Story Reader / Collab / Blazing Simulacrum / Story
Haah!
Blocking the scythe's slash with her black katana, she spins and kicks her opponent away, then charges her cannon for a final shot at her unbalanced foe.
As the smoke clears, the girl with the scythe walks toward her, a thrilled smile on her face.
Nice!
You truly are a worthy opponent, BLACK★ROCK SHOOTER!
One of the dice around DEAD MASTER flies away from her and toward BLACK★ROCK SHOOTER, indicating that the latter has won this round.
You lost this time.
I did, but you never know what's going to happen next time.
The round count on the scoreboard goes from 27 to 28, signaling it's the black side's move.
We're taking the lead now.
Is that so? You've been keeping such a close watch on me, so much so that I'm sure you have no idea what's happening behind you.
The girl with the green eyes approaches BLACK★ROCK SHOOTER and whispers into her ears.
...
She looks up at the holographic castle—and sees that the specks of light representing her and DEAD MASTER are close to the goal, while the other pieces are still fighting.
Lucia's "Knight" is under attack by two white pieces, and as for Fida... BLACK★ROCK SHOOTER never really thought she'd be any useful anyway.
Reaching the goal first means nothing when your fate is already sealed.
I alone am enough.
Yes... exactly, you don't need anyone else, so don't you look away from me.
I am the nightmare you cannot escape, the "nemesis" you are destined to confront!
...You're difficult to shake off. I'll give you that.
But...
But?
Never mind.
BLACK★ROCK SHOOTER shakes her head, looking quietly at the chessboard.
What... should I do...
Fida steps forward mechanically, recalling what the Craftsman told her before.
She has thought about ignoring the dice's commands, but she never managed to work up the courage to actually try defying it.
She knows perfectly well that the "pawns" will never make it to the goal, and yet she doesn't know if she is going to refuse to be "sacrificed" when she has to make that decision.
She can't even properly say what she wants, opting instead to keep running away.
I should have just walked away from this mess in the first place...
She is a coward, unworthy of mention, a deserter on the battlefield. She thought she had abandoned her fate as a Mental Image, yet she still came here in place of those left behind.
What in the world...
Fida, you're here?
Melaka...
What's wrong? I haven't seen you in the village these past few nights.
I...
Are you still thinking about what happened that day? I believe everyone has come to understand you by now.
What people think doesn't matter to me at all.
It's just... I'm a little...
What are you thinking about exactly?
...
Melaka, why do we have to be enemies with her?
Hmm?
Everything you've taught me, did they come from your heart?
What are we really fighting for... all this time?
The operation of Corridor? The progress of the world? Are these grand reasons really why we started killing one another?
Fida...?
That day, when that black sword was pointed at me, do you know what I saw behind those eyes?
Full of questions, she sought the ultimate answer from within that flame.
I saw... a person standing amidst a battlefield strewn with corpses, their black cloak soaked with countless stains of blood...
I saw that person holding a sword, with a terrifying smile on their face.
I saw... myself.
She witnessed a vision.
Her sword pierced through her enemy's chest, the blood that came splattering out fluttering like wings of butterflies.
Her emotions boiled over at that moment, experiencing an unprecedented exhilarating pleasure.
Like trying to fill a vast void within herself, she yearned to harm any being that came close with her sword.
And that's when it hit her.
That she had seen that same expression countless times before, and yet she'd chosen to look away from it again and again.
That same expression she'd seen every time she killed a Mental Image and on all the battlefields she set foot on.
They all wore the same expression.
Everyone genuinely enjoyed harming others.
It was only in that moment she understood, when she first opened her eyes and Melaka reached out to her, what the smile curling at her lips meant.
That wasn't celebrating the birth of a new life; it was celebrating that more conflicts shall arise in this world.
I... am very afraid.
Not of her, but of myself.
If one day, I were to—
Then, I would accept it with open arms.
Melaka...?
Have I ever told you about the previous "Fida"?
Could it be...
She was once my best friend.
Even if, as you say, all Mental Images are keen on hurting each other, I firmly believe that I would never see her as an enemy.
But I was wrong. We are far more narrow-minded than we'd like to admit
I can't remember when our relationship first cracked, I only remember that in the end, she raised her weapon against me, and I killed her with my own hands.
It was on that day that you were born before my eyes.
So, I...
We can't stay the same forever because we are not perfect.
That's why I'm not afraid of us becoming enemies. I understand that if that day comes, it will be entirely our own choice.
Yet, to think you'd doubt my sincerity... That does make me feel sad.
I didn't mean to...
Even if our reasons for conflicts seem trivial, even if they started out as nothing, we can still give them deeper meaning.
This might be an excuse I use to comfort myself, but it's one I choose to believe in.
But no matter what, there is one truth I hold, completely and utterly, from the depths of my heart.
Even if you and I become sworn enemies one day, even if we cease to exist in the future.
I still hope that the next "Melaka" and "Fida" can be friends.
What meaning would there be in that, Melaka?
She murmurs, then hears the symphony of swords clashing ahead.
That is—
Such a tough fight!
The girl with the katana sidesteps a white Mental Image's thrust, then immediately deflects another Mental Image's slash.
Three chess pieces land on the same square, allowing the white side's "Knight" and "Pawn" to confront her simultaneously.
Using two chess pieces to attack might reduce the reward, but it ensures victory. The white side's "King" was slowly but surely whittling down Lucia's dice.
Don't underestimate me!
Even though she is outnumbered, the girl's spirit doesn't waver in the slightest.
She creates distance between herself and the two Mental Images, positioning her katana in front of her, ready and focused.
In the next moment, she swings her katana, creating a pale storm of countless ice shards that immobilize the white "Knight".
Then, with a flash of the blade...
...
Before the white "Pawn" can react, her sword is already cleaved in half.
The last dice on the "Pawn" disappears, her figure dissolving, signaling her exit from this game.
Let's press on!
After defeating the first enemy, Lucia uses the momentum to spin and change the direction of her blade. The "Knight" is still trapped in ice. This is her golden opportunity.
The thruster on her back ignites with energy, propelling her forward with lightning speed.
However, just as her blade is about to touch the "Knight's" neck, her frame makes an unusual noise.
Orange flames and the screech of electricity erupt from the exhaust vent on her left rear leg, an unexpected overload disrupting her balance and rendering her assault ineffective.
How could this happen at a time like this—
The wear and tear from the intense battle turns into a fatal flaw at that moment.
The "Knight" breaks free from the ice, her sword slashing across Lucia's chest.
No!
Fida shouts almost reflexively, running toward Lucia's position, only to be stopped by the barrier of divided squares.
She can only watch as the few remaining dice on Lucia decrease, and the "Knight" also turns her attention to Fida.
...
You...!
Her fists clench tightly against the barrier, her eyes glaring intensely at the white-clad Mental Image.
Even though her face is hidden by a cloak and her aura is completely different, she recognizes her.
Fida...
The Mental Image playing the white "Knight" slowly speaks her name.
Are you really going, Melaka?
Yes, someone has to take responsibility for these incidents.
That castle poses a threat not just to one village. If left unchecked, eventually the entire Corridor will be in danger.
Do you really think so?
Since when did my authority fall so low in your eyes?
I know you're still confused, so I won't ask you to join me.
You know full well, this is no different from challenging that Black Demon.
I know, but like you, I too am searching for an "answer."
I can't allow myself to stop moving forward, Fida.
...
It seems your pawn refuses to heed your commands.
You've lost.
On the chessboard, the pieces representing the black side begin to dim one by one.
And what punishment awaits the loser?
Punishment? Why would there be such a thing? It's just a "game," isn't it?
A... game...?
Merely a pastime, win or lose, nothing changes.
So you... weren't here to eliminate us then...
No, this is just a means, not an end. I have no interest in you flawed beings.
What I seek is something those controlled by "conflicts" can never comprehend.
Never to be comprehended...?
What, you look skeptical?
The endpoint of "conflicts" is nothing. There's no exit, no answers.
This Corridor is merely cycling through an endless loop, leading only to extinction.
...Our "meaning" is not for you to define.
I'm not defining anything, I'm just stating facts.
I never sought your understanding, but... this might be quite interesting.
Would you like to see for yourself? If you're seeking an answer.
...
She remains silent for a long time.
She has many reasons to refuse, but ultimately, she takes the King's hand.
That moment...
She sees an entirely different world.
Countless lives perish.
Countless values vanish.
The sky crumbles, the golden sea breaches in a single night.
Disasters are unleashed, irreparable mistakes are made.
Tortured souls, entangled fates.
Shadows circling unceasingly, a nauseating carnival.
All illusions eventually converge into one place.
That is the essence, the origin.
It is a Mirror.
And then—
The Mirror reflects her own image.
...
Melaka...! Why are you there?!
The "Knight" doesn't respond to Fida's shout, quietly sheathing her sword. The turn shifts, and the dice on the "Knight" lights up, guiding her to the next area.
Things seem to have taken a turn for the worse.
Lucia props herself up with her sword, standing shakily.
Sparks still fly from her frame's exhaust ports, and moving appears to be problematic. She drags her almost immovable left leg to Fida, a bitter smile on her face.
The "Knight"... can intercept the advancing pieces, forcing them into battle.
Lucia herself is the "Knight" of the black side, her persistent struggle to break through the white side's blockade is due to the unique properties of the "Knight" piece.
Now... in my current state...
Her dice are down to two, and the white "Knight" still blocks the way.
Don't push yourself! Wouldn't it be better to stay here?
No... the commandant still needs me.
I might not make it to the end, but I can still be of some use...
There's still a chance to win this "game." I need to create that opportunity for the commandant.
Why...?
Hmm?
Why can you speak of such things so casually?
That person you call the commandant... Why are you so willing to sacrifice yourself for that person?
...
This isn't a "sacrifice."
You... are you angry...?
No, it's just that we've only just met and haven't had much time to get to know each other.
Commandant and I have been together for a long time since the day Gray Raven was formed. Our story could fill nights of tales, both good and bad.
We've had our differences, and argued more times than I can count.
But at the end of every departure, we always reunite under Gray Raven.
It's because we've been through so much, because we know the best and worst of each other, that I can say this—
Commandant would never ask me to sacrifice myself, and I... won't simply give up my life.
Even without words, I can understand Commandant's intentions through actions.
I'm just repaying that trust.
Trust...
And... although it's just a hunch, a kind of unreliable intuition...
The dice on Lucia's body lights up as the turn shifts.
She brushes the dust off her face, offering Fida a firm smile as if to comfort her.
She grips her sword, standing tall.
Commandant and I have faced countless crises, trapped in many a dire situation—
Every time, I thought it would be the end, but we always managed to overcome the "end."
This time won't be the end either, because...
The journey we're on is still long.
