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I get my answer in form of a shadow that appears ahead of me on the walkway. Looking up I see the angel floating there. She talks in a soft, beautiful and mesmerizing voice that you want to listen to forever:
— So you are here. Not even making an effort to hide? Well, then it's easier for me.
The words on the other hand are something you want to run away from as far as you could.
She takes the doll she is holding and throws it at me. As it is flying, it is growing in size. The doll grows into a three meter tall demon with wings, fangs, claws and horns. I jump back as the demon lands close to where I was standing. It is standing in a slightly crouching position and its movements are jittery.
Before it could get closer I try attacking him with wind-blades from a distance. As I swing the sword, three blades speed towards the demon. He didn't even try to dodge them. Without any resistance wind-blades hit him. The result? Just three small cuts across his body. I could be attacking him with those blades whole day and he would barely even notice it.
My attack failed. I need to get some time, so I can form a plan. Let's go with the usual tactic — trash-talking:
— Aren't you an angel? I thought angels were supposed to be benevolent creatures. Isn't killing a taboo for you?
— Yes, angels aren't supposed to kill lesser beings.
— Doesn't killing me go against that?
— Oh, but it's not an angel that is killing you, is it?
Her cold smile sent shivers down my spine. What is it with this messed up logic?
As soon as she finished the demon jumps at me. Taking a sword out, I triy blocking the impact, but even though I succeed in blocking it, the force was so strong that I was blown back. Luckily, part of the impact was absorbed by the sword and by moving it into inventory I was able to avoid the worst of it.
The demon approaches me again and swipes. In response to that I raised my hand and take the sword out. With the force of previous impact it swings towards the neck of the demon. Like the hellhound from before, the sword cut the neck of the demon. Though, the demon's swipe continues and he cuts straight through my arm. I am left without my right arm and he is left without his head.
There was one thing I didn't take into account. This demon doesn't need its head to continue attacking me. I don't have time to regret my shortsightedness. As the next swipe comes, I try blocking it by materializing the sword in the swipe's path and taking it away after it absorbed the impact. This doesn't succeed completely. The sword does absorb the impact, but the demon just continues pressing his claw. What it meets is my neck. Last things I hear are angel's words:
— Oh you poor thing. I will need to sew you back together properly....
And then I die.
Chapter 4. Load / Retry
I don't need to 'get a life',
I'm a gamer, I have lots of lives.
Waking up was... surprising. I thought I died, so I didn't really know what to expect from the afterlife. Feeling a bed under me is certainly welcome. It means I can feel and hopefully even think. 'I think, therefore I exist'. Now I just need to understand where I am and what happened.
A familiar noise interrupted my thoughts:
— Morning has come, Master.
Opening my eyes, I see a faerie dressed in a violet Chinese one-piece dress.
— What happened to me, didn't I die?
— Insufficient information. I have no information about Master prior to him arriving here.
I can only say that I haven't woken up properly. That is why Rue's statement hasn't alarmed me in any way and I continued pressing with my questions.
— What do you mean insufficient information? Weren't you with me for the past three days before that hellish tournament began?
— Statement does not align with the data in the database. This is our first meeting.
So is this not Rue? But every assistant faerie I saw was different in both clothing and appearance, while this was identical to how Rue appeared. Though, that is not really important. What is important is to understand what is going on.
— Could you tell me where am I?
— This station is a branch of Illari research institute. It is to serve as the base of operations for the region 4-3.
Same place as before, should have expected that. Though, it doesn't answer the question of 'what is going on?'. As I was thinking on what to do next the faerie spoke:
— I have to inform Master that all challengers are required to assemble in the Main Hall in one hour's time.
Don't tell me...
— Has the tournament started yet?
— No, Master. The tournament will start in three days' time.
A time leap? Have I just jumped back in time to the beginning of this? Although a logical, but still a weird development. If a player dies, he can restart from the last save-point. In games, that is. But this is not a game... Or is it? Jumping back in time is a pretty strong evidence for this being a game and it will make taking this seriously that much harder.
I am really confused. Everything here seems real, but at the same time there are so many little things indicating this to be a game that I can't ignore them. If this is a game, I can't really enjoy it due to the feeling of impending doom. On the other hand everything here is too bizarre to be a reality. It's really hard to act properly under such circumstances.
Right now I still can't be sure that in case of my death I will be thrown back in time again. This means that I have three days to find a way to survive the fight with that sadistic angel. First I probably should check that things will go the same way they went last time. Two milestones I remember are the demonstrative execution of five guys and the attack on the elvish sharpshooter. Now that I think about it, we never met again since that encounter. This time around, I should fix that. Saving her would allow me to ask her for help in preparation for the fight. I can't allow myself to lose that opportunity again. Though, for that to happen I can't be half-dead after the fight...
— Master, I recommend moving out towards Main Hall, otherwise you may be late.
As I woke up from my thoughts, I put the clothes on and go to the hall where the announcement was to be made. As I arrive to the hall, the situation is exactly like the last time — a lot of humanoids with some forming groups and talking among themselves. First thing I did was to try and find the only two individuals I had a connection to: the elvish sharpshooter and the sadistic angel with the demon-doll.
The angel is standing close to the center of the hall alone. She is quite an easy one to notice, since quite a few others are also looking in her direction. She is radiating aura of superiority and nobody dared or bothered to approach her. She isn't the only one doing the 'All of you are bugs under my feet'-act. There is a dragon-faced humanoid with folded wings dressed in a black suit and an aristocratic-looking white skinned middle aged man with a white mantle. I am not saying others are humble, just that those three are the only ones trying to show that they are above others.
As for the elf — she is quite inconspicuous and I would have probably missed her, were I not intentionally looking for her. Standing in the shadow near the wall, she is quietly observing others. I do not intend to talk with her right now. If things repeat themselves, then helping her deal with the hellhounds will make for a much better first impression than if I would start the conversation right now. It would increase my chances of getting her help with my training. Plus this way I will be able to check whether things are really same as last time.
In short, I am just standing and looking around until the speech starts. There are some glances towards me, but nobody tries coming closer to chat. In fact, I would estimate that majority are like me. Now that I look more closely, there are only a handful of people that are talking in groups. Majority are standing alone and waiting for the announcement. I'm not really complaining. I intend to abstain from any contacts until the event with the elvish sharpshooter and hellhounds.
As we were standing, the speech finally started. It was basically a repeat of what happened last time. Or at least it didn't differ from what I remember. After the figure on the podium declared that we were to fight to death, there was some unrest. Exactly the way it was last time.
— SILENCE! You have agreed to participate and are thus required to follow the rules. Breaking those rules will lead to the severe punishment.
Like the last time, the hooded figure closest to the right of the one on podium stepped forward and spoke:
— You may try breaking the rules right now. It will make the demonstration of the punishment much easier for us. Are there any volunteers?
Exactly as I remember, the five humanoids stepped forward. I couldn't bring myself to do anything. I couldn't really do anything even if I tried. That is what I am telling myself. As if watching a performance, I oversee their fruitless struggle. Looking at them tearing the vines away I hope that this time things will happen differently.
No such luck.
Trying to comfort myself with the thought that 'everything was going according to the plan', I watch as they get impaled by the vines. The picture of five humanoids standing there impaled with blood dripping along the vines is as disgusting as I remember it to be. This time it felt even more surreal. Five bodies impaled by the vines. Fixed in one position, they can't even fall down. Those lifeless eyes and blood dripping along the vines onto the floor... Looking at them, the memories of this event from the last time surfaced. As previous memories overlapped with what I am seeing right now, my sense of reality got confused. I am not sure anymore whether this is reality or a dream. My vision is getting foggy.
Can't escape! I need to focus!
As my sight lost focus, my hearing intensified and I heard a few gasps. At the same time I notice my quickened heartbeat and the feel of clothing over my body. For a moment I was concentrating on those feelings, until familiar smell of iron reaches my consciousness. This brought me back to reality. As my vision came back to focus, I was able to think properly again. There is still the feeling of memories overlapping with reality. It feels as if I am a video recording. I was still in daze, but at least now I can act if needed.
As I am watching the five dead bodies, the man on the podium continues his speech.
— I expect a great performance out of all of you. Prove your strength! Obtain your dream!
His last words woke me up from the daze. I got angry. Angry at this hooded man who forced me to participate in this pointless tournament. Angry at these five dead brutes for dying without accomplishing anything here. Angry at that unreasonable sadistic angel with her demon-doll. And most of all I was angry at myself. For hoping those five would die, because that meant I knew who was my first opponent and could prepare. For not taking this seriously, because that would mean I would have to accept this as reality. For being powerless and not able to do anything, because this meant I had to follow the rules forced upon me.
As my anger rose, I notice that some humanoids are studying me. At least ten pairs of eyes were following my every move. This realization makes me feel like cold water is poured onto me. With anger disappeared, I am now able to analyze situation calmly.
If I stay here, there is a chance that somebody could start a conversation with me. I need to ensure that 'saving the damsel in distress'-event will happen. Any conversation might change that, so I need to avoid them. As this thought finished forming, I practically ran outside.
As I got out of the building, I was about to dash to the library. I need to get as much information about that angel as possible. This was when I remembered similar episode from the last time.
— Rue.
— Yes, Master?
— I need information about the angel with the demon-doll that was in that hall. Does the library have the information on her and her race?
— Accessing... Processing... Information processed. Where should I start, Master?
— First, please highlight the road to the training complex. Then you can start with the short overview of the race.
As I started walking, Rue began her explanation:
— En'gi'al, or as they are called in Master's world — angels, are a humanoid race living in the world named He'en. That world partially overlaps with another world — He'el. He'el is inhabited by the race called el'dae. In Master's language that race is described as demons. The records do not hold information as to how these worlds got overlapped. To be precise, the overall history of these two races is quite foggy. What is known, is that three millenia ago there was a war between those two. Thanks to strong Ether in those worlds, both el'dae and en'gi'al are strong mages capable of inter-dimensional travel. The war raged in multiple worlds and some civilizations were even wiped during that war. In the end the el'dae lost and became slaves to en'gi'al. According to the latest received reports en'gi'al control directly around twenty worlds closest to them and about fifty are under their influence. Master's world is one of those fifty.
Mentally exhausted from this morning, I am just not in the mood of poking fun at this story. What Rue described is a 'typical' war between heaven and hell, where some worlds just got destroyed as a collateral damage.The history lesson was interesting, but for me it is more important to know the weaknesses of these angels. Or at least of one particular angel.
— I'm more interested in how to defeat that angel we saw in the hall.
— All female en'gi'al are weak at close quarter combat, but at the same time really strong at spell-casting. This means that females, such as the one Master referred to, are strictly long-range fighters. Due to the nature of the Ether Link, only holy magic is available to en'gi'al. That being the case, they have perfected it to such an extent, that is beyond what we can understand. Main strategy suggested for duels with them is getting close and attacking with weapons capable of piercing holy shields.
I am quite puzzled. While this certainly explains why the angel hasn't attacked me directly, there is one thing that bothers me. The demon that was helping her. If I understood correctly, he is the el'dae that are slaves to angels. In addition to fighting the angel, that is strong at long-rage and probably support-type magic, I also have to fight demon that seems to be strictly close-range fighter. The question is, what is that demon? Could the angel summon the demon to her aid during the combat? Or is the demon just some kind of a puppet?
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