“I can’t hold out much longer!”

A blond, weird-looking mechanic shouted. He’s swinging his humongous axe like a loose psycho just to fend off the satanic Seyren Windsors. “Oy, Jyyyyuuuuuuuunoooooo! Help me out here!”

Before I could reach out for my tyrfing stuck to the blood-stained ground, a shadow from the walls materialized. “On it.” A snow-white-haired guy just popped out of nowhere and started slashing the hell out of everything around the mechanic.

The mechanic rushed on near the cages where I was standing, for it serves as a guard not to be detected by the clones and sighed heavily. “For chrissake I thought I was gonna die.”

“That’s taken care of; what now?”

“The exit’s far from this safe spot. We’re surrounded by an MVP and two elites.” The ranger in our group scouted the nearby area. I bet there are thousands of them out there.”

“And we can’t stay here forever.” A scholar sitting beside me added.

“T-T-Th-Th-This is because Erin forgot her usual stock of gems...!! Let her kill every one of these things...!!” Pointed the pansy mechanic.

Ah, Erin’s our youngest party member. She’s just thirteen but she’s already a worthy priest...at least, that’s what I could see. She has great potential, really.

She started to cry. “Waaaaah, I’m sorry— Everyone’s going to die because of me— waaaaaah!!” she clinged to the scholar and let loose her woes.

“Now, now, everything’s going to be fine. We’ll get out of here. We promise.” The scholar spoke back while consoling her. She looked at each and every guy in the group with those killing eyes, and that aura around her is just terrifying.

“You...promise Erin we’ll get out of this alive.”

“But--” the mechanic talked back.

“Juno, kindly hold her for me.” The scholar stood up; crunched her knuckles.

“Ah. Sure.” I just nodded, fearing I’d also suffer the same fate that’s bound to happen to that mechanic. I dare talk back and she might feed me to the lions.

“C-c-c’mon, it was just a joke!” The blond backed up against the grills and crates.

She removed her monocle, crunched it with her hand and mercilessly kicked the hell out of that wussy guy.

“A joke?” the scholar replied back.

The blonde guy nodded.

“How the hell is that a joke, I wonder.” I couldn’t catch a glimpse of her face anymore, but I could feel her uncanny devilish aura. She really could kill THAT person.

The scholar grabbed him by the neck. “You do know you hurt my sister’s feelings.” Her face, from a blank one changed. She’s really mad now.

“You know what happens when my sister cries like that, don’t you?” Without any hesitation, she pinned him on a pile of short-spiked metal plates. Man, it would sure hurt.

“You couldn’t even save your own hide. You...disgusting people like you...people like you...”

Everyone stared at her.

“...shouldn’t be alive.” she lunged at the scared-to-death guy, but before she could really kill him, the assassin grabbed her by the wrist.

“Judith. That’s enough. This isn’t helping.” the snow-white-haired guy patted her on the back.

The scholar stared at him for a moment and reflected on her actions. “Ugh. I apologize. That was tad too reckless of me.”

The priestess beside me rose her beautifully-decorated staff. All of a sudden, this white light engulfed her, with the blond guy radiating the same light few moments later. She healed him without hesitation.

Judith repeated, “I’m sorry, Ayr.” She reached out for the blond guy and heaved him up. The blond mechanic just sat in the plates behind his cart, still afraid of what just happened.

“Well we can’t wait here all day, and it is past midnight. No one’s going to help us, and we could only last for a few more hours.”

“What do you s-s-s-s’ppose we do? Fu-fu-fuuuu-f-f-ight that h-h-huge mo-oo-o-o-ob?” the mechanic stuttered.

Nobody spoke. I’m sure they wouldn’t want to see others get killed, let alone be the ones to die here. Unsurprisingly, nobody volunteered to clear out the mobs. All of them clearly want to be the support. I stood up; they looked at me with doubts and fears in their eyes.

“No one? Fine then, I’ll do it.” I finally remembered to pull out my sword stuck to the ground. I couldn’t think of anything besides getting out of Somatology Laboratory alive. Of course, I wouldn’t want to leave my comrades behind...then again, I’m the one that’s going to be left behind.

All of them gasped.

“You serious?” the ranger said.

“For Pete’s sake Juno, you don’t have to do this alone. C’mon, let us help y—”

“No, all of you just get out of here. This means nothing if y’all stayed.” I insisted.

“But...!!”

Everyone paused.

“He’s right. If everyone stays here to fight, then we’re not getting out at all.” Judith backed me up, which at least gave me some confidence.

“Wait.” The ranger stood up, brought out a pair of large wings. “I’m good for one more ride. Shall we give it a try?” A giant fly wing. Why am I not surprised. He’s the group leader after all, and I’m just the most powerful of the bunch. Not that I’m bragging or anything.

Everyone agreed, and a split-second later we found ourselves CLOSER to the portal. Thank goodness. But alas, there are more of them in this area, and we’ve fallen short at the back of the staircase leading to the upper area.

“When I count to three, floor it.” The ranger said.

One. Two. Three. I could have said that myself, but I got cold feet. Nonetheless, me and my comrades started shooting aimlessly while running towards the portal. There’s already a ton behind us; one wrong move can send you to that crowd and kill you on-the-spot. Me and the ranger can’t afford to happen to anyone in the group. Being the “big brother” of the group, this responsibility is not to be messed around with.

Fortunately we reached the portal in what seemed like an hour or two. Heck, I could barely catch my breath.

“Aaaaah! Help me!” Judith got sniped down.

“Holy s**t, Judith! No!!” It seemed too late for me to rescue her. Did I fail?

Seems not.

In a flash, the mechanic boldly stepped up and pounded the ground, causing the metal floor to wave behind her, forming a thick shield for the wounded magician. He didn’t even think twice that he might hurt Judith, but he grabbed her and let her rest in his cart, then ran off.

We’re safe. Everyone’s safe.

At least, that’s what I thought. Before I could inch my way out of the lab’s lowest level, I heard a voice.

“This ends now, wretched humans.”

What was that? I leaned back to look at the mob and I saw an orange light heading straight for us. What is that thing? It got really big, it got closer to us. I couldn’t even move out of its path.

“Juno!”

I just felt someone pushing me out of the way. I lost balance with that, and was knocked down to the ground. I banged my cheeks on some rusty tacks lying around. I felt my head and checked out who that was.

I didn’t see anyone. What a mystery.

“You’re not going to get out of here. Alive.”

I can see it! I can see her face through the metal wall! Damn it! High Wizard Kathryne and her cronies were able to follow us through the mob! She waved her staff in circles, all of a sudden blue lights honed in on my feet.

Ice Wall!

The wall’s casting made some ruckus, it was enough to send back a person down here.

“Oh my god! Juno! Are you okay out there?”

It was that priestess! She started smashing the ice with her staff to no avail. She even tried magic scrolls she carried all the way down here. She couldn’t break it. I couldn’t break it either. I thought to myself, “Heh, there are things I couldn’t take down at all, huh.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine! Just go!” I shook her off. She didn’t budge. She stood there, sobbing, buffing me with everything she has.

“Juno, you know the authorities won’t get here.” Henri worried about me the most. After all, she’s my fiancee, a high priestess. Hey now, how can that happen when she’s one of those clerics? Oh gee, it doesn’t matter. Even if I’d describe her in detail, it’d be nowhere near it.

“Hey, just promise me you’d come back for me.”

I got it. I wouldn’t be this confident without that girl anyway. I’m glad she did.

“...and live happily ever after.” I bridged her statement. She was smiling for it... oh, how it melts my heart to see her like that. Her face lit up, with hope, gleefully saying “I wish you the best, Juno. I’ll be waiting for your return.”

“Juno.” The ranger butted in.

“Heh, Sil. What now?”

Sil the ranger clenched his fist and looked at Juno with angry eyes. “If you don’t come back alive, I’ll be sure to kick your ass.”

I couldn’t laugh like I used to. I’m too scared to do that...no, he’s never funny when he says that. I could only show this smirk I’ve been doing all this time.

“Screw you, I’ll come back to kick your ass instead. Just take care of her.” I pointed at the priestess, Sil stared at her.

“…if I finds out she cries, I’ll cut your head off myself.” I jokingly said.

Sil paused; “We have a deal, then~”

Those were the last thing I heard from him. The ranger started walking to the light above; looked back a little. “Let’s go, Henri.” She looked at the ranger like she did to me, and agreed. She, then again, faced me, but I couldn’t hear her anymore. I know she’s saying something, it seemed short...after that she ran off to the upper floor, where it’s safe and sound for any sane person. I turned my back against the staircase and amazingly, their numbers seem to have quadrupled or something the moment Henrietta and the rest of the group called for me.

“Alright, it’s just me and a million of you. Bring it on.”

Kathryne smirked. “Die, human bastard! Get him!” They just ran for me like vicious, rabid dogs. Hack-and-slash here, there and everywhere, I can only hear the sound of their “graaaaaarghs” “raaaaaaaarghs” and the sound of the slashes I make against their hides.

Incredibly, these clones can take a single blast from my wide arsenal of swords and spears. Just what are these things?


At last, there was an opening for that wizard. I brandished my sword as hard as I can at her.

“Oh?”

I hit her by the face. She slammed to the ground head first. Blood came rushing out of her.

I might have actually killed her. Alright! One big mama down and…uh, a hundred thousand to go.

Dodging and slashing these guys made me really open to other attacks. And it did. A big arrow came rushing to me from the sewer at the back of the crowd. That big arrow—no, more like a spear fired off a large bow—was enough to pin me down against the frigid wall of frozen water. The surprise doesn’t end there though.

I can’t tell how long have I been fighting these guys, but they don’t seem to decrease in number. This is getting out of hand. I ditched my tyrfing and reached for my large, purple-hued sword and raged with all my might. I could say in one blow, I can kill at least ten, maybe twenty of these guys. You don’t see that every day, do you?

As I prepare to jump off behind a pile of rusty debris nearby, I felt this cold sting in my foot. I looked down to see what that was.

It was Kathryne. She’s still alive!

“This isn’t over yet…hee…hee hee…hee hee ha ha ha ha ha ha ha HA aha HAahHA HahaHaaaAaa!!!”

Kathryne laughed hysterically. I just felt painful shocks from my foot above. Trying to free myself from her grasp, I kicked her face repeatedly, but each try was obviously weaker. She’s draining every ounce of my strength.

It’s this “GAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH” coming out of my throat again. It’s painful stuff. They continue to harass me like nobody’s business. They’re animals; mutants; beasts; demons; forsaken beings. I couldn’t feel anything anymore. Bolts of every magic you could possibly think of and a ton of arrows rushing down on me, not to mention wounds in every part of my body from blades and whatnot—heck, I feel I could take all of them. I feel like I’ve activated cheat mode now, maybe god mode, something directly from gaming consoles. But alas, my soul tells me I can still fight back, but my body tells me I’m at my limit.

For a moment that seemed like forever, memories with dearest Henri came back to me—everything from how me first met, everything. Her lovely smile, how I wish I could stare at it forever...how I wish I could just stand up, brush this off and return to how we used to live in our hometown Aldebaran…

Too bad, it’s the end of the line for me.

I just noticed tears in my cheek. I can’t move anymore.

All I could do is scream.

Scream, Juno.

Let her know I’m suffering for her sake…no, for their sake.

“HEEEEENNNNNNRRRRRIIIIIIIII...!!!”

I could only hope she hears my voice. Then this weird black stuff closed in on my vision.