"...What do you want?" I got out before my eyes drifted to where she was looking. Instantly, adrenaline coursed through my veins. "Wait- What about Aya?!"

"Any threat that she may have posed has been neutralized," the wheelchair-bound girl responded. "There's no possibility of our existence being discovered just yet. While it troubles me that such an obvious loose end is being left out in the open, I was convinced to just let it fade away as a childhood memory for now."

She paused before gesturing at Bao as the woman corralled the children into eating their snacks. "Don't worry, if any harm were to befall her Ursa Guildy would take care of it before you or I could do anything."

I stared at the scene, fist clenching as my nails dug into my flesh. "Then why are you two here?"

"I suppose you could consider this as us being 'Off-Duty'." Yi sighed. "We have hobbies too, you know? Granted, Childcare isn't one of my own, but I'd make a poor Commander if I didn't set aside some time to spend with my subordinates."

"A poor… Commander?" I choked out as I turned back towards her. "Does that make you-"

"The leader of High Valhalla, yes." She nodded. "Yi Wa is what the children call me, but you would probably be more comfortable with my real name. Yggdrasil Guildy of the Growth Affinity."

I couldn't bring myself to say anything as she brought a hand to cover her lips. "I've heard quite a few things about you, Hong. You've certainly made an impression Valkryia, even if she focuses more on the hunt for Tail Red. You were friends with Noble Heart right? Did you know about their true nature?"

My head shook, but I wasn't sure what I was trying to deny. "Not… until the day that Drag died."

"So you were there then? Interesting." Yggdrasil nodded. "We've been able to collect very little information about just how that occurred. Her penchant for more analog forms of communication and recording aside, Drag Guildy was still a Guildy Commander. If Tail Red really did manage to defeat her… Then this is more serious than I thought."

I glanced at the dirt beneath my feet. It was in a park just like this one… "It wasn't an easy fight."

"I would expect not." The wheelchair bound girl stared at me for a bit. "You look conflicted. Apologies, did I bring back bad memories?"

"Xu Mei… Drag… Was my friend," I managed to get out.

"And her death was tragic," Yggdrasil concluded. "I understand. I too, recently have to deal with the loss of someone I held dear."

Who it was didn't need to be said. The life that I had cut short when I had declared my reawakening.

Medusa Guildy.

"She could be over affectionate at times, but moving on without her is still an ordeal." The commander muttered as she closed her eyes softly. "I can't possibly imagine what our leader is feeling about all of this."

"Then why the hell are fighting?!" The words were ripped right out of my throat, leaving me feeling raw as I screamed. "If it hurts both you and I then what's even the point to this nonsense?!"

With a soft sigh, the doll closed her eyes. "Calm down. You're drawing attention to us."

I paused, shifting over at the civilians who were giving the two of us glances. My teeth grinded against each other as I took a deep breath and looked away. "...You should already know that Grasper is innocent."

"'Innoncent' is subjective, considering she was still an accessory to the murder of Noble Heart." Yggdrasil denied. "Even if it has come to light that the case is more… Complicated than it may appear. And there is still the matter at hand of Phoenix."

"...Phoenix claims that she's been framed," I said. "And I'm willing to trust her more than I trust you."

Even if Lan had claimed that she held a darkness within her, there was no way she could lie about that.

"You appear to be under the misconception that High Valhalla is seeking the truth of this. That's fundamentally incorrect. What we want is to carry out our leader's orders: Deliver extinction upon the Renegades." There was a creak as the wooden girl shook her head. "That is all that we need to know."

"...So you'll just carry out anything this 'leader' of yours says?" I concluded. "Even if you know it's wrong?"

"And who are you to be the judge?" Yggdrasail's face looked as stiff as ever, but I noticed the way her fingers were beginning to tap against her wheelchair. "You have no idea what they have sacrificed so that we Guildys could prosper. The two of them could've left behind dead weight like us at any moment, and yet they chose to stand by our side. To save us. Anyone who turns their back on that is someone I will never forgive."

"Enemies will be exterminated, traitors will go extinct." She glared at me, with fire that seemed to burst forth from her frame and turn our surroundings to ash. "High Valhalla will tear any and all threats to the Guildys up by the roots."

Our eyes met, neither one of us willing to back down. Firm, unyielding. At first it was hard to believe that the fragile doll in front of me could be the commander of freaks like Rhino, but now I could understand. What Yggdrasil lacked physically, she more than made up for in her presence alone. When I stared into her eyes, it looked like she was ready to swallow the world whole at any moment. I had no doubt about where I stood on this matter, but neither did she. It was a near fanatical devotion that I disagreed with every fibre of my being, yet I could not fault where it was coming from.

Right now, even though we weren't trading blows, both of us were standing up for a person we believed in.

"Even if you abandoned them, I never will," I declared, clenching my fist. "The path in front of me, I'll save it no matter what."

"...That's not all you want to say, is it?" She didn't mock me, I knew what that sounded like. It was just a question, but it pricked me like a knife's edge. "You speak with conviction, and yet your foundation is shaky. Does this situation truly vex you so?"

"Of course it does." I was frustrated, in more ways than I knew words for. "My friends are in danger, but the enemy won't stop until they're dead. You aren't monsters, I can see that, but here we are at war despite that. All this killing and fighting and I…"

The words died in my lips.

"And you?" Yggdrasil egged me on, and I continued speaking.

"Back during the fights with Noble Heart, I think I had lost sight of myself," I admitted, feeling my shoulders sag. "When I encountered High Vahalla, I was able to understand what I was fighting for. Yet every fight still hurts, still cuts deep into my heart. And the thing about wounds like that is… They scar, forever leaving their mark."

I glanced at my hands, slowly easing the tension from my tense fist. "When I came to this park today, I was thinking back to who I was when I first awakened. And I… wonder if I'm even the same person anymore."

A breeze to gentle for this conversation brushed across my skin. For a moment that was all I heard, before something unexpected joined it. The sound of laughter, leaving Yggdrasil's mouth with a too perfect harmony, something that seemed to fit the living work of art.

"Ahaha. So that's the kind of person you are, hm?" The doll smiled, but her eyes held a tinge of melcohny. "Oh, how I envy you so."

"Huh?" I blinked, eyes widening as she continued.

"Did you know? The human body for the most part will replace all the cells in your body throughout the course of a decade or so." The commander continued to speak, though I had no idea what she was getting at. "Of course, there are important parts of the body that never get replaced such as your brain and your eyes, but can you really say for sure that the you from then is the same person you are today?"

"Definitely not." I shook my head. "I don't even remember ten years ago."

"Well, it is quite commonplace for memories before the age of ten to fade as one grows older." Yggdrasil was totally off base but I didn't bother to correct her. The fact that I couldn't recall anything beyond eight years ago wasn't something she needed to know. "Regardless, I'm sure a young boy in the climax of puberty like you knows a thing or two about how the human body changes."

"Is this really a conversation we need to have?" I groaned, only for the doll to giggle at my expense.

"What I'm trying to say is that everyone changes. The person we are today will never be the same as who we were yesterday or who we will be tomorrow. We are all in a constant state of flux, of growth." A bittersweet sigh left her lips. "There is no need for you to fear it. Rather, embrace it. Appreciate the opportunity that has been given to you…"

Yggdrasil remained quiet before her tone shifted to one of melancholy. "...An opportunity that I myself have been denied."

I wasn't sure what to say. "Ygg-"

"I believe we're done here." The commander declared as she pressed a button on her gear. Instantly her inhuman imperfections were smoothed over, causing her to reappear once more as a young girl. "The kids should be getting tired soon. You should say your goodbyes while you can."

"...Yeah." I nodded stiffly, pushing myself off the grass. "Then I suppose the next time we see each other, it'll be on the battlefield."

The girl made no room to deny it. "The day we trade blows, you will come to regret making me your adversary. That I swear."

Yggdrasil paused. "Of course, you'd have to get through the rest of Valhalla first. They would be quite cross at me for doing such a thing."

The final boss at the end of all the other Guildys. Where have I heard that before?

"And one more thing." She continued. "Our meeting here today was luck, but don't chalk your entire life up to coincidence. Sometimes mortals have to weave the strings of fate themselves."

"...I'll keep that in mind." I nodded, despite the fact that I had no clue what Yggdrasil was talking about. If she noticed my confusion, the wooden doll didn't say anything as I walked over to where the rest of the kids were playing.

They were sad to see me go, but were rather understanding of the whole affair as some of their parents had already come to pick them up.

"Bye Mister Hong!" Aya waved to me. "Come play with me again sometime, okay?!"

"I'm really grateful for what you did today." Bao bowed. "I won't forget this, I swear!"

"It's alright…" I waved, though my heart wasn't really in it. Because the woman in front of me wasn't 'Bao', but rather Ursa Guildy.

As I left, my eyes took in the scene of her caring for the kids one last time.

'Just kill the enemy' some might have said, if they were standing in my shoes.

Like hell it was that simple.

I dragged myself back home, ignoring how my shadow grew longer under the burning heat of the afternoon sun.

---

By the time I got home, the sky had already turned orange. Honestly, even though I took this walk to relax, I ended up getting more worn out then when I started…

"Heave ho!" I heard Mom exclaim as she tossed a garbage bag into the green container. With a sigh, she turned to face me before smiling. "Well look who's home late. And all dirty as well."

"Yeah sorry about that. I'll take a shower before dinner," I replied awkwardly as I glanced at the dirt on my clothes before turning to the garbage. "Did you throw something out? The garbage collectors won't show up for days."

Mom was usually on a routine like clockwork when it came to garbage. I wouldn't call her a particularly organized person (she had a style that I could only navigate by experience) but when it came to disposing of things she was usually consistent.

"Oh you know. There was an unruly customer who made a mess of the store so I decided to clean up a bit." She smiled, though for some reason it felt a bit off. As I tried to place my finger on that look, she took something out of her pocket. "Really, if they wanted to do such a thing, the least they could've done is set up a reservation."

And with that she clenched her fist, crushing something into pieces before casually dropping it into the container.

"Do you need any help with that?" I offered, only for mom to shake her head.

"Nope! That should be the last of them." She gave me a cheeky grin. "Honestly, some people just think they're more clever than they actually are. But you can help by removing Phoenix from the television. Poor girl's been bingeing everything she's missed and I haven't been able to set the cable to record the upcoming episode of Manaranger."

I blinked before something horrifying dawned on me. "I've been so busy training I've missed the newest episodes!"

And worst off, there was only one TV in the whole house! If Phoenix wasn't watching then I was screwed! I needed to get control of that television asap!

As I dashed into the house, I heard my mom call after me. "If we're having a marathon night then I'll be making the popcorn!"

"Don't forget the curry as well!" I cried as I navigated through my house at full speed before practically kicking down the door to the living room. What was she watching? Kamen Rider Roldex? Dammit that wasn't even that good! "Hand over the tv remote! I'm missing episodes of Manaranger!"

"What?!" Phoenix whipped her head to me, scandalized. "As if! I've been waiting to finish this for months!"

"It's the anniversary season! You aren't missing much!"

"I've already caught up with Zerone!"

"If you've already finished the one that's currently airing then I get to catch up as well!"

"We may be sworn Toku-Brothers but I'm not surrendering this remote without a fight!" Phoenix cried, wagging the remote in the air. "The truth of justice shall shine through! My engine's been ignited, can't you hear it roaring!"

"I hate to do this but you're on!" I growled, lunging at her. "The path in front of me, I'll save it no matter what!"

In the end, Mom smacked both of us down and made us binge the current Ultraman instead. I can't say it was a particularly productive night, but it did help me wind down after the previous week.

...Although Grasper asking me the next morning about why I didn't just stream the latest episode on my computer threw me for a loop. Apparently you can just do that.

Pick (3) Actions and (1) additional Passive Action

Active Actions
-[] Hang out with someone (Insert Who)
-[] Advance Laboratory Reclamation (Floor 2 - 0/4 complete. Next Objective: Make Way Into Second Floor)
-[] Finish Fixing The Engine
-[] Do something else?

Passive Actions:
-[] Fuck you, do your homework.
-[] EXERCISE BOI EXERCISE
-[] MAGICAL GIRL TRAINING TIME

+60 EXP: Ominous Encounter, Yggdrasil Guildy

22 + 60 = 82 EXP

AN: Usually I don't like to go a month without updating (Ignoring that period where I went several without updoots). Unfortunately, I'll have to chalk up this one coming late to finals. And the fact that I spend like a week just wating for votes. And alternate this on a schedule with several other things. And also plain old procrastination. Lotta things.