A week had already passed since they started standing out in public on purpose .

Shin was thinking that the plans effects should be showing soon, when he was contacted via chat from Emil . Maybe thinking of the possibility that he wouldnt respond, she sent a message card at the same time .

(Luca has been kidnapped by Hameln!!)

(Luca!?)

Shin could tell Emil was unnerved as he listened to her story, yet he found it a bit bizarre .

Hameln was a player that liked using monsters to attack players, an MPK . His fighting level was rather high, but he seldom fought other than for self-defense . He apparently acted following his own rules; after entering Avidya, Shin had heard scattered reports about him .

Hameln was reported to have a light and easy personality . Yet, rather than engage in all PK activity, he seemed to focus on medium to large-scale battles .

Shin had briefly met him during the last invasion event, but he couldnt help feeling it was strange for Hameln to take a hostage .

(I thought I had set up the orphanage barrier again?)

(It looks like Luca went out on her own . But her expression was strangeIll send you the message Hameln sent me . )

Emils message arrived soon: it read I borrowed the young lady, Ill send her back after a while, almost like a bad joke or a prank .

Were you able to contact Luca?

I did, but she only replied that she was going with Hameln, and nothing more .

Shin found the situation more and more difficult to comprehend .

Chat mode was a completely private mode of communication; it was impossible for others to overhear . Even if she had been taken away or threatened, it was possible to inform others without the kidnapper knowing .

Since Luca had not said anything like that, it was possible that she had followed Hameln of her own free will .

Shin asked for more details and learned that just before disappearing, Luca had bickered with Ryohei and Teppei over whether Shin would return or not .

(Until Hamelns message arrived, those two said that she had gone looking for you . I have no idea whats going on eitherI wasnt sure if I should have called you or not either . )

( . I see . )

Barely half a day had passed since Lucas disappearance . After thinking for a while, Shin tried to contact Luca via chat mode .

( . Shin?)

After a few rings, Luca answered . Her voice sounded timid, scared .

(Emil told me Hameln kidnapped you . )

(UuhIm sorry)

(Thats fine for now . So, are you alright?)

(Yes, hes helping me look for you . )

Hes helping you?

Shin found Lucas words nothing but puzzling . Hameln, a famous PK, was helping a little kid find someone? It was far too bizarre .

Shin asked more questions and found out that Hameln was apparently looking for him too . That he hadnt hurt Luca in any way and had set a monster to protect her .

(Why would he be looking for me?)

The last time we met, Hameln seemed interested in him . Maybe it was an extension of that, but there was no reason to take Luca with him . During the invasion event, he had attacked not Shin himself, but the whole hometown, so he shouldnt be obsessed with Shin like Vlad was .

There should be no reason for Hameln to bring a dead weight like Luca with him .

(Luca, Hameln is dangerous . Emil and the others are worried too . Go back to the orphanage)

(Shin, when will you come back?)

(Well, I)

Ill be back right away . Thats what Shin wanted to reply, but the words didnt leave his lips .

Then, he realized . That even after exacting his revenge, he had no intention of going back .

Shin looked down and saw his hands . They were perfectly clean, but all he saw were stains of blood and guts . He felt blood dripping between his fingers . The smell of iron prickled his nose .

(This is pretty horrible . )

He couldnt touch others anymore . Maybe he had realized it already, unconsciously .

(Luca, I have to return everybody to the real world . I made a promise with Marino . )

(hn . )

(I have to focus on clearing the dungeons from now on . )

(We cant, meet anymore?)

(Dont worry, Im not going to die . )

The words we will couldnt come out of his mouth .

(I am going to end this world . Luca, Emil, Ryohei, Teppei, everyone will be safe . So just wait . )

(Shin?)

(Im going to be busy, so we cant meet until then . )

(Shin!!)

(Luca, go back to the orphanage . )

Shin cut off the chat after this last order .

Considering Hamelns fighting power, Shin had to go confront him himself . Their location, however, was the lodge area where Shin had cut down Robin . Even if Shin went there now, by the time he arrived they would probably be somewhere else .

Hameln would probably try and come in contact sooner or later . He probably would not put Luca in danger either, so Shin decided not to go look for her and wait for Hameln to make his move .

Shin chuckled at himself, thinking that he had turned rather cold .

Shin, looks like Vlad is on the move .

As if she had waited for Shin to finish his chat, Milt -who had been walking next to him- called to Shin . Milt, not Shin, had received a message .

Tell me more .

Shin urged Milt for details, while at the same time connecting to Calmia via chat .

Vlads proposal was to offer Milt a place to die .

For a long time now, Milt possessed humorous nicknames such as Mini Berserker and Poison Lolita . After the death game started however, she was only known by the nickname Deathwish .

As she had told Shin, the method she had chosen to solve the contradiction of her desire to die but fear of suicide was to engage in fights to the death . It didnt matter whether the opponents were monsters or players, Milt threw herself into battle without a speck of caution, so that nickname stuck to her quickly .

The reason why she wasnt stopped by other players, even if she appeared while they were fighting bosses ,was that she took the highest risk of all when fighting .

(I guess that he came to know that I told you that I wanted you to kill me . Though, its not like youre acting like my boyfriend so I can die without regrets . )

Thanks to Catnips help too, the rumor that Shin and Milt had become lovers had spread in the blink of an eye .

Not only Shin, but Milt was also rather famous, so the speed at which the rumor spread surprised even them . Thanks to that though, Vlad moved earlier than expected .

Shin was surprised that Vlad contacted Milt while she was with him: her expressed desire of being killed, no matter at whose hands it was, had probably worked in their favor .

Concealed through Hiding, Shin and Milt waited for Vlad, keeping a chat open between them .

Vlad himself intended to be Milts opponent apparently . Shin and Milt were supposed to be lovers, so Vlad probably wanted to once again snatch Shins beloved away with his own hands .

(Pretty sloppy . )

(Proof of the pinch hes in . Well, its also a result of your relentless PK hunt . )

The designed area was a place ideal for duels; few people or monsters ever visited it .

It was a perfect location to set up an ambush . The cloudy sky made it even more difficult to see Shin and Milt .

(Come alone, without telling Shin . Thats really bad, if you ask me . )

( . could it that hes actually an idiot? I thought that he would make something more impressive in the end . )

(Shin, let me remind you that youre the one that made that impossible . You crushed all the places that Vlad could use, didnt you?)

Shin didnt answer Milts slightly exasperated tone .

As they killed time with such exchanges, Shins map registered a marker coming closer, speeding through the nearby forest . After activating Clairvoyance and Through Sight , Shins eyes could see Vad riding on an Elder Red Dragon .

You came alone?

Vlad landed with his mount and cast the question to Milt . He looked slightly different from before .

His formerly very well kept long hair was now disheveled, the previously gleaming silver armor now emitted a dull glow . As a whole, he gave a sort of faded, stained impression .

You requested me to, didnt you? What are you saying now?

I heard you were lovers, so I thought you would bring him too .

If you know the reason why I was with Shin, you shouldnt be surprised that Im alone . I came without telling him anything, as you ordered me to . I wonder if hes looking for me nowthatd make me a bit happy .

Milt gave a little smile after saying this; Vlad looked at her like he had found something unspeakably filthy . His whole body expressed the utter disgust he felt .

Its impossible for someone like you to have moved his heart .

You look pretty pissed all the same though . Was I clinging to Shin so irritating?

Every time Milt provoked Vlad, emotion seeped away from his face . Inversely, his killing intent grew and grew .

I shall put you out of your misery .

Still riding on the elder dragon, Vlad pointed Excalibur, its blade of light extended, towards Milt .

Too bad, thats not going to happen .

Before Milt could even finish her sentence, a slash flew at Vlad from his blindspot .

Maybe thanks to the instincts cultivated through his fighting job, Vlad barely managed to parry the attack with Excalibur; the sword was unable to withstand the attacks power however, and was blown away .

Kh!! Greed!!

Vlad touched the ground and called for his partner dragons name . The Elder Red Dragon, however, could not answer; aftershocks from the slash had severed its wings and front legs . One single slash had shaved about half of its HP .

So you ca-!?!

Vlad looked towards the source of the slash, a smile widening on his lips, but was constrained by chains of light and thorns colored red and black .

The thorns disappeared thanks to Vlads struggling, but even the muscular strength of an advanced player like Vlad couldnt make the chains budge .

It was a combination of the Light-type Magic skill Arc Bind, which boasted high constrictive power, and the Dark-type Magic skill Thorns of Impurity, which inflicted several status ailments .

A little surprise attack, and youre already helpless?

Shin, who had destroyed the Elder Dragons head with a Light-type spell, spoke softly while looking, expressionless, at the collapsed Vlad . He felt no delight in having captured him .

Vlad was now affected with four negative statuses: Bloodred Poison, Blind, Hi-Paralyze, and Curse . He couldnt move a single finger, let alone break free of the chains .

Haha, did you come to exact your revenge?

Vlad couldnt move, but still flashed a twisted smile .

Despite his sight being clouded by Blind, he recognized Shin from his voice .

Yeah .

Before his most hated enemy, Shin was perfectly calm .

He felt hate . But this hate, burning quietly within, had lost a flame hot enough to shake his emotions .

Shin didnt know when that happened . He couldnt tell if it was something good or bad .

I wont be the one to kill you though .

The obsession wasnt gone . Anger and hate remained .

Now, however, he would not let his emotions swing his blade .

Following Shins signal, six players appeared from the woods . They had not been detected because they were all equipped with gear made by Shin .

Whats this response . ?

The blind Vlad was confused by the approach of the players presences; naturally enough, as Shin, the one supposed to finish him, had not moved one step .

It cant be

Oh yes, it can .

The Ancient-grade weapons in hand of the approaching players gave a dull glow . Even the players with less-than-superior stats, thanks to the weapons bonuses, could inflict significant damage .

. stop .

Without a moment of hesitation, the weapons rose in the air and swung down on Vlad .

STOP!!!

One blow couldnt be enough to cause large damage . On the contrary, this let Vlad feel, as crudely as possible, how his HP was gradually decreasing .

I SAID STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPP!!!!!

He was being killed by people he didnt know . This reality pushed Vlad to scream .

Shin had already turned his back; he wasnt looking at Vlad anymore .

Why!?! I am the one you hate!! Why is it these people!! These nobodies!?!

Vlad probably couldnt feel Shins expression, emotions, or even his eyes .

That was Shins revenge . To be ignored by someone you were so obsessed about . That reality would surely be painful above anything else to Vlad .

Shitt!! HAMEL-

The last scream died behind Shin . Vlads presence was no more .

Well, that was over quickly .

Thats what revenge really is .

Shin was looking towards Milt .

Im grateful for your help . Honestly speaking, I didnt expect things to go so well .

I only did it for my own goal, so dont mention it . Rather than that, when they go awayokay?

Yes, Ill keep my promise .

The six players watched Vlad disappear, silent from start to finish . The man who appeared to be their representative gave several equipment cards to Shin, quietly bowed, and left .

Shin watched them go, then turned towards Milt .

We can start anytime .

Okay, I wont hold back then .

A giant poleaxe appeared in Milts hands . Enveloped in blue flames, it was the lower Ancient-grade Breogand .

Lets have some fun!!

Breogand slashed through the air, accompanied by Milts war shout . Even heavy weapons could move as swiftly as normal lances and axes thanks to Milts STR .

It was an attack that could even damage Shin if he was struck; he drew True Moon and blocked it .

Itll be over soon .

The frontal clash caused Breogands blade to shatter .

There was a stat difference between Shin and Milt, including the weapons bonuses, that 100 or 200 points could not fill . In a world where a video games system ruled all, it was an all-too-clear difference .

Hey, what were Maris last words?

Milt asked as their blades were still locked .

she said that she wanted everyone to go back together .

I see, Marishe made her decision .

Milts water spirit, Undine, released several bubbles, but Shin swatted them away with his left hand . The lightning spell he launched as a counterattack seared both Undine and Milt .

Im so enviouswe had lost all hope in reality .

Only Milts HP decreased, one-sidedly . The sparks shooting between their blades cast a shadow on her face . Her expression contained a mix of admiration and jealousy .

This is the time you should say, You can do it too!!!

Only someone ready to carry your life on their shoulders could say that!!

Milt shouted loud enough to not let her voice drown in the sound of the grinding metal, and Shin howled back .

In the 15th clash between their weapons, Breogands blade shot in the air . Milt lost her balance as consequence, and Shin readied True Moon at his waist .

Im really-

Milt instinctively used Breogands hilt to protect herself . Shins blow, as if guided by it, struck cleanly .

envious .

The slash was stopped for an instant by Breogands hilt, but was then cleaved in two along with everything else in the blades path .

Katana-type martial skill Shiden Helmet Smasher .

The technique, that caused great damage to any weapon or defensive gear, unleashed its offensive power to the fullest .

Thank you .

Milt pronounced her last words with a smile .

Shin looked at Milt turning into a burst of polygons and disappear, a complicated emotion beating in his chest . He had never thought to be thanked by someone he killed .

You are finished, yes?

Maybe he had lowered his guard, maybe he was lost in thought .

Shin had not noticed the approaching presence until it talked to him .

Hello there, its been a while .

. Shi, Shin

Shin turned around and saw Hameln with Luca .

Why are you here?

I heard from Milt . I suppose she couldnt stand to see you go down this path either .

Both being PKs, it wasnt strange for some connection to exist between Milt and Hameln . Shin, however, couldnt understand why Milt would tell him about this place .

For me too, it is truly not interesting at all for you to be like this .

What did you say?

Lets just say that Im a busybody . I just do what I feel like after all . The rest is up to you . Do your best .

Hameln then used a crystal and teleported away . Only Luca was left, a card in her hands .

Didnt I tell you to go back?

But Shin, you wont come back!!

Thats-

Shin, youre coming home with me!

Luca ran up to Shin and tried to take his hand . But before her hands could touch his, Shin moved away .

Lucas hands would get stained with blood . Or so he felt .

Shin!!

There were less than five steps between him and the screaming Luca . That small distance separated them like the steepest cliff .

Nh!

Luca held high the card she was holding . What appeared was a grenade-like item, that would explode after a set time .

Nheh?

Luca!?

Luca seemed unaware of the nature of the item she was holding . Shin stepped closer in an instant and took it out of her hands, then launched it high towards the sky .

After a few seconds, with a bang-like sound, a small cloud of white smoke appeared above .

It was just a smoke bomb .

. what?

Nh!

Shin looked suspiciously at the unexpected happening, when Luca firmly grabbed his hands .

Lets go back, okay?

Lucas words, strangely enough, were the same as Marinos .

If Shin used just a little too much strength to shake Lucas hands away -her level being in the single digits- he could easily blow away her HP .

Shin looked at her hands on his . The blood on his hands seemed to be staining hers too .

I

Lets go back!!

The edges of Lucas eyes brimmed with tears . Even so, she gripped Shins hands as strong as she could .

Lets go back .

Shaking her off would be all too simple . But it wasnt as easy as that .

That same moment, an opening broke between the clouds in the sky .

The newly shining sunlight illuminated Luca, as if clearly separating the two; Luca was in warm, bright, yellow light, Shin in misty darkness .

. . eh?

It was as if the difference between him and Luca was being clearly shown . Shin noticed it and was about to laugh at himself, when his eyes caught something else, something unbelievable .

On top of his and Lucas, there was one more hand . Next to Luca, stood Marino . That moment, Shin forgot everything .

Luca pulled Shin as she walked . Completely lost, he followed her without the smallest resistance .

Shin was showered in sunlight, as if he was being pulled out of the darkness .

. .

Shins eyes were temporarily blinded by the dazzling light .

He closed them for just an instant, but that instant Marino disappeared .

. .

Was it a mirage? Shin asked himself, then he felt the warmth of Lucas hand on his .

No, that was definitely not only Lucas . He had held that hand countless times . Even after becoming a murderer, he couldnt forget that warmth .

That was Marino, without a doubt .

Are you telling me to go back?

The Marino he saw in the light looked sad .

(Lets go back . )

The same words that Marino said seeped inside Shins heart .

He looked down and saw a small hand gripping his . He felt something inside melt away and disappear .

Shin, are you crying?

I dontI dont know

Shin felt all his strength leave his body and fell to his knees .

Something warm seemed to be flowing down his cheeks .